Mentorship grants for local artists

NORTHERN Rivers artists have six weeks to apply for 10 mentorship grants through Contemporary Arts Space and Education (c.a.s.e).

Artists have the freedom to choose their mentor, and with up to $600 per successful grant recipient available, they can invest in mentoring sessions from a professional artist, creative arts industry practitioner, or someone with expertise linked to their practice.

Mentors will assist in the development of an emerging artist’s practice, engage in an exchange of ideas, and be reimbursed for their commitment and time. Potential mentors would ideally be from the local region but can be based elsewhere in Australia.

Mentee applicants must be emerging, or mid-career professional artists based in the Ballina, Byron, Lismore, or Tweed Shires. They are encouraged to seek local mentors in the first instance.

Participants experience one-to-one, relational learning, expansion into broader fields of interest, and building networks within the Northern Rivers Arts Community.

Artist Amber Wallace said she felt honoured to participate in the program during her tenure as a mentor in 2023.

“Mentoring Alex Hudson was a total joy,” Ms Wallace said.

“It is so important to nurture artistic dialogues and support each other, especially as women and mothers living in regional communities when the broader art world can feel quite distant.”

Alex Hudson said the experience with Wallace had developed and expanded her technique and basic studio practice.

“She encouraged me to let myself fail, experiment, and play more; areas I have always found particularly challenging,” Hudson said.

“This whole program has been nothing short of a gift and a joy, challenges included, and I recommend it to anyone seeking guidance within their practice.”

Applications close on September 15, and successful mentees and mentors will be notified on September 30. The program runs for nine months until June 30, 2025.

For more information and details on how to apply for a grant, head to caseartspace.com/c-a-s-e-grants-2024