Stuart Ayres MP, Member for Penrith today announced that the Penrith Symphony Orchestra and the Museum of Fire will be receiving a combined $54,000 in NSW Government funding for local arts and cultural activities.
These recipients are among of 97 diverse projects as part of the first round of Create NSW’s 2020/21 Arts & Cultural Funding Program on behalf of the NSW Government.
Open to individual artists, arts and cultural workers, partnerships and organisations, the funding supports professional projects at any stage of the creative process, with the aim of delivering a more vibrant and accessible arts and cultural sector in NSW.
The Penrith Symphony Orchestra will utilise their funding towards their 2021 Performance Season while the Museum of Fire will develop a digital excursion program aimed at school groups.
Stuart Ayres said the funding will contribute to supporting the local arts community in a time when it is most needed.
“We have a vibrant arts and cultural sector that has been hard hit by the combined impacts year, and I am thrilled the NSW Government is supporting the Penrith Symphony Orchestra and the Museum of Fire through the Arts and Cultural Funding Program.
“I know that the Penrith community is looking forward to experiencing and engaging with the local arts and cultural sector as they reopen their doors,” said Stuart Ayres.
Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin added “In a year like no other, I am delighted this funding will support programs and projects estimated to employ over 6,000 artists and reach more than 1.4 million people as audiences and participants in arts and cultural activities across the State.”
Round 1 also includes over $535,000 for projects and programs that are Aboriginal-led or have a significant focus on First Nations content.
“People are hungry to return to theatres, galleries and festivals and to show their support for the sector after such a challenging year, and I’m looking forward to seeing these projects and programs come to life,” Mr Harwin said.
A full list of Round 1 recipients is available here. All applications were assessed against published criteria and ranked in order of merit by the Artform Advisory Boards.
Round 2 of Create NSW’s 2020/21 Creative Koori, Project and Annual Organisation funding will open on 1 February 2021. For further information on arts, screen and cultural funding, including targeted support opportunities, visit the Create NSW website at www.create.nsw.gov.au.
