Notice to Members: Craft ACT AGM + Funding Opportunities for Artists

The Annual General Meeting of Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre Incorporated will take place at Craft ACT, Level 1, North Building, 180 London Circuit, Canberra on Tuesday 28 March 2017 at 6pm.

All Craft ACT Members are invited to attend and meet with Craft ACT's Board and staff. At the conclusion of the AGM, a special members-only info session will be presented by the Australia Council, In the City and artsACT. This is an opportunity to uncover current and new funding opportunities for artists. All members and friends are invited to stay for refreshments.

The agenda for the meeting is as follows: 
  1. Welcome and apologies
  2. Acceptance of Minutes of Annual General Meeting held on 29 March 2016.
  3. President’s Report 2016
  4. CEO/Artistic Director Report 2016
  5. Financial Report ending 31 December 2016, including Treasurer’s Report
  6. Election of Management Committee
  7. Appointment of Auditor for 2017
  8. Other Business

All members wishing to vote at the AGM, including Accredited Professional and Associate Members are required to have current, up-to-date membership.

If you have any questions please do contact me by email rachael.coghlan@craftact.org.au or phone 6262 9333. Please RSVP by Friday 24 March 2017 to craftact@craftact.org.au.

 

Getting a slice of the pie: Grants for Craftspeople and Designers

When talking to craftspeople and designers about funding, one concern that commonly comes up is that arts funding is available for ‘visual artists’ and not for them. And vice versa, funding bodies have noted the lack of applications from craftspeople and designers in comparison to other art forms. But why is this? Often it’s because the term ‘visual arts’ is commonly misinterpreted to exclude craft and design, when in reality these opportunities are open to multiple art forms (including craft and design).
 
We are delighted to be able to offer our members the opportunity to hear Melina Scarcella, Senior Grants Officer, Artists Services, Australia Council for the Arts, Robert Piani, Arts Support Manager, Arts ACT and Jane Easthope, CEO of In The City Canberra talk about what grants are available for craftspeople and designers and how best to access funding in the coming year. Plus, there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions!


About the Presenters


Melina Scarcella - Senior Grants Officer, Artists Services, Australia Council for the Arts
 
Melina Scarcella is a Senior Grants Officer at the Australia Council for the Arts. Her role is to explain and advocate for the Australia Council’s grants program to prospective grant applicants, and to provide them with guidance, advice and feedback throughout the application process.  She also manages the Australia Council’s relationship with grant recipients, namely multi-year funded organisations.

Melina has been engaged in the arts sector for over sixteen years. Melina joined the Australia Council in 2008.  Over the past eight and a half years, Melina has primarily worked in the area of Community Arts and Cultural Development.  In 2015, Melina joined the Australia Council’s Artists Services team where she now works across all art-forms.  Prior to joining the Australia Council, Melina worked in museums and galleries both locally and internationally, namely the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, the Venice Biennale, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. Melina holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts, a Graduate Diploma in Visual Arts, and a Master of Art Administration.

Robert Piani -  Arts Support Manager, Arts ACT


Robert is the Manager of Arts Support within artsACT, which is responsible for managing the ACT Arts Fund. The ACT Arts Fund supports high quality work across a range of art forms and practices through a number of funding categories geared towards individual artists, organisations and community groups. 

Jane Easthope – CEO, In The City Canberra

Jane leads In The City Canberra at a critical time for the organisation as the City centre is currently a focus of planning studies and has recently seen a refresh in the form of the City Improvements Program.

With tertiary qualifications in landscape architecture, marketing and tourism, Jane has had a long association with city improvements working on behalf of government in both the Economic Development Directorate and Territory and Municipal Services. Jane performed the role of Secretariat to the City Centre Marketing and Improvements Grant, managing a government steering committee to assess the performance and future plans for In The City Canberra.