Cultural and creative businesses celebrated

FIFTEEN women’s microbusinesses will be launched in Bendigo as part of Multicultural Arts Victoria’s Duniya Behter program, designed to help women of colour in regional areas develop and grow their own creative enterprises

A market will take place at the Cultural Exchange in the Beehive Building on Friday, with an official celebration taking place on 17 December.

Bendigo creative Ayuen Kuol Bol said the program has helped her establish her own business.

“Duniya Behter is a great opportunity to bring people out and showcase people that have such amazing skills and haven’t necessarily had the platform or the resources to express their creativity and profit from their creativity,” she said.

“I appreciate that it is helping me and other women prepare to market our creations and benefit from them, both financially and in being seen and heard.”

Each participant in the program received $5000 to help start up their businesses, as well as hands on training in administration, marketing, social media and digital communication.

Products being retailed at the market include range from Bangledeshi food to locally made African haircare products.

MAV CEO Veronica Pardo said Duniya Behter highlights both the need to support women from culturally and linguistic diverse communities and the importance of “creative solutions to the social and economic challenges felt during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Duniya Behter embraces the existing creative and entrepreneurial skills of these incredible women and provides an opportunity for them to translate these to self-sustaining digital businesses,” she said.

“Not only is this important for ensuring a community-led COVID-19 recovery, but to strengthening a digitally-engaged workforce of regional creatives necessary to support a thriving, diverse creative sector for years to come.”

The first market takes place tomorrow from 11am at the Cultural Exchange Beehive Bendigo, 24 to 26 Pall Mall.