(8/3/2019) Arts and Community Grants up for grabs

Applications are now open for the City of Fremantle’s latest round of Arts and Community Grants.

Twice a year the City offers arts grants of up to $25,000 and community grants up to $10,000 for projects or activities that contribute to Fremantle’s wellbeing, vibrancy and cultural diversity. The grants are financed from the City’s annual arts pool of $50,000 and community pool of $60,000, which are divided across two funding rounds in March and September.

The City’s Director of Community Development Fiona Hodges said the Arts and Community Grants program has supported many incredible projects to get off the ground over the years.

“Fremantle is home to a diverse creative community, and is well-known for its prevalent arts and culture,” Ms Hodges said.

“We also have many caring, hardworking groups and individuals who are advancing community initiatives focusing on seniors, youth, people with a disability, cultural and linguistic diversity and people living under disadvantaged circumstances.

“I’m proud the City plays an integral role in supporting, facilitating and strengthening this inherent artistic culture and community connection through our Arts and Community Grants program, and I encourage people to apply.”

One of last year’s Arts Grant recipients, Kelsey Ashe Giambazi received funding for her project Dark Swan; Contemporary Tales of the Gothic Antipodes. The exhibition opened in September 2018 at PSAS (Pakenham Street Art Space) and investigated Fremantle’s colonial history, architecture, characters and landscapes by exploring the ‘Australian Gothic’ aesthetic and the Victorian age romanticism in which WA’s identity emerged.

“I was so pleased to be supported by the City of Fremantle via the Arts and Community Grants program for my exhibition,” Dr Giambazi said.

“Having the City's ‘stamp of approval’ on my project enabled me the confidence to further promote and highlight the exhibition’s content. The financial support, of course, was invaluable as it ensured that key aspects of the project could go ahead.

“The event was a huge success and I thank the City of Fremantle for getting behind the project, attending opening night and promoting it through their marketing channels; it was so beneficial to have the City of Fremantle as a sponsor.”

To assist people with grant applications, the City is running a series of information sessions at Fremantle Library over the next couple of weeks, including:

Registrations are essential. To secure a place, email [email protected].

Grant applications close on 28 March, and successful applicants will be notified by end of May.

For more information on the grants, visit the Arts and Community Grants page on the City of Fremantle website.