Circus WOW received Culture Bank funding last year to provide additional crash mats at its Fairy Meadow Studio. Photo: Region Illawarra.
Wollongong’s Culture Bank has opened the vault doors for its next round of funding to help aspiring artists and creatives.
Since starting in 2013, Culture Bank has provided more than $100,000 to individuals and groups, many of whom have since produced successful and ongoing events in the region.
The community organisation, which operates under the umbrella of Port Kembla’s Our Community Project, aims to “create a vital cultural life in the greater Wollongong area”.
Funding may go to one-off projects for artworks, theatre, books, music or installations, but often it supports seedling projects that grow and develop into bigger things.
Culture Bank members contribute a monthly amount – usually $20 or $10 unwaged – which is pooled and once or twice a year a funding round is held. The more members, the bigger the pot of money to be shared.
Community members from Helensburgh to Nowra are invited to make submissions for funding for projects. Members get together for a dinner to review the submissions and decide which will get the tick of funding approval for amounts ranging from about $500 to $3000.
In the latest round, Culture Bank received 28 submissions and provided funds for six of those – Beyond Empathy (Melissa Andrews), Oh My Goddess (Ali Jane Smith), Malika Reese, Dire Theatre Company, A Comedy of Errorials (Circus WOW) and True Story Festival.
Circus WOW put its funding towards new floor crash mats, which helped the group produce its end of year show, aptly titled A Comedy of Errorials.
The Dire Theatre Company’s Adam Dare said the group was thankful for Culture Bank’s support.
“As the region’s only independent, semi-professional, multidisciplinary arts collective, we rely on benevolence and hard work to keep the doors open and to fund new and exciting independent projects,” he said.
“The support we’ve received from Culture Bank will ensure that the current project we’re working on is as close to exactly what our region deserves: quality indie art that not only provides opportunity for local artists and entertainment for local audiences, but also an avenue that gives us the tools to continue to incite change, without fear.”
Submissions for the next round of funding can be lodged from Friday 26 January until 5 pm on Friday 23 February.
Culture Bank members will meet in March to decide on the successful applicants. For more information on memberships, funding, or to make a submission, click here.
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