The Hon Rod Kemp was Minister for the Arts and Sport from Friday 23 November 2001 to Tuesday 30 January 2007. This site is available for archival purposes only.
Arts funding to help tell unique stories
The Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp today announced over $750,000 to help communities coordinate and tell their stories at regional festivals and significant community celebrations.
The funding for 45 projects will be provided under the Australian Government’s Festivals Australia and its sister program, Festivals Australia Regional Residencies initiatives. These programs provide assistance to Australian regional and community festivals for the presentation of quality cultural projects.
Festivals Australia funding is available to add a new or special sort of cultural activity that has never been done before and could not otherwise be afforded.
The Festivals Australia Regional Residencies program provides assistance to regional and remote communities to tell their stories and the stories of their communities at local festivals and major one-off community celebrations.
The program provides funds for an artist(s) to undertake a residency for a period of up to five weeks to work with communities to express their stories through visual arts/crafts, literature, dance, music, drama or other mediums.
“Each community has its own sense of identity and sense of place. Festivals help people to come together to celebrate, appreciate and understand their communities,” Senator Kemp said.
“Festivals Australia gives all Australians, wherever they live, the opportunity to access a range of creative and quality cultural activities that have significant meaning to them and their communities.
“Many funded projects involve workshops that enable community members to participate in the creation of artworks or to perform alongside professional artists.”
“All the projects funded by the Festivals Australia Regional Residencies program involve artists collaborating with regional and remote communities to develop a performance or artistic work for local and regional festivals and community celebrations.” Senator Kemp said.
A full list of the successful applicants for the latest rounds of the programs is available from http://www.dcita.gov.au/arts_culture/funding_programs__and__support/festivals_australia and www.dcita.gov.au/festivals_residencies
Applications for the next round of funding under the Festivals Australia Regional Residencies and Festivals Australia programs close on 17 July 2006.
CANBERRA
15 June 2006
Media contact: Michael Christo 02 6277 7350 or 0409 040276