Cultivate Grants Announced Media Release from Arts Access Australia (AAA)

AAA are pleased to announce the recipients of the Cultivate professional development grants for artists with disability.

Cultivate provides seed funding to artists who want to further develop their professional artistic practice with the aim of being better placed to pursue a professional artistic career and to compete for funding in general arts funding programs.

Since launching Cultivate in August this year, Arts Access Australia has been overwhelmed with responses from all over the country.

Over 110 artists with disability from all States and Territories of Australia applied for Cultivate. A total of $40,000 worth of grants have been allocated in 2011 to six artists.

“It’s fantastic to show how important dedicated funding like this is for the development of artists with disability,” said CEO Kate Larsen.

“Cultivate has also given us a real insight into the diversity and quality of work that’s being made by artists with disability in Australia, and helped highlight some of the barriers that stop people applying for mainstream arts funding,” she said.

Two of the grants will go to artists from the Northern Territory. Alison Inkamala will use the grant to attend exhibitions and prize ceremonies where her work is being shown and to return to country to record details of her grandparent’s country on canvas. Dion Beasley will use the grant for illustration workshops to help develop his trademark Cheeky Dog illustrations into a children’s book.

Three South Australian artists will also receive support through Cultivate. Theatre director Julian Jaench will use the grant for mentoring by three industry professionals. Musician Tyson Hopperich will explore new ways of making music with iPad and App technology. And dancer Lorcan Hopper will fly to the UK this week to work with a number of disability-led and integrated companies and to attend the Oska Bright Film Festival.

Melinda Smith, a dancer from Victoria, has also received support for a series of one-on-one dance workshops and masterclasses in accessible dance studios.

Supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council and the Office for the Arts, Cultivate begins to address the recommendation made in the National Arts and Disability Strategy to improve access to arts and cultural funding programs and processes for people with disability.

Arts Minister Simon Crean said  “As emerging professionals, these six artists are a true reflection of Australia’s enormously diverse and accomplished arts community.

 “We want to help break down the barriers that might prevent them from reaching their full potential and expressing themselves artistically and creatively.  “I look forward to seeing all of them develop their practice, build their professional networks and grow as artists.”

Cultivate also aims to act as a model of how arts funding processes can be made more accessible by letting artists apply in whatever way works best for them – receiving applications on video, audio tracks, through Skype, text messages, phone conversations or in person.

A second round of Cultivate will be launched in mid 2012.

Media Contacts:

Arts Access Australia                          

Kate Larsen CEO: 0419 201 338

AAA Project Officer, Emma Barrance: 0439 210 690

Arts Access Australia gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance it receives from the Australia Council for the Arts and by the Australian Government through the Office for the Arts.