A music and arts festival, Shakespeare in the Park and a Comic-Con style event are just a few of the projects to receive grants, following Council tripling its funding pool.
Nillumbik Shire has increased its arts grants pool from $10,000 to $30,000 with two new categories: community art and performing arts.
Mayor Karen Egan said this windfall stemmed from feedback received during the hugely popular Travelling Teapot consultation which shaped the Arts & Cultural Plan 2018-2022.
“The community told us that they needed more funds to run arts and culture projects. We listened, and we acted on this.”
“There is also an economic spin-off. Arts and culture not only supports and enriches the lives of residents, but attracts visitors to the Shire,” Egan said.
“It all contributes to our aim of becoming the most liveable shire in Australia.”
To make the grants as accessible as possible, Council ran free grant writing workshops to help people apply.
The projects to receive grants for 2018-19 are:
- Eltham Street Food and Music Festival which will feature live pop-up music entertainment and food trucks at the Eltham Community Reception Centre over the first two weekends of February next year.
- Giraffe A Go-Go – participatory live puppetry featuring a five metre high giraffe stilt puppet called Gemma and other tall performers, to be performed at the St Andrews Community Festival on 28 April.
- The Come Together Music and Arts Festival at Edendale Community Farm on Saturday 30 March. Family-friendly music and arts across two stages to help raise awareness around mental health and multi-culturalism.
- Shakespeare’s As You Like It at Alistair Knox Park, Eltham from 8 – 10 February and Watkins St Reserve, Diamond Creek from 14 – 17 February.
- Strathewen Black Saturday 10 Year Commemoration Book, to be provided as a gift to all who attend commemoration events locally. Images and text by the Strathewen Black Saturday tenth Anniversary Working Group.
- Nillumbik Comic-Con, hosted by Eltham Library in May– a celebration of local and international popular culture including comic books, fantasy novels, anime, science fiction, games and more.
