13 May 2016
The Australia Council has increased its operational funding grants for small to medium arts organisations by $6 million per year, that is $28 million per year, up from $22 million.
As the Australia Council points out in its media release regarding today’s announcement, “It was always intended that slightly fewer companies would be funded at a higher level”.
This strategic direction was developed by the Australia Council prior to last year’s federal budget.
The Australia Council’s funding contracts are for fixed terms, and are not in perpetuity. Four year funding rounds provide new organisations the opportunity to apply for funding in a competitive environment, based on the Council’s independent assessment. A third of those receiving funding are new organisations and a quarter of all recipients are in regional and rural areas.