The Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) is a joint partnership between Arts Queensland and Cairns Regional Council. The program supports professional artists and arts practitioners living in regional Queensland. The Program focuses on the development of quality art and arts practice for, and with, regional communities.
The partnership between Arts Queensland and local government is important to ensure RADF grants are used in the best possible way to support professional arts outcomes and development in regional Queensland.
The new RADF Program came into effect on July 1 2007. There are now eight funding categories available for individuals, groups or local councils:
1. Developing Regional Skills
Objective – for individual professional artists and arts workers living in regional Queensland to attend professional development seminars or activities; master classes; mentorships; with recognised arts and cultural peers; and placements with recognised arts and cultural organisations.
• RADF grants will support intrastate and interstate activities only.
• Arts Queensland’s Individual professional Development grants support international activities
• Assistance is available for up to 65 per cent of the total costs to a maximum of $1,000 for Queensland travel and $2,000 for national travel.
Councils may also support quick Response Grants under this category for:
• Opportunities for professional development that unexpectedly become available out of the normal local RADF rounds
• Applications usually up to six weeks before the event/activity.
2. Building Community Cultural Capacity
Objective – for community groups to engage a professional artist or artsworker to work with them on developing their arts practice or to run arts development workshops or community projects.
• RADF grants will support travel, accommodation and fees associated with employing professional artists or artsworkers to work on community projects or workshops in the local community.
• Assistance is available for up to 65 per cent of the total costs of the project or workshop.
• This category is also open to councils that wish to assume a coordination tole for projects.
3. Interest-Free Arts Loan
Objective- for arts activities that will generate an income greater than the amount of the loan, and where no other funding source is available.
• RADF Interest-free Arts Loans will support activities than can demonstrate a prior commitment from a distributor or producer, e.g. a publisher, gallery, record company or venue that can confirm and substantiate revenue forecasts.
• The total amount of the loan must be paid back at the conclusion of the activity.
4. Cultural Tourism
Objective – for projects and activities that focus on communities’ locally distinct arts, culture and heritage both for members of that community and for visitors.
RADF grants can support initiatives and activities that focus on:
• A produce development by professional artists, either as individuals, or in partnership with individual community members or community groups
• Marketing of professional artistic product.
5. Contemporary Collections/Stories
Objective – to preserve and provide access to locally held collections of significance and collect and tell local stories from the past and the present that can demonstrate state and/or local significance. The priorities for this category are proposals for post 1960 heritage and Indigenous stories that can demonstrate strong community participation and ownership.
RADF grants can support:
• Documentation, preservation, interpretation projects and collection management training through community-based workshops
• Community stories which can be documented in a variety of forms and mediums, including: plays, videos, artwork, digital exhibitions, education programs, oral histories and publications.
Community organisations such as historical societies, museums, libraries, archives, galleries, Indigenous and migrant community groups which collect and provide public access to their cultural heritage collections are eligible to apply.
6. Regional Partnerships
Objective – to encourage innovative and energising arts projects where artists, communities and councils work together in their community, or in partnership with another community, to achieve enhanced outcomes from RADF grants.
RADF grants will support projects that can demonstrate a partnership between:
• Artists and local industry
• Artists and community arts organisations
• Artists and non-arts community organisations
• Cross council collaborations.
7. Concept Development
Objective – to develop arts research ideas and project proposals to the implementation stage and identify funding sources outside of RADF to implement project proposals.
RADF grants will support individuals and groups who wish to engage in professional research and the development of ideas and project proposals to the implementation stage. No specific art form product is required. However, the project should demonstrate how it will contribute to future arts development.
Potential funding sources for the implementation of the project must be identified prior to making an application and must be noted in the application form.
This category is also open to councils.
8. Arts Policy Development and Implementation
Objective – to support councils to:
• Develop cultural policy, cultural mapping, visioning and planning proposals
• Partner on regional cultural policy coordination activities
• Cross regional cultural planning
• Development of cultural tourism plans
• Community consultation, facilitation and preparation of the documents (but not publishing)
• RADF Committee training.
Please phone the Arts & Cultural Officer to receive additional Applicant Information Packages that pertain to the new RADF program on tel: 4044 3321.
RADF COMMITTEE UPDATES
The RADF committee members sit at arms length to local government across Queensland. Members are drawn from the arts and cultural community and from diverse practices within that community.
The new RADF Program invites Committee members to sit for a period of 2 – 4 years.
Recently Cairns Regional Council amalgamated the former Douglas Shire RADF Committee and the former Cairns City Council Committee.
The current RADF Committee are:
• Councillor Margaret Cochrane (Chair)
• Councillor Julia Leu - Division 10
• Jacqueline Waters
• Carol Laing
• Michael Marzik
• Sarah Flenley
• Dominic Johns
• Jill Chism
• Tania Heben
• Tina Gonsalves
• Pamela Salt
• Jack Heywood
• Ruby J Wingrove (RADF Liaison Officer)
Click here for more information or go to www.arts.qld.gov.au for the Regional Arts Development Fund Resource Kit.
Grant Recipient Announcements
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Click here to view the Round 3 2007/2008 - Successful Applications |
Click here for all RADF program updates.