Community Culture

2008 closing dates

14th July (for projects beginning after 1st September 2008)

15th October (for projects beginning after 15th January 2009)

About

The Community Culture fund is specifically for projects that take place in regional, rural and remote communities. The fund is intended to encourage the use of the arts to build strong, healthy and vibrant communities through cultural mapping and planning.

There are two funding rounds per year, in April and October. A total of $35,000 is available each round.

Category A: Cultural Mapping

Aims to engage community members in a creative way to gather information, hear their stories, and help them express their vision for the community. Projects should actively inform and involve local government. $15,000 is available each round.

Category B: Cultural Planning

Assists local government to create strategies and policies that reflect the community’s values and aspirations. A consultant or mentor can be employed to help create this ‘living document’. $20,000 is available each round.

Community Culture does fund:

• Projects that develop a hands-on creative approach to exploring community and building a sense of unity and spirit.
• Artists’ fees.
• Consultants’ fees.
• Materials, travel, administration and promotional costs.

Community Culture does not fund:

• The total cost of the project
• The same stage of the project as is funded by the Department of Culture and the Arts, or Country Arts WA.
• Prizes or prize money.
• Equipment purchases, such as musical instruments or computers.
• Publishing costs.

Who can apply?

Regionally-based local governments in Western Australia and regionally-based community groups who have the support of their local council.

Download

Click here for Community Culture Applications.

Community Culture feature

Cultural Mapping

Commemorative sites project

Kimberley Stolen Generations

Auspiced by Shire of Broome

The ‘Commemorative Sites Project’ is about creating site-specific artworks across the Kimberley region to commemorate the children and mothers of the Stolen Generation. The aim of the project is to educate others about the issues involved and to allow some sort of closure for the families affected.

This important and ambitious project is to be conducted in four stages. Community Culture funded the first stage of this project, which involved a Cultural Mapping exercise to clarify each community’s opinions and dreams regarding the Stolen Generation Commemoration sites.

As a result of the cultural mapping exercise the communities identified four sites where site-specific artworks should go ahead. These are: Beagle Bay, Broome, Halls Creek and Oombulgarri Communities.

Artist Facilitator Gwen Knox consulted with stolen generation members in Halls Creek, Beagle Bay and Wyndam and made a separate trip with Stolen Generation member Phyllis Bin Baker between Broome and Wyndham to meet and talk to many Stolen Generation members. Another series of trips by both road and plane were made by Gwen and Artist Francine Riches to Wyndham, Kununurra, Oombulgarrie, Beagle Bay and Hall’s Creek.

In addition to members of the Kimberley Stolen Generation Aboriginal Corporation, the Cultural Mapping process involved the Shire of Broome, Shire of Halls Creek, Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley, NCB Aboriginal Corporation, Beagle Bay school teachers, Rububi Working Party and the Catholic Diocese Broome.

Stage one of the project has now been completed and the second stage is under way.

The community mapping has informed the concept designs, and proposed construction and installation of commemorative artworks. All final designs will be selected by the KSGAC Committee members in consultation with local shire councils and as many Stolen Generation members as possible.

According to the communities, this sort of project had never been done in the Kimberley and there are very few public artworks on display in the area. People consulted with acknowledged the important role art projects could have in assisting community cohesiveness.

As a rule, people in the communities consulted were “thrilled to have their ideas considered.”