$2 million fund for artists as new festival rises over Melbourne

The replacement for Melbourne Festival and White Night, to be known as RISING, is seeking proposals for new work from artists, artistic collectives and companies for the inaugural festival in 2021.

To be known as RISING, the new winter festival that takes the place of Melbourne Festival and White Night – to be held over 26 May – 6 June 2021 – has announced a $2 million commissioning fund for Victorian artists.

Artists based interstate who can demonstrate a strong connection with Victoria, or whose project features a number of key artists based in Victoria, are also invited to submit a proposal to the new festival.

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Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts