Copyright Agency latest release of grants offers critical sector support
December 7, 2021
The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has announced the recipients of its latest round of funding to support Australian writers, publishers, visual artists and creative organisations.
As the philanthropic arm of the Copyright Agency, the Cultural Fund has approved 22 grants to Australian organisations totalling $715,522 and Create Grants totalling $100,000 to support five writers and visual artists.
Copyright Agency CEO Adam Suckling says, “As the pandemic has had a significant impact on the writing and arts communities, the latest round of funding aims to assist Australian writers and artists through essential grants to our key industry trade associations, supporting important publication and promotional opportunities, and directly supporting the creation of works.”
The Copyright Agency is focused on supporting opportunities for writers and visual artists at all career stages and from diverse backgrounds through the Cultural Fund. The fund offers grants to leading organisations for projects that support Australian writers, visual artists and key industry stakeholders in the writing, publishing, education and visual arts sectors.
The Australian Booksellers Association has been awarded $20,000 for its campaign that will curate and promote 100 Australian books. One key avenue of discovery that authors rely on is readers browsing in bookshops; given this opportunity was missed for much of 2021, the ABA will collaborate with publishers and independent bookstores to help readers discover new Australian writers and resurrect sales that otherwise would have been lost.
Australian Booksellers Association CEO Robbie Egan says, “Bookstores are responsible for launching many an author and this grant will enable us to go to market with a significant communication campaign that has the backing and gravitas of the Copyright Agency to ensure that the people who get paid last – the authors – are able to receive the support they so richly deserve.”
The Australian Publishers Association will receive $25,000 for its conference, Book Up 2022: What next for the Australian book industry? bringing together Australia’s leading thinkers and publishers to examine issues such as COVID, sustainability and the challenges of new technology to identify new opportunities for publishers.
Importantly, the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund will continue to support leading literary awards and prizes with prize money for the winners and shortlisted authors.
The Miles Franklin Literary Award, managed by Perpetual Ltd, will receive a three-year grant of $127,500 to provide financial support for the shortlist authors and a dedicated, national promotion of one of Australia’s most prestigious literary prizes celebrating Australian stories. The Award continues to reward outstanding literary endeavour and the Copyright Agency works collaboratively with Perpetual to deliver a national focus, with in person and live streamed events to announce both shortlisted authors and the winner.
For the first time, Copyright Agency will support the Chief Minister’s Northern Territory Book Award over three years, totalling more than $60,000. The award celebrates books by Northern Territory writers in the categories of Fiction, Non-Fiction and Young Adult Fiction/Children’s Literature, building the profile of Northern Territory authors, securing access to leading writers’ festivals and reaching new audiences through strategic promotional support.
Sandra Thibodeaux from the Northern Territory Writers’ Centre Incorporated believes First Nations authors and writers from remote regions will benefit from this grant.
“One-quarter of our shortlisted/winning authors are First Nations people, with many of their works containing significant historical and cultural material, sometimes written in Aboriginal languages. As a result of this grant, more Australian readers will have access to the work of Northern Territory writers, including First Nations authors. Their understanding of Australian culture and history will be enriched as they enjoy the unique perspectives and stories of some of the NT’s best writers,” she adds.
Support has been renewed for another year at $30,000 for the Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT) for its series of artist-in-residence programs with science and technology partners.
ANAT CEO Melissa DeLaney says, “Art is built on the act of imagination; science demands unflinching curiosity in the space between fact and fiction; technology embraces the impossible. The residencies bring the disciplines together to create stories that will inform the futures we make together as a society.”
The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund is also pleased to announce direct support for Australian writers and visual artists to create new work.
The Create Grants each worth $20,000 and totalling $100,000 have been awarded to: Visual Artist Megan Cope for her work Kinyingarra Guwinyanba – place of oyster rocks in Jandai Language; and authors Sophie Cunningham for her non-fiction work The Time Machines: In search of Australia’s oldest trees; Andy Jackson for his essays Hunches; Gayle Kennedy for her memoir; and Mirandi Riwoe for her fiction work Sunbirds.
Mirandi Riwoe says, “These grants are incredibly important for artists and writers. There’s such little support for the arts out there at the moment and yet books and art have a huge impact on people’s lives in building cultural awareness and empathy. I really appreciate that the grant money will give me more time to write and develop further research my novel, ‘Sunbirds’, which is set in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) just before the Japanese invade in WWII. It’s such a huge compliment that my work resonated with the judges and was chosen for this grant. Thank you, Copyright Agency.”
For more details and a full list of funded projects, head to www.copyright.com.au/culturalfund/
Media Enquiries:
Jane Morey | morey media | e: jane@moreymedia.com.au | m: 0416 097 678
About the Copyright Agency
The not-for-profit Copyright Agency connects users and creators of content, providing licenses for the use of copyright material such as text, images, art and survey plans. We manage the educational and government licenses for the use of text and images, as well as the resale royalty scheme for artists (by Government appointment). Our members include writers, artists, surveyors and publishers. Membership is free. www.copyright.com.au