Spreading The Word: Grants To Bring Victorian Creativity To Market

From webisodes to interactive performances, opera in everyday locations and the launch of a new social media star, five Victorian arts organisations are taking a creative approach to their marketing, with support through Creative Victoria’s Marketing Innovation Fund.

Announcing funding totalling $50,000 today, Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley said the Marketing Innovation Fund will support organisations to embark on a range of projects to reach new audiences and promote Victorian creativity and culture in new ways.

Geelong’s Back to Back Theatre, Western Edge Youth Arts, The Koorie Heritage Trust, Chamber Made Opera and burlesque theatre company Finucane and Smith have each received $10,000 to support them to take innovative approaches to growing their markets.

The Marketing Innovation Fund has successfully supported the establishment of a new Customer Relationship Management system, the development of a regional venue ‘What’s On’ app, and collaborative projects that increased first- time audiences by 50 per cent.

A full list of the latest projects is attached.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley

“The Andrews Labor Government is committed to building sustainability across all aspects of the creative industries, from supporting new ideas to helping practitioners to build their business capabilities, reach new audiences and grow their markets.”

“These organisations have already established themselves as innovators in their artistic work, and these grants will support them to take new approaches to growing their businesses and extending their reach .”

MARKETING INNOVATION FUND GRANT RECIPIENTS – $10,000 each

Auspicious Arts Projects on behalf of Finucane & Smith (North Fitzroy): A marketing campaign ADVENTURE IS REWARDED that will create a series of 1 minute webisodes starring performer Moira Finucane and artistic collaborators. Centred around Finucane’s Salon performances in unique locations between June and December 2015, the series will take people from theatres to Melbourne’s Luna Park and the Sofitel Hotel.

Back to Back Theatre (Geelong): A project that will add a new social media arm to its marketing and promotional activities by elevating ensemble member Scott Price to a role as an in-house journalist who will report on Back to Back’s activities ‘from the inside’.

Chamber Made Opera (North Melbourne): Intimately Epic, a collaboration with local businesses in North Melbourne, which will see Chamber Made compose contemporary opera works that will be played in local business to accompany everyday activities, from buying a coffee to choosing a bunch of flowers. Running for two weeks in November, the project, which will also have an online component, will build Chamber Made’s connection with the local community and will show how everyday moments can become ‘epic’ with a little help from the arts.

The Koorie Heritage Trust (Melbourne):  A video marketing campaign to coincide with the first exhibition at the Trusts’ new location at Federation Square. Titled ‘The Aborigine is Present’, the work will reference iconic performance piece ‘The Artist is Present’ by Marina Abramovic and will invite audiences to sit opposite members of Melbourne’s Aboriginal communities and be ‘present’.

Western Edge Youth Arts (Footscray): A project focused around an interactive street performance where audiences will be encouraged to interact with performers both physically and online via a blog, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

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