Funding boost that’s music to industry’s ears

Eumundi School of Music, Anywhere Festival and The Sunshine Coast Chamber Music Festival are the latest beneficiaries of Sunshine Coast Council’s Creative Industries Investment Program (CIIP).

Council allocated $90,000 to support three creative initiatives across two years following a rigorous application process. 

Sunshine Coast Council arts portfolio Councillor Rick Baberowski said the Creative Industries Investment Program delivered strategically targeted outcomes from the Sunshine Coast Creative Arts Plan 2023-2038.

“Ultimately, we want our region to be known for the local creation of inspiring content and where more arts practitioners can make a living. Each funded program will deliver for both artists and audiences, progressively developing a local arts ecology to foster and deliver significant cultural benefits to the Sunshine Coast region,” Cr Baberowski said.

“CIIP provides important funding certainty to established arts organisations to develop and deliver a high-quality, diverse program of arts experiences that will further grow our creative industries capacity, audiences and participation.”

Funded initiatives will support:

• 74 artists, creative practitioners and producers,
• 20 First Nations artists and creative practitioners
• Direct opportunities to 124 participants and 5,800 audience members
• Engagement of 93 volunteers
• Development of 71 partnerships.

Eumundi School of Music received funding to help deliver its ‘Inspiring musical journeys for young artists’ initiative; a 10-week scholarship program offering free mentoring, stagecraft lessons, and live gig experiences to young musicians already playing music.

The program aims to empower aspiring artists and provide them with access to established and talented Sunshine Coast-based musicians while fostering their musical skills and stage presence.

Anywhere Festival was funded for its ‘Creating performance makers Anywhere program’ which supports 10 emerging and established local independent performance making groups.

The outcomes of the program will be far reaching, with more than 80 performance makers supported to develop ambitious quality live performances of new theatre, music, cabaret, comedy, dance, poetry, and immersive works.

Sunshine Coast Chamber Music Festival will deliver an innovative program of bespoke events staged in stunning natural locations and intimate venues across the region.

Each event reimagines chamber music in a contemporary context, integrating site-specific, cross-form & cross-cultural elements.

Fast Facts

• the first round of CIIP funding was awarded in 2022
• multi-year funding is offered once per financial year
• applications were assessed by a RADF panel of external sector experts and senior council officers
• CIIP is jointly funded through Sunshine Coast Council’s Arts and Heritage Levy and the Queensland Government’s Regional Arts Development Fund