Small scale philanthropists make a big difference

Cuts to the Australia Council, the loss of ArtStart, and the guidelines of the National Program for Excellence in the Arts outlining that it will not fund projects by individuals, it’s safe to say the independent and small to medium arts sector is anxious when it comes to funding their future.

As audience engagement and sustainability become ingrained in the vernacular of the sector, there is a push to secure funds through corporate partnerships to survive. But for many smaller organisations and independent artists, they are yet to build the audience that entices such sponsorship. Yet without this financial leg up – that for many years came from grants such as ArtStart –  it is difficult to afford the equipment, tools and time to acquire the skills that help an organisation or individual develop the all-important market for their work.