Local artists, cultural organisations and creative groups have shared in almost $132,000 of small quick response grants, as part of Port Phillip Council’s Arts Response Grants program.
The program was developed to reduce the impact of COVID-19, on the arts community, and has delivered a much-needed lifeline to many organisations.
The three streams of grants, THRIVE local grants for artists with disability, First Peoples grants, and Arts Response grants, have helped artists and arts organisations to continue to create artwork, maintain connections, and share their work with the community online, with a view to future public outcomes when restrictions ease.
Mayor Bernadene Voss said the Arts Response grants program provided a significant boost to Port Phillip’s creative community.
“Employment in the arts and creative industries has been significantly impacted by COVID-19 and it’s important for us to step up and support the wonderful people who live in Port Phillip and make our lives brighter through their artistic craft,” Cr Voss said.
Dan Wei, a multi-disciplinary artist who received a THRIVE local grant, to develop her new project Tadpoles Looking for Mama, said, “THRIVE local grants and the team behind it have created new connections for me with the local neighbourhood as a new resident of Port Phillip.
“I have become more aware of art making with the local communities at the back of my mind, and it is so comforting to know I can dive into creativity and make art with their support.”
Wei’s THRIVE local grant piece will include a live performance, woven together with an installation of a whimsical Chinese animation of tadpoles in search of their mother, and the retelling of Dan’s personal story.
“It puts a smile on my face when I think about it during this isolating lock-down time,” Wei said.
For more information and a full list of recipients go to:
