Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts Troy Grant said the funding will improve the viability of Hunter arts and cultural organisations and help create new markets and audiences for local artists.
“The Hunter has a thriving arts and cultural sector and the government is proud to support such a diverse array of creative local programs,” Mr Grant said.
Organisations awarded funding in 2016 include:
• $55,000 for a contemporary dance and multi-arts project at Flipside Dance, which involves young people from Newcastle, the Central Coast and Greater Hunter.
• $255,000 over the next three years for Newcastle’s Tantrum Theatre Cooperative, which delivers innovative theatre productions engaging with groups including young people, Aboriginal people and people with a disability.
• $98,000 in 2016 for Newcastle’s The Lock-Up multidisciplinary arts space that provides experimental and cross-platform exhibitions, events, public programs and residencies.
• $35,000 for the annual National Young Writers Festival to be held in Newcastle from 29 September to 2 October, 2016. The event will include debates, readings, launches, performances and workshops for writers aged 13 to 35.
• $420,000 over the next three years for Arts Upper Hunter, which provides a wide range of opportunities for people to engage with arts and culture across the Upper Hunter, Muswellbrook, Singleton, Gloucester and Dungog Local Government Areas.
• $70,000 in 2016 for the Newcastle Art Gallery to present a calendar of exhibitions and public and educational programs.
• $50,000 for the Hunter Writers Centre to deliver a program of exhibitions, events, public programs and residencies that aim to develop audiences and promote local, national and international artists.
• $150,000 over the next three years for Octapod Association Inc to develop the Lower Hunter region’s arts and cultural sector through the delivery of programs for people with disability, young people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
• $330,000 over the next three years for Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery to produce in-house and guest curated exhibitions that explore themes of contemporary visual arts from across Australia and the local region and for professional development opportunities for artists and curators through exhibitions and its residency and workshop programs.
• $198,600 over the next three years for Maitland Regional Gallery to deliver an exhibition and public program of activities highlighting a range of work from nationally significant artists to school students in the local region.
Visit the Arts NSW website to find out more about local grants funding in NSW.
Image credit: Tantrum Theatre Cooporative