Arts OutWest will distribute 27 micro grants to creatives and arts groups across the Central West region, including two in Parkes.
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The grants range from $450 to $2000 and come to a total value of $36,340, with Arts OutWest receiving 90 applications.
The regional arts development organisation bumped up the initial funding to try to accommodate such high demand for support.
Funded activities range from equipment purchases by individual artists, to artist fees for upcoming festivals, exploration and development of new work, and hands-on community activities that employ local artists, to kick-starting a community narrow-cast radio station in Grenfell.
Two Indigenous art initiatives have been granted funding in Parkes - one going to Wiradjuri artist Irene Ridgeway who teaches young indigenous, emerging artists. She will work with young artists.
Funds will also be used to host a workshop series in the Parkes Shire Library and Cultural Centre's new Makerspace Studio, where Indigenous Elder and artist Ronda Sharpe will present four weaving workshops.
These workshops use traditional Wiradjuri weaving methods with modern materials (data cables) to create usable objects, such as baskets or bookmarks, and will be delivered as part of the NetWaste Waste to Art program.
"We had a truly overwhelming response to this year's micro grants program with so many excellent proposals," Arts OutWest executive director Tracey Callinan said.
"It showed the real, often very personal and specific need for support for regional creatives but also the abundance of positive new ideas being explored."
The bulk of funding will be covered by the NSW Government's Arts Restart ($24,000) with extra from Arts OutWest's Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support funding from the Australian Government ($6000) and Arts OutWest's own funds ($6340).
"That still leaves many worthy applications unfunded so we are now planning a fundraising campaign specifically to support more micro grant requests, we'll announce details soon," Ms Callinan said.
"We're also actively looking at other ways to support as many of the applicants as possible through our other activities in the region."
These 27 funded projects and activities will contribute to the immediate employment of arts workers and creatives, in line with the priorities of the NSW Government's Arts Restart funding.
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