Arts and cultural practitioners are invited to apply for grants of up to $10,000 as part of the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) program.
Grant applications opened today (4 October) for arts and cultural projects that start after 18 January 2023, demonstrate a professional standard of work, and contribute to the vitality and diversity of the arts industry in the Cairns region.
The RADF program is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Cairns Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland. Arts and cultural organisations, groups and individuals are eligible to apply to the Cairns RADF program.
RADF is an enormously successful program – each year more than 500,000 people engage with RADF projects, ranging from public art installations to local festivals, and arts and cultural workshops, either as practitioners, participants or audience members.
Mayor Bob Manning said the grants helped local artists, performers and cultural practitioners to enhance and develop arts and cultural activities in the region.
“RADF has helped hundreds of local projects to get off the ground,” Cr Manning said.
“The grants have been used to assist with the staging of plays celebrating local history and culture, the curation of arts and cultural exhibitions, bringing Indigenous art history to the fore, and many other projects.
“Every successful project represents another opportunity for residents to engage in activities that contribute to the vibrancy and depth of our arts community and help our city to become established as the arts and culture capital of Northern Australia.”
Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said as part of this successful, long-term collaboration, the Queensland Government will provide $2.13 million for RADF 2022–2023 to a total of 59 local councils, who will contribute a co-investment amount of over $1.9 million
“Established in 1991, RADF is a long-standing success story between the Queensland Government and regional councils, enabling local artists and arts workers to tell their rich and unique stories, boosting regional employment opportunities and other positive economic outcomes”, Minister Enoch said.
“For 31 years, RADF has provided a legacy of creating new art and cultural experiences for Queensland audiences and communities, and a platform for professional development and growth across the regional arts sector.”
Full application guidelines can be found here. Applications for Major Round One close at 5pm on Monday 31 October.
