Round 3 recipients (2022)

Auspicious Arts Projects Inc on behalf of Alison Halit,  $105,000
Supported independent producer Alison Halit to undertake professional development in commissioning and touring partnerships, and to develop her knowledge of philanthropy and private sector investment. This helped Alison grow her business and build a diverse portfolio of artists.

Brett Clarke,  $35,000*
Supported Kirrae Whurrung artist, educator and producer Brett Clarke to further develop his creative producing skills for the development of the First Peoples production, Past Present Future. The production provided work and skills development opportunities for performers, while showcasing First Peoples stories to new audiences.

Dylan Singh, $35,000*
Supported Wiradjuri performer and producer Dylan Singh to develop a dedicated performance and collaboration space for First Peoples artists to showcase their practice.

Auspicious Arts Projects Inc on behalf of Efren Pamilacan / Cypher Culture, WEST FOOTSCRAY, $105,000
Supported Efren Pamilacan to undertake professional development to establish a community-led dance initiative with a focus on collaboration, advocacy and support.

Eliki (Alec) Reade, $105,000
Supported Eliki Reade to expand their practice and co-develop a mentorship and peer-to-peer exchange network of independent producers of varying experience. The network connected Victorian-based culturally and linguistically diverse producers with cultural leaders in the Pacific to build relationships and facilitate knowledge exchange.

Lana Nguyen, $105,000
Supported Lana Nguyen to undertake mentorships, peer exchange and business planning activities as well as research experimental lab structures and interdisciplinary relationships.

MILKE PTY LTD led by Laura Milke Garner, $105,000
Supported producing company MILKE to increase its capacity to provide training for independent producers. This allowed MILKE to expand its network and increase touring and programming opportunities for artists.

* One-year funding

Unlocking Capacity Strategic Partnership Projects

Performing Lines, $105,000
The Victorian office of National producing organisation Performing Lines has produced multiple new Victorian works, delivered activity in regional Victorian communities, and employed over 100 Victorian artists and arts workers since being established in 2018. Funding supported Performing Lines to employ a Victorian-based senior producer, enabling it to increase its activity, support and employ more local artists, operate more sustainably, and deliver more creative products and services.

Round 2 recipients (2021)

Auspicious Arts Projects Inc on behalf of Freya Waterson, $105,000
Enabled Freya to support the practices of an extended group of independent artists and small companies by providing a tailored producing service and access to substantial national and international networks. Freya helped artists reimagine their practices to increase audience engagement in the context of COVID-19, as well as undertook a series of research projects to benefit the sector more broadly.

Auspicious Arts Projects Inc on behalf of Kath Papas Productions, Southbank, $105,000
Supported Kath Papas Productions to undertake business planning; mentoring, upskilling and producer development activities; and to deepen support for Victorian independent artists working across contemporary dance and theatre. The grant enabled the team to engage associate producers on an ongoing basis, and for Kath to receive mentoring.

Auspicious Arts Projects Inc on behalf of Malia Walsh, $105,000
Supported Malia, who produces under the banner of Circus Trick Tease (CTT) and is based in the Macedon Ranges to build business momentum and sustainability by enabling CTT to relaunch three productions for tour in regional areas; develop and integrate new protocols; and expand Hand 2 Hand Incentive, an initiative that provides seed funding and mentoring to emerging artists. The grant also enabled Malia to continue Ground Running, a series of activities to support and motivate artists through the pandemic.

Sonya Suares, $105,000
Enabled Sonya, an independent producer, director and theatre-maker with more than two decades of experience working in film, television and theatre, to support an ambitious slate of projects including Vidya Makan’s new musical, The Lucky Country, Cancel Bigots (The People) and This Is Us (Alisa Tanaka-King, Ania Reynolds and Amy Sole), and Sangam Performing Arts Festival of South Asia.

ROUND 1 Recipients (2021)

Erin Milne, Bureau of Works, Southbank, $105,000
Supported Erin, an accomplished independent producer whose company, Bureau of Works, is committed to fostering distinctive voices and ambitious ideas, to build the company including finding ways to bring her diverse list of collaborators together to share ideas and collaborate. She also developed a donor circle to support research, development and training activities for her supported artists and continued to build the Bureau of Works’ ‘Constellation’, a network of like-minded producers working locally, nationally and internationally who share knowledge, skills and support artist exchange and collaborations.

Auspicious Arts Projects Inc on behalf of Heidi Everett,  $105,000
Heidi is an artist and experienced producer who draws on her own lived experience to support and promote artists with experience of diverse mental health and disability and those from the Deaf community. Through Unlocking Capacity, Heidi engaged a small access team who assisted her to build her business and networks, support her attendance and participation in industry and networking events and develop grant applications and budgets for the diverse range of projects she works across. By modelling more accessible ways of working in the performing arts, Heidi’s activities benefitted her producing practice and allowed her to mentor emerging producers and artists with lived experience of neurodiversity, diverse mental health, disability and those from the Deaf community.

Quiet Riot led by producer Linda Catalano, Preston, $105,000
Quiet Riot describes itself as an activist production house committed to change. Off the back of a series of successful national and international projects and tours, this investment supported Linda and the team to re-establish Quiet Riot’s work in Victoria, working with artists from diverse backgrounds. They used the time to undertake skills and professional development activities, streamline administration processes, engage a financial consultant, and develop a donor program to support the development of new work.