Image: supplied.
Artists and programmers play an important role in connecting communities – which is why Yarra Ranges Council is looking for expressions of interest for its Grants for Community program. While applicants do not need to be Yarra Ranges residents, projects must connect with the local community and have local outcomes.
The Grants for Community program supports projects that benefit the people who live and play in the Yarra Ranges. ‘We are looking to fund projects that will enliven the social and creative spaces of the Yarra Ranges community,’ said Mayor Noel Cliff.
‘We want projects that are community driven and have a social, historical, heritage, or creative significance to the region, and that really animate the cultural life of the Yarra Ranges.’
Photographer Kate Baker, whose project Seen and Heard – Boy to Man will energise public spaces in the region this month, received funding last year and is a great example of what the Council is looking for. Through a series of large portraits of young Yarra Ranges residents that will be pasted up around Hoddle Street, Yarra Junction and Mount Evelyn, the project examines the transition from boyhood to manhood and interrogates the stereotypes surrounding masculinity that these young men negotiate. The project also captures some of the participants’ stories and views of society.
Image: supplied.
Baker’s project exemplifies the aims of the grant program in a number of ways. It enlivens public space, highlights personal stories and what is unique about the Yarra Ranges. ‘It’s a great example of how works relate to the social fabric of the region,’ Manager of Creative Communities Greg Box said.
‘The values embedded in the project are rigorous and definitely align with what we are looking for.’
The grants program has funded numerous other arts and cultural initiatives, including Clare James’ work Connections to Nature, which invited participants to attend themed sessions in different “wild” places in the Yarra Valley, and MISFIT Theatre’s Digital Storytelling project where young people in the community where trained to film and record stories within the community. These collected stories were then shared across the community through different mediums and venues.
Get in touch with Yarra Ranges Council
For those who have an idea that will help sustain a connected and inclusive community in the Yarra Ranges and would like to apply for grant funding, get in touch with Yarra Ranges Council.
‘Council is good at connecting people. Someone may have an interest in consulting with the Indigenous community out here, working with young people or accessing other services and Yarra Ranges is a great place for that to happen,’ said Box.
Grants for Community offers a total of $390,000 in funding across three streams:
- Arts and heritage
- Festivals and events
- Community and development
Applications for the 2018 Grants for Community round will open 1 June and close 16 July 2017.
To find out more call 1300 368 333 or visit https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Community/Grants-funding
