13 grants made $13,609 allocated
Using additional, one-off Rescue and Restart funding from the NSW Government, Arts OutWest offered Rescue Restart Micro Grants for flood and disaster impacted people and communities.
We knew from the many conversations we had with people in the region that recovery, especially from November 2022 flood impacts, continued to be a challenge, and in many places visitor numbers were down.
We allocated grants of up to $1000 for affected individuals, groups and businesses in the arts and creative industries focused on repairing, replacing or rebuilding equipment or infrastructure; or reactivating spaces or programs; to build engagement with audiences.
These opened in June and we assessed weekly.
Recipients included:
- small galleries (three in Canowindra, one in Lithgow)
- a retail store with creative product (Molong)
- museum repairs (Cowra)
- repairs to artist studios (Parkes, Cowra and Canowindra)
- replacing a musician’s equipment (Eugowra)
- supporting flood effected members of Craft Corner Parkes via a workshop supported
- Molong artist to make artwork for Bathurst Winter Festival
- contributed to the employment of a museum consultant to support the recovery efforts at Eugowra Museum
- supported musician Nerida Cuddy’s pop up choir for the flood effected community in Eugowra.
Examples:
Eugowra choir
Canowindra musician Nerida Cuddy teaches music at St Joseph’s in Eugowra. One of her contributions to their flood recovery was 10 choir sessions for adults in the Eugowra community. The micro grant covered her wage, travel and printed music.
“The value of the project was to the participants, and for myself it felt GREAT to contribute in a small way to the Eugowra community that had suffered so much. It has impacted positively my continued involvement in that town as a music teacher and as a musician. One woman had lost her father, as well as her home in the flood, and she said the choir made a huge difference as she began to recover from the double trauma.” – Nerida Cuddy, musician and facilitator
Watch: 2 film clips of songs written by Eugowra locals and Nerida: www.artsoutwest.org.au/micro-grant-stories-nerida-cuddy-making-new-music
Metal artist Justin Lampe
The Molong local, who owns a metal and fencing company effected by flood, purchased metal to create ‘Stary Nights’, a sculpture for Bathurst Winter Festival where 3000+ (estimated) people saw this work.
“Without the funding after the huge losses as a result of the flooding in Molong in November 2022 I would have not been able to fund the purchase of raw materials needed to create my sculpture.” – Justin Lampe
The Little Gallery, Grenfell
Grenfell Artists Inc received a micro grant to establish a small gallery to display their work in the Rose Street Rooms in Grenfell. The gallery space opened in October 2023. New workshop activities have attracted younger new members.
“With the grant we were able to purchase a hanging system and a new sign for our rooms. We now have our ‘Little Gallery’ ready with paintings hung.” – Dianne Franks, Grenfell Artists Inc.
IMAGE: Canowindra musician Nerida Cuddy / supplied