Latest news with #CreativeCollaborationFund

Sydney Morning Herald
29-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Forrests' foundation tips $3.3 million into WA's regional arts sector
'This partnership is about strategically aligning resources and amplifying impact to give the regional arts sector and artists the long-term support they need to thrive,' Hartman said. Regional Arts WA chief executive Dr Pilar Kasat described the partnership with Minderoo as a pivotal moment. 'Minderoo has been supporting Regional Arts WA since 2019. But this takes the investment to a whole other level,' Kasat said. 'It is a ten-fold increase on anything that has gone before. It is a game-changer for us. 'This is the beginning of something much bigger and an open invitation for others to help shape and strengthen the future impact of the regional arts sector. 'This money will be used in a very strategic way to enable all those organisations in the Regional Arts Network to source funds locally and obtain further funds from the state and federal governments.' Kasat believed one of the major problems for regional arts organisations was the fragmented nature of funding. Each time an organisation plans a program they have to apply to a range of bodies at a federal, state and local council level as well as approach philanthropic organisations such as Minderoo. 'The subsidised sector is extremely grateful for the support we receive. But it is a problem when so many resources are consumed in applying for that funding. There has to be a better way of supporting regional organisations,' Kasat said. 'One of our aims with the Minderoo partnership is to pilot what we are calling the Creative Collaboration Fund. Hopefully, we will be able to streamline the process of applying for funding and open up new avenues for support.' Kasat said another major problem facing organisations such as Regional Arts WA was that investment typically does did cover the cost of running the company or administering the projects. 'In the Pay It What It Takes report published in 2022, Social Ventures Australia came up with a figure saying that any not-for-profit organisation needs to put aside 25 to 30 per cent of the total amount of funding to cover your own costs so you are not depleting your own organisation,' Kasat said. 'This is why the Minderoo partnership is so important. Over 70 per cent of the resources will be directed to 20 organisations who are part of the Regional Arts Network and their communities while less than 30 per cent will come to Regional Arts WA to deliver this project and continue our advocacy.' The partnership with Minderoo also means they are backing the vision of Thrive!, an investment framework Kasat and her team spent many months evolving. Kasat believed supporting regional arts had never been more important because of the challenges faced by those who lived outside the metropolitan area, including higher rates of mental health issues. Loading She also believed it was important to challenge the notion that art produced in the regions was not as significant as art produced in the city. And in some aspects of the arts, such as a work having a sense of place, rural artists excel even more than those in the city. 'Not everyone wants to exhibit, for example, but everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art,' she said.

The Age
29-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Forrests' foundation tips $3.3 million into WA's regional arts sector
'This partnership is about strategically aligning resources and amplifying impact to give the regional arts sector and artists the long-term support they need to thrive,' Hartman said. Regional Arts WA chief executive Dr Pilar Kasat described the partnership with Minderoo as a pivotal moment. 'Minderoo has been supporting Regional Arts WA since 2019. But this takes the investment to a whole other level,' Kasat said. 'It is a ten-fold increase on anything that has gone before. It is a game-changer for us. 'This is the beginning of something much bigger and an open invitation for others to help shape and strengthen the future impact of the regional arts sector. 'This money will be used in a very strategic way to enable all those organisations in the Regional Arts Network to source funds locally and obtain further funds from the state and federal governments.' Kasat believed one of the major problems for regional arts organisations was the fragmented nature of funding. Each time an organisation plans a program they have to apply to a range of bodies at a federal, state and local council level as well as approach philanthropic organisations such as Minderoo. 'The subsidised sector is extremely grateful for the support we receive. But it is a problem when so many resources are consumed in applying for that funding. There has to be a better way of supporting regional organisations,' Kasat said. 'One of our aims with the Minderoo partnership is to pilot what we are calling the Creative Collaboration Fund. Hopefully, we will be able to streamline the process of applying for funding and open up new avenues for support.' Kasat said another major problem facing organisations such as Regional Arts WA was that investment typically does did cover the cost of running the company or administering the projects. 'In the Pay It What It Takes report published in 2022, Social Ventures Australia came up with a figure saying that any not-for-profit organisation needs to put aside 25 to 30 per cent of the total amount of funding to cover your own costs so you are not depleting your own organisation,' Kasat said. 'This is why the Minderoo partnership is so important. Over 70 per cent of the resources will be directed to 20 organisations who are part of the Regional Arts Network and their communities while less than 30 per cent will come to Regional Arts WA to deliver this project and continue our advocacy.' The partnership with Minderoo also means they are backing the vision of Thrive!, an investment framework Kasat and her team spent many months evolving. Kasat believed supporting regional arts had never been more important because of the challenges faced by those who lived outside the metropolitan area, including higher rates of mental health issues. Loading She also believed it was important to challenge the notion that art produced in the regions was not as significant as art produced in the city. And in some aspects of the arts, such as a work having a sense of place, rural artists excel even more than those in the city. 'Not everyone wants to exhibit, for example, but everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art,' she said.