The Australia Council for the Arts has allocated more than $3.5 million to nine major projects in the latest round of strategic initiatives funding.

The projects will be delivered in two- or four-year timeframes from 2006-07. They fall into four categories – Indigenous arts, whole-of-government, artists’ earned income and industry development.

Indigenous arts

Art and culture is recognised as an element of development within Indigenous communities in the areas of health, education, family well-being and justice. Recognising this, Celebration is a three-year $800,000 strategy to develop the infrastructure of key Indigenous festivals.

Whole of government

Whole-of-government refers to public service agencies working across portfolio boundaries to achieve a shared goal.

The Australia Council’s building of significant relationships with diverse areas of government will increase the resource base as well as reposition the arts on the political, social and media agenda:

• Regional Arts Strategic Partnerships, with Regional Arts Australia, will receive $1.28 million over four years. This strategy aims to increase the participation of regional and rural communities in arts and culture.
• Music for senior Australians, a pilot program for people aged over 65 in the Campbelltown region, will receive $230,000 over three years.
• An education program for school children linked to Sculpture by the Sea in both New South Wales and Western Australia will receive $55,000 in 2006-07.
• An ambitious Regional Program of the Queensland Music Festival 2007 will receive $220,000. The program
  involves collaboration with 21 communities, 14 local governments and more than 600 artists and support personnel.

Developing income

The Australia Council supports programs that link artists to markets, provide life and business skills, and help supplement arts income.

A partnership program called C3 West (Community, Culture, Commerce) will link up with at least seven major arts centres and other partners in Western Sydney. The program will focus on the role contemporary artists and cultural institutions can play in the development of creative regions and community sustainability. Over three years, C3 West will receive $225,000.

Industry development

This round of strategic initiatives also includes funding for three projects in line with the Australia Council’s focus on industry development.

• Over three years, $600,000 will be invested in up to three existing multicultural and multi-arts organisations to build their capability to devise, present, broker and market multicultural works.
• Youth conductor mentorships is a program to provide conductors of youth orchestras with ongoing, regular leadership and coaching by resident Australian conductors – will receive $100,000 over two years.
• The news music national touring framework is a program to enable new music ensembles and practitioners to work interstate – will receive $250,000 over three years.