Victorians are famous for their enthusiastic embrace of arts and cultural activities ranging across street art, live music, vibrant literature and theatre sectors, design and visual arts, and being an epicentre for electronic games development.

Regular arts and cultural engagement results in better health outcomes, with some research identifying an optimum of 100+ hours per year. Unfortunately opportunities to engage in arts, cultural and creative experiences are not evenly distributed with many people in our community facing significant and complex barriers to participation.

The seven projects we are supporting will develop models and approaches for a more equitable sector where more people can experience more art more often.

 

Creative Leaders - Corangamite Shire Council and Regional Arts Victoria

Schools, students and the local government areas in the south-west of Victoria will partner in establishing a mentorship program delivered by Regional Arts Victoria and specialist industry leaders. The focus will be on building the capacity of young people in the region to devise and deliver creative projects for and by their peers, and responsive to local community needs.

 

YIRRAMBOI Festival Regional Development program – City of Melbourne

Moving into its third iteration, YIRRAMBOI First Nations Festival will nurture regional projects and provide opportunities spanning genres and art forms including theater, visual arts, dance and music. This will assist in highlighting the diversity and abundance of First People’s talent at the next festival, scheduled for May 2021.

 

Collingwood Connect - City of Yarra and Contemporary Arts Precincts

The opening of Collingwood Yards, an evolving and growing community of artists and creatives located on the site of the former Collingwood Technical School, creates a unique opportunity to engage local communities as empowered participants, co-designers and co-owners of a new public space and creative precinct. Project components will include catalysing collaborations, empowered participation, affordable access, and more.

 

Live – Well, Come – Share (Stories) - Baw Baw Shire Council and Baw Baw Arts Alliance

Cultural ambassadors will work throughout West Gippsland to create arts and cultural programs that enable inclusive community building, developing projects through collective consultation. The production of short films will run parallel to each of initiatives and these will be screened at regular intervals in local businesses and promoted by local library branches.

 

B-Creative - Brimbank City Council with various local organisations

B-Creative will drive self-determined creative projects in Council venues using various models of engagement in partnership with experienced creative practitioners. This project aims to connect under-represented community members to existing opportunities and more importantly, to have direct impact on the cultural safety and content of arts programming in Brimbank.

 

Dandenong Creek Arts Trail - City of Greater Dandenong and Living Links

By engaging Traditional Owners and the broader community to co-create seven place-based public artworks along the Dandenong Creek Arts Trail this initiative will foster a deep sense of connection to place, nature and community, improving health and wellbeing of participants and trail visitors as well as celebrating the perspectives and values of our contemporary multicultural community.

 

Smartphone Stories - City of Port Phillip and Cinespace

Smartphone Stories is an interactive project that teaches participants ways to tell stories using a smartphone. Twenty-four workshops will be delivered in a range of locations around the state where participants will learn the skills to produce, write, direct and edit a film made entirely on a mobile phone. Accessible filmmaking practices can reduce social isolation strengthening community connection.