By Molly Magennis
Footscray Community Arts Centre will receive over $1.5 million in funding thanks to the Victorian government as a part of its Creative State 2025 strategy.
The arts centre is among 113 other creative organisations that will share more than $85 million in funding, aimed at helping them plan ahead and continue to create art, experiences and festivals for people to enjoy.
Footscray Community Arts artistic director and co-chief executive Daniel Santangeli said the funding had come at a really important time, not only for themselves but the entire arts sector.
“We’re in a really challenging phase of the pandemic for our industry,” he said.
“At the moment we’re, you know, having to reschedule and cancel events, we’re not able to properly support casual staff because there’s no events for them to work on because we’re canceling them.
“The timing of the funding gives a sense of security and knowing that we’re able to plan, we can take artistic risks and we can continue to support our staff.”
Santangeli said the start to 2022 so far has been challenging.
“Last year, when we all signed off for the holidays, there was a lot of optimism about the beginning of the year, we had a really great program over January and February,” he said.
“But just with artists contracting the virus, and also a lot of hesitancy…people aren’t buying tickets at the moment.
“Omicron has definitely brought a cloud over the year for us and I think that’s particularly why this funding is so important to us because it just gives us certainty and stability.”
Other organisations in the west set to receive funding include Snuff Puppets, The Substation, Women’s Circus Limited, tilde and Na Djinang Circus.
