MINISTER for the Arts and Cultural Events, Gordon Ramsay today (October 31) announced the first recipients of the ACT government’s newly-named “Arts Activities” funding, previously known as “project funding”. 

“The annual pool of a minimum of $750,000 in project funding – now called Arts Activity Funding – is delivered in two major rounds each year of grants up to $50,000 as well as a rolling program of grants up to $5000,” Minister Ramsay said.

Sixteen projects have been funded under the new model, and recipients include 2017 “CityNews” Artist of the Year, Liz Lea, who has been funded to stage a second iteration of her “BOLD” dance festival, “BOLD II”.

Other successful initiatives include recording, mixing and mastering an EP of new hip-hop music by artist “KG” and a visual arts project pairing seven community artists living with disability from Hands On Studio with seven working Canberra artists

In addition, the government has allocated $108,000 to MusicACT for capacity building for bands and musicians, $25,000 to Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres for capacity building for artists, and $75,000 to be allocated shortly for capacity building for arts organisations.

$100,000 went to DESIGN Canberra, $130,000 for Art, Not Apart, and $100,000 will be allocated to Screen Canberra to support projects for screen artists.

The successful applicants in this round will share in funding totalling $303,208, with a further $300,000 available in the next $5000-50,000 funding round, which opens on December 1 at arts.act.gov.au