Initially introduced to help creative industry members who have faced economic challenges from COVID-19 over the long term, the Whittlesea Creative Communities Fund grants have proven extremely popular and are now entering into their third round.
Previous grant recipient Meg De Young said that receiving the funds not only helped her in creating a garden mural for the Whittlesea Community, but also enabled her to keep connected with local people, adding:
“It has given me the chance of producing work that will directly benefit members of the community that not only are involved with Whittlesea Community Garden but engage with the garden space itself."
She said creative endeavours can now be enjoyed by everyone, whether enjoying lunch or on walks through the garden.
The grant welcomes submissions from all locally-based creative sectors, which includes cultural and community groups, non-profit art organisations, community artists, producers, performers, writers, musicians and artists.
To assist artists currently experiencing difficulties financially, the grants offer a maximum of $2,000. Such funds have often been used for everything from sourcing equipment to poster printing. The council believes such an incentive has the potential to keep artists connected with the community, while also allowing individual creativity to be nurtured and survive both now and into the future.
Applications for the next round of grants are set to close on October 30, 2020.