Multi-million dollar support to boost Sydney’s Covid recovery

As Sydney emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, the city is set for more live music and cultural performances, pop-up theatre productions, dance festivals, art shows and installations.

The City of Sydney last night approved more than $3 million in support for projects that will boost Sydney’s Covid recovery and help build and sustain the social, cultural and economic life of the city.

The City of Sydney has selected 111 projects across eight grants programs for their capacity to meet emerging needs of local communities and priorities for Sydney’s future during 2021/2022.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the grants round included support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, assistance for creative industry professionals, a mentorship program to support Asian students and the regeneration of urban spaces in the city to provide shading and reduce the heat island effect.

“As we emerge from lockdown and begin our recovery from the pandemic, these projects will foster and celebrate Sydney’s culture and creativity, support the local economy, and encourage sustainability and business growth,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

“We want to help our communities survive and recover from the impacts of the pandemic, but also ensure that we’re creating a better, more resilient city in the process.”

Projects that will benefit from the latest round of grant funding include:

a new live performance space in Redfern a series of music, food and art events in Angel Place a festival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture in The Rocks a new pop-up comedy and cabaret theatre featuring drag acts and musicians in Surry Hills a series of industry-led meetings and roundtables that focus on the recovery and rebuilding of Sydney's night-time economy an electronic music festival and conference held at a variety of venues across the local area featuring established and emerging artists a winter jazz festival featuring performances in businesses and spaces across the local area to increase foot traffic and spending a research project to analyse the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses in the local area investigation and creation of a design tool for architects aimed at reducing the construction sector's 20 million tons of waste going to landfill every year a Young Carers Festival at Darling Harbour to reduce social isolation and celebrate young people aged four to 25 in caring roles a month-long series of events to support the local hospitality industry and encourage consumers to rediscover the city's precincts dance classes for Indigenous students to practice, explore and showcase Aboriginal culture and create pathways into the performing arts industry the development of a Tech for Good hub for startups working on smart cities and sustainable energy solutions.

The City of Sydney’s grants and sponsorship Program supports projects that build the social, cultural, environmental and economic life of the city and assist in the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

All grant applications are assessed under strict guidelines to ensure the projects meet the City of Sydney’s objectives and the goals of the community recovery and Sustainable Sydney 2030 plans.

The next round of the City of Sydney’s grants and sponsorships program opens in February 2022.

For more information, go to https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/grants-sponsorships

For media enquiries or images, contact Elaine Kelly. Phone 0477 362 550 or email [email protected]

For interviews with Lord Mayor Clover Moore, contact Paul Mackay. Phone 0436 816 604 or email [email protected]