08 April 2020
Not sure what funding is available to you during COVID-19? We have broken down the available options and will continue to update this page (last updated 30th April):
Create NSW has announced new funding initiatives and the repurposing of existing funding totalling $6.34 million to support independent artists and small to medium arts, screen and cultural organisations impacted by COVID-19. Create NSW has also partnered with the Australia Council, other state funding bodies and independent research consultants Patternmakers and WolfBrown to fund a research project investigating impacts of COVID-19 on the arts and cultural sectors. The study’s findings will be shared with the sector to help inform response and recovery.
Read the key elements of the COVID-19 measures here.
Australian Government Economic Response to the Coronavirus
On 30 March, the Government announced the $130 billion JobKeeper Payment to help keep Australians in jobs as we deal with the significant economic impact from the Coronavirus. For more information, please see the JobKeeper Payment factsheet. The Government’s economic response targets three areas: Supporting Individuals and Households – providing financial assistance to Australians to support them through the Coronavirus.
This assistance includes income support payments, payments to support households and temporary early releases of superannuation. Support for businesses – supporting Australian businesses to manage cash flow challenges and retain employees. Assistance includes cash flow support to businesses and temporary measures to provide relief for financially distressed businesses. Supporting the flow of credit – ensuring the flow of credit in the Australian economy. Timely access to credit is vital for businesses to manage the impacts of the Coronavirus.
Update – Targeted Support for Indigenous Arts, Regional Arts and respected charity Support Act
The Morrison McCormack Government is committing $27 million in targeted support across three particularly vulnerable areas of specific need. The Government is providing $10 million to help regional artists and organisations develop new work and explore new delivery models. The funding will be delivered through Regional Arts Australia’s Regional Arts Fund. To support Indigenous artists and arts centres, the Government is providing $7 million in additional funding. The funding will be delivered under the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program. The Government is providing $10 million to Support Act, to enable it to extend its important work across the arts sector. These targeted measures come on top of the Government’s JobKeeper initiative and expanded JobSeeker payment.
Copyright Agency has announced a program of support for writers, visual artists and publishers in the face of the severe challenges they face as a result of COVID-19. Application forms to apply for the funding will be available shortly. Under this program, Copyright Agency will provide an additional $375,000 in grants to creators, as well as bringing forward to the first quarter of next financial year the forecasted annual $1.8 million of grants under the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.
Australia Council $5M Resilience Fund to provide immediate relief to the Australian arts sector.
The 2020 Resilience Fund is designed to provide emergency relief to support the livelihoods, practice and operations of Australian artists, groups and organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are three streams you can apply for: Survive – Small grants for individuals, groups and organisations to offset or recoup money lost due to cancelled activity; Adapt – Grants for individuals, groups and organisations to adapt their arts practice and explore new ways of working and Create – Grants for individuals, groups and organisations to continue to create artistic work and/or develop creative responses in this time of disruption.
Indigenous Art Code release COVID-19 Financial Support Options Paper
This options paper/information sheet provides some information about federal financial support already available to Indigenous arts collectives, centres, and individual Indigenous artists across Australia. These supports may be added to over comings weeks and months. In addition, some state and territory governments are announcing other assistance packages that could help the Indigenous art sector and these are not included in the document.
Service NSW Grants, Loans and Financial Assistance
This page includes information on: Small Business Support Grant, JobKeeper payments, Small and medium enterprise (SME) guarantee scheme, Access to superannuation for sole traders, Expanded access to JobSeeker payments, Electricity and gas network relief package, Financial institutions, Facebook small business grants program.
Check out Arts Northern Rivers What’s On directory for a guide to current opportunities available.
Byron Shire
