Arts OutWest’s ARTS RESTART is a series of projects and activities happening across the Central West in the first four months of 2021.

RESTART is quick turnaround stimulus funding from the NSW Government provided to the regional arts development organisations to simulate arts activity in regional NSW. Each RADO has been allocated $130,000 to spend and distribute by the end of April 2021.

THE FUNDING

What is RESTART for? Create NSW has advised that :

The distribution principle for Stage 2 funding has been based on prioritising companies that are the most likely to be able to provide stimulatory assistance to the sector as a whole. In this regard, it is expected that organisations in receipt of these funds will prioritise one or more of the following areas:

Employment of arts workers and creatives;
Development of new work;
Supporting Regional NSW through touring or other measures
Partnerships with other arts & culture organisation, particularly those not in direct receipt of Stage 2 funding is actively encouraged.

It is expected that funds provided will be spent over the next three months, and not used to rebuild reserves.

The terms for this funding have been designed to provide maximum flexibility – with companies being required to:

Use best endeavours to apply funding towards the stated priorities of job creation, new work development and / regional support
spend funding quickly over the coming months to provide maximum stimulatory support for the sector; and,
provide an update on expenditure to Create NSW by 30th April 2021.

OUR PRINCIPLES FOR ALLOCATING FUNDS

The Arts OutWest Advisory Council (which represents each of our local government partners) was consulted and involved in the process along with existing partners and collaborators.

When allocating funding we looked at:

• Projects and activities most likely to achieve the outcomes required of the funding (see above) including: Employment of arts workers and creatives, Development of new work, Supporting Regional NSW through touring or other measures
• Projects and activities able to occur in the tight timeframe of both planning and delivery.
• Projects and activities that aligned to Arts OutWest’s strategic plan.
• Opportunities to fill needs Arts OutWest had aleady indentified but didn’t have funds or hours in our regular funding to cover.
• Opportunities that allowed revisiting or follow up of successful recent projects and activities of Arts OutWest or our partners.
• Opportunities to support small local projects that had established planning but had missed out on other recent funding rounds.
• The realities of the current COVID restrictions.
• Fair distribution of funds across the region and our 11 LGAs based on populations.
• The importance of contracting and paying artists in a correct and timely way.

THE ACTIVITIES

Some of the activities will be delivered by Arts OutWest, largely as extensions of our current work (ie being able to employ additional project staff).

Some activities will be delivered in partnership, often supporting projects recently funded through other sources but benefiting from extra support.

Some activities will be delivered entirely by other organisations or groups within our region. This allows us to turn many ongoing conversations with organisations, groups and creatives in the region into funded, immediate activity.

1. Music Industry Support

An area Arts OutWest has identified as of strategic need in 2021. Activities include employment of a Music Industry Support Officer; recording a CD of regional musicians called ‘While the World Waits‘; supporting the ‘Cowra Word’ project with musicians; gigs in villages; support for regional conservatoriums to deliver additional professional development. Read more about our Music Industry Support Program.

2. Arts and health

Arts and health is an ongoing strategic area of development for Arts OutWest. Activities will include research and project management position for our Virtual Art Snacks aged care program; curatorial support for our hospitals art program.

3. Training

Activities’ include: Training for media associates; the first part of Arts OutWest’s new Springboard professional development program.

4. Platform Arts Hub

Contribution to the project management of this new activity in Blayney. This project has received major annual funding from FRRR. Read more About Platform Arts Hub

5. Salvage

Supporting documentation and staging costs for the multi-arts project in Lithgow. This project has received project funding from the Australia Council for the Arts (for Trybal Productions, auspiced by Arts OutWest) and builds on the work done in the Garden of the Mind project.

6. Small local projects

A range of small local projects will be supported. These projects were already in development or planning and organisers have been in ongoing conversations with Arts OutWest about options for support. RESTART funding will either cover or add to other funding for these projects. Includes: Fast Cars and Dirty Beats and others projects

7. Skyfest

Support for workshops leading into the event in Condobolin. Read more here

8. Artshed

Following up the Artshed ARI project with an exhibition and program for visual artists under the title ‘Overcome‘

9. Micro grants

$24,000 has been allocated for a 2021 round of Arts OutWest’s Micro Grants program. DETAILS HERE

PARTNERS

RESTART is a program of the NSW Government distributed by Treasury and Create NSW.