Lennox Head Cultural and Community Centre.
Arts and cultural facilities in need of an upgrade now have their chance, with expressions of interest open for $2.5 million in ClubGRANTS towards arts and cultural infrastructure in NSW.
The grants are the first in a four year allocation which will provide a total of $10 million to community groups, arts and cultural organisations, local councils and not-for-profits across NSW.
They form the arts and cultural round of ClubGRANTS’s competitive Category 3 fund, which is managed by Liquor & Gaming NSW in consultation with Arts NSW. The funding comes from gaming machine taxes that are paid by any NSW registered club that earns more than $1 million a year.
The ClubGRANTS Category 3 fund also provides $8 million a year for sport and recreation projects and $2 million a year for emergency relief facilities.
Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts Troy Grant said: ‘The NSW Government is committed to ensuring people have access to art and culture no matter where they live – this investment will build participation and ensure facilities are equipped for the long term.’
The focus on infrastructure addresses the pressure many arts organisations face in keeping facilities and buildings up to date. Aging infrastructure, changing demographics and increasing populations have made it difficult for councils and community groups to keep up with local expectations and needs.
Grants between $100,000 to $300,000 will be available in 2016 for building new facilities as well as upgrading existing ones with high quality, well-designed infrastructure. These are open to not-for-profit projects throughout NSW – with an emphasis on regional and remote communities. The most competitive expressions of interest will be invited to submit a full application in May.
‘Particular emphasis will be given to projects that support disadvantaged and regional and remote communities, as they often struggle to attract this level of funding,’ Deputy Premier Grant said.
Also important is how ready applicants are to get their project off the ground.
Applicants will need to be in a position to commence the project by September 2016 once they get the funding.
ClubGRANTS arts and cultural funding was announced by the Deputy Premier for the first time last year. Grant recipients included the Lennox Head Cultural and Community Centre, Wyong Shire’s The Art House and the Dhiiyaan Aboriginal Centre in Moree.
The Deputy Premier hopes the funding will ensure local halls and theatres continue to meet local community needs, while allowing communities to preserve and share their stories in a space where people can realise their creative potential.
Expressions of interest for ClubGRANTS arts and cultural infrastructure round close on March 17.
Read the application information pack for the ClubGRANTS’s Category 3 arts and cultural round and submit your application here.
