Vacant places to local creative spaces

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I write to advise readers that applications for the Andrews Labor Government’s new Regional Coworking Spaces and Creative Places program are now open.

Grants of up to $75,000 are available for projects that will foster the development of new creative spaces and help existing spaces run programs and activities to connect with the community.

The program, which will run as a pilot in 2019, is the first Creative Victoria program to support infrastructure costs as well as projects and partnerships that will bring creative spaces like coworking hubs, artist studios, rehearsal spaces and more to life.

Supported projects could include a feasibility study or fit-out costs to transform a vacant building into an artist’s studio, buying equipment for an existing space, putting seed funding into a program for local creatives or a project make a creative space more accessible to the community.

Regional Coworking Spaces and Creative Places is an initiative of Creative State 2016-2020, the Labor Government’s strategy to grow the creative industries and the impact creativity makes on communities large and small.

A simple expression of interest process is now online and individuals, organisations and collectives, including social enterprises, not-for-profit organisations and councils are invited to apply.

I encourage our boldest visionaries, the innovators, the creative risk-takers in Western Victoria to embrace this exciting opportunity.

Applications close on 9 October. For full program guidelines, visit creative.vic.gov.au.

Yours sincerely

Gayle Tierney MP

Member for Western