Image Credit: Patrick Callow

City of Greater Geelong announce new funding stream for artists and creatives

With a total grant pool of $10,000, the Clever and Creative Seed Grants support the exploration and development of new works from local artists and creatives.

The City of Greater Geelong has announced a new funding stream for the arts to cultivate clever and creative projects. Introducing the Clever and Creative Seed Fund, a funding initiative that aims to provide artists and creatives with small grants to initiate, explore or activate new ideas or new approaches to their work.

Clever and Creative Seed Fund Key Information

• Grant Amount: Grants of up to $2500 are available
• Eligibility: Applicants should be:
  • Emerging artists and creatives exploring, testing and developing a new creative arts project
  • Mid-career and established artists and creatives exploring a new direction or developing a new innovative or experimental project
• Application Dates:
  • Open: Tuesday 30 April 2024
  • Close: 5pm Friday 31 May 2024 or when funds all allocated, whichever comes first.

Stay up to date with what’s happening within the region’s art scene here.

With a total grant pool of $10,000, artists may apply for up to $2500, as subject to budget limitation, towards a new creative project. Funding is distributed on a first in basis to applicants assessed as eligible and who fulfil the criteria until 31 May 2024, or when available funding is fully allocated, whichever comes first.

The grant is open to artists of all career stages and disciplines including emerging artists and creatives for the exploration, testing and development of a new creative arts project, and mid-career and established artists and creatives exploring a new direction or developing a new innovative or experimental project. These grants are open to not-for-profits, charities, unincorporated bodies, for-profit businesses and sole traders who hold a current Australian Business Number (ABN).

Under the community grants banner, Clever and Creative Seed Grants builds on our already thriving arts community through the funding of multiple activities. Applications can be for activities such as:

• the development of new artworks in the areas of visual arts, sculptures, installations, performances, literature, music compositions, and digital media projects;
• workshops, classes and training sessions; community engagement projects;
• youth and emerging artist programs;
• Cultural Heritage preservation;
• digital and technology based creative projects that explore the intersection of art, technology, and innovation, such as digital art installations, virtual reality experiences, interactive media projects, and digital storytelling initiatives; and
• collaborative projects that engage with the community.

Grant funding can be distributed across artists/creatives fees, materials, venue and studio hire, equipment purchases or hire, inclusion and access costs and documentation and evaluation.

Applications open Tuesday 30 April and will close 5PM, 31 May 2024, or when funding allocation has been exhausted.

Further details on the funding opportunity can be found here or you can contact the Community Grants Team at communitygrants@geelongcity.vic.gov.au or phone 5272 5560. Grant guidelines can be downloaded here.

Words by Staff Writer