General News
24 July, 2023
Arts group bid for funds will raise the roof
Horsham Arts Council Inc (HAC) is one of 44 recipients of Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR) grants aimed at supporting Covid recovery and disaster resilience and recovery and helping to meet small-yet-vital community needs. The arts...
Horsham Arts Council Inc (HAC) is one of 44 recipients of Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR) grants aimed at supporting Covid recovery and disaster resilience and recovery and helping to meet small-yet-vital community needs.
The arts council's $10,000 grant, funded through the Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program, will allow volunteers to replace the roof of its building, which has been in need of repair for some time.
HAC president Nick Wilson said the funding would benefit both performers and the audience.
“This is gonna help us massively,” Mr Wilson said.
“The repairs will prevent leaks or getting wet when it rains, hence it will be beneficial for performers as well as the audience.
“We are a not-for-profit group and we do musical performances in the building as it's our home.
“We have volunteers across the Wimmera, including in Warracknabeal, Dimboola, Nhill, Stawell, Ararat and neighbouring towns."
Mr Wilson said the organisation occupied the arts council premises for nearly four days a week.
“Thousands of people come and watch our performances in that building every year,” he said.
“They feel happier with the joy they have while being there.
“We put on two shows a year, which means the group spends eight months on site and three to four nights every week rehearsing there.”
FRRR place portfolio lead Jill Karena said it was truly inspiring to see the determination and resilience of community groups and local leaders.
“In this round of SRC grants we’ve seen a shift in project focus, with a significant increase in initiatives that address the well being and sustainability of community organisations,” Ms Karena said.
“The majority of these grants are for practical, infrastructure-related projects that will enable local groups in rural places to continue to provide vital services and ensure community spaces are safe, secure and welcoming.”
Ms Karena said that while the grants may be relatively small, they could make a “mighty difference to a rural community".
“That’s why the focus of our end-of-year fundraising campaign is on small grants,” she said.
“For nearly one-third of recipients in just this round of funding alone, this is the first time they’ve applied for an FRRR grant," she said.
“For those organisations that are previous grant recipients, the SRC program’s straight-forward application process and the flexibility of the grants to fund local needs are just some of the reasons they continue to apply.”