Creative Partnerships Australia’s have announced a new program – MATCH: Crowd-funding for the Independent Arts Sector – to facilitate the creation of new artistic work by matching funds raised by independent artists via crowd-funding, dollar-for-dollar.
This innovative pilot program not only aims to stimulate the creation of new artistic work by independent artists, but also to encourage social investment as a new revenue stream, adding to the sector’s growth and longer term sustainability.
MATCH aims to reach up to 200 independent artists, as chosen by 17 pre-eminent independent arts organisations around Australia. The 17 arts organisations span a broad range of art forms, including visual arts (Westspace), Indigenous arts (Umi Arts) and theatre (Anywhere Theatre Festival), ensuring that new work will be created across a variety of genres, and in each state and territory.
Funds raised up to $4,000 via crowd-funding per artist, per project will be matched by Creative Partnerships Australia. A total of up to $200,000 in matched funding will be granted via this program, totalling up to a combined $400,000 in social and matched investment. MATCH crowd-funding campaigns will run between April and June 2014.
The 17 independent arts organisations appointed by Creative Partnerships Australia as lead organisations to distribute matched funding were selected via a panel of arts industry and arts philanthropy experts. Lead organisations were chosen based on their capacity to reach, influence and work collectively with artists across different art forms and geographic locations.
Each lead organisation will be allocated up to $20,000 to distribute to Australian artists for the creation of new work, at a maximum of $4,000 per artist, per project. Lead Organisations are currently liaising directly with artists in their networks regarding campaign opportunities.
MATCH crowd funding campaigns will be promoted by the Lead Organisations and project creators via social media as they happen.
For more information, visit: www.creativepartnershipsaustralia.org.au for details.
Image: courtesy of Creative Partnerships Australia