Opera Australia to receive more emergency monies from Federal Arts Sustainability Fund

Opera Australia is again at the forefront of distributions from the Federal Government’s Arts Sustainability Fund - being granted $5 million in the latest round of allocations, on top of the $5 million it has already received since May 2021.

In an announcement made yesterday by Federal Arts Minister Paul Fletcher, Circus Oz, Design Tasmania and Opera Australia have been announced as the latest recipients of grants from the Arts Sustainability Fund, with the three sharing in an allocation $5.5 million.

Circus Oz and Design Tasmania share the $500,000 while Opera Australia gains $5 million.

Opera Australia has now received $10 million of the $50 million set aside for the Sustainability Fund.

The latest relief funding comes in the wake of Opera Australia having to postpone its Brisbane Ring Cycle, which itself came shortly after the postponement of The Phantom of the Opera and the cancellation of the entire Sydney winter season.

Advising that the funding was specifically aimed at large employers, Minister Fletcher said it was to “make sure they are still in operation and ready to deliver world-class performances to audiences across Australia, when we emerge from the pandemic”.

Separately, Create NSW has received an overwhelming number of applications for immediate support for cancelled performances through the $75 million NSW Performing Arts COVID Support Package, which was announced in July.

A further source of Create NSW funding was announced last week, with six peak bodies sharing in over $38,000 from the Service Needs Strategic Fund to provide skills-based professional development projects over the next three years.

The successful organisations receiving Create NSW funds are:

Australian Theatre for Young People ($59,000) to ensure that youth arts representatives from across the country can attend the Youth Arts Sector National Connections Summit in 2022.

Dance Makers Collective Incorporated ($59,412 over three years) for Make It Happen, a skills development program for freelance creative practitioners delivered in partnership with councils across Western Sydney.

Diversity Arts Australia ($75,000) to deliver Culture Change, a capacity building program to support organisations in their diversity, equity and inclusion objectives.

Studio A Limited ($40,000) for Rights Animated, to address the critical gap in legal rights information accessible to artists with intellectual disability or literacy challenges through graphic animations.

The Cad Factory ($124,942 over two years) for the CASE Incubator, to employ mid-career artists to undertake mentorships, create online resources and deliver public programs in NSW to explore socially engaged practices.

WestWords Ltd ($30,000) for the Western Sydney Academy of Writers, a career development program for emerging writers from Western Sydney, remote and regional NSW to provide mentorship to create work and provide participants with networking and pitch opportunities to improve career pathways.

Image: Opera Australia's now postponed Brisbane Ring Cycle. Credit: Opera Australia.