Resonate Magazine | Australian Music Centre

[Update 8 May - applications for this fund are now open, closing on 28 May.] The Australia Council has announced a Resilience Fund of approximately $5M for artists and arts organisations to support their livelihoods, practice and operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CEO Adrian Collette AM said this new measure within the Council's existing budget is essential during this critical period when the cultural and creative sectors are experiencing immediate and enormous challenges due to the impact of the virus.

'Last week the Australia Council suspended many investment programs and repurposed all available uncommitted funds from this financial year to immediately respond to the COVID-19 crisis. The Resilience Fund has been created to provide immediate relief to Australian artists, arts workers and arts organisations and support their livelihoods, practice and operations. We have redirected approximately $5M across three new programs: Survive, Adapt, Create.

'In the last week we have also reviewed all our suspended programs. We are pleased to re-open applications for the Arts and Disability Mentoring Initiative and have extended the deadline for applications to midnight AEST, Tuesday 14 April. This is a significant priority area for the Council.'

The 2020 Resilience Fund includes three streams:

• Survive - small grants for individuals, groups and organisations to offset or recoup financial losses due to cancelled activity.

• Adapt - grants for individuals, groups and organisations to adapt their practice and explore new operating models.

• Create - grants for individuals, groups and organisations to continue to create artistic work and develop creative responses in a time of disruption.

Organisations that currently receive multi-year funding from the Australia Council are not eligible to apply. This includes National Performing Arts Partnership organisations, Four Year Funded organisations, and organisations funded under the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy.

Further information about the Four-Year Funding for Organisations from 2021 is expected within a few days. This much-awaited announcement has been delayed due to the Council working closely with the Office for the Arts and the Arts Minister's office to provide advice and data for policy decisions due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

> Media release 31 March 2020 (Australia Council for the Arts website)

> See also our earlier news article about the first support package announced by the Australia Council for the Arts at the end of March.