Grantee H.Mur (Ihab Balla), Untitled, 2019.

Since its establishment in 1993, The Ian Potter Cultural Trust has sought to encourage the development ofAustralia'sArts sector, awarding more than $10 million of grants directly supportingAustralian artists.

To date, there has been no formal, external evaluation of the Trust's grantmaking or the impact of receiving Cultural Trust grants on the lives and career trajectories of supported artists.

With theTrust's emerging artist grants program temporarily closed due to COVID-19 international travel restrictions and the 10-year Ian Potter Moving Image Commission coming to its planned conclusion in 2022, it seems an appropriate time to reflect, and with the benefit of a structured and considered effort, consider "where to next?" for The Ian Potter CulturalTrust.

The Ian Potter Cultural Trust Board of Trustees recently engaged an external consultancy specialising in the cultural and non-profit sectors to undertake a detailed evaluation of the Trust’s activities since its inception in 1993.

This evaluation will seek to understand how the Cultural Trust grant programs have benefited artists and how the Trust might improve the impact of its support of Australian artists. The insights and recommendations we will gain from this process will be presented to the Trustees to consider when deciding the future direction of the Cultural Trust's efforts supporting Australian artists.

In this edition of The Coronet, we feature two case studies of grantees that reveal the effect COVID-19 has had on their professional development plans, creative practice, and personal wellbeing.

I am sure these stories will resonate with many other Cultural Trust grantees' experiences during the past 18 months, and I hope they provide some reassurance as well as a sense of solidarity with other artists.

Looking forward, I am hopeful that Australia will reach the target 80% vaccination rate of eligible citizens, accompanied by low rates of community transmission, allowing our international borders to open to outbound travel for vaccinated Australians. I have played my small part, being fully vaccinated, and would encourage all people reading this to do the same. The quicker our international borders are open, the greater the chance that the CulturalTrust’s artists development grants can re-open to emerging artists.

Craig Connelly CEO

Collingwood Yards seeks new Chair

A new multilevel arts precinct and community hub Collingwood Yards seeks new Chair

Melbourne ContemporaryArts Precincts, CollingwoodYards, is seeking a new Chair

Formerly the Collingwood Technical School, Collingwood Yards was launched in 2021 as a new multilevel arts precinct and community hub. The precinct is up and running with occupants encompassing artists’ studios, galleries, a radio station, retail stores and a performance space.

The precinct’s attention now shifts to community building, outreach, and activation. This makes it a perfect time for the organisation to welcome new input into its governance profile and practices. First Peoples, people with disabilities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people of gender and sexual diversity, are strongly encouraged to apply Find out more about the position and application process. Expressions of interest close at noon on Tuesday 7 September 2021.

Grantee stories

Adapting: Art in the time of Coronavirus

The following case studies provide insight into the personal experiences of our grantee community and the effect COVID-19 has had on their professional development plans, creative practice, and personal wellbeing.

Emily McKnight

Children’s performer Emily McKnight was awarded a CulturalTrust grant to attend theArtist Meets Early Years program at Visioni di futuro Festival, Bologna, Italy. Scheduled to take place from 28 February to 8 March 2020, the festival was cancelled days before it began due to COVID-19’s rapid spread throughout Italy

Michael Candy

Michael Candy was supported by a CulturalTrust grant to undertake the first year of study as part of the inaugural cohort of the Masters of 4D Design at CranbrookAcademy ofArt, Detroit, USA. At the beginning of his second semester of study, the onset of COVID-19 precipitated the closure of the campus.

Funding rounds: Travel bans

Funding rounds will not open until 2022 in line with the Australian Government travel ban and the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ian Potter Cultural Trust team will be monitoring smartraveller.gov.au and when the situation improves we will announce new funding round dates via our website and social media.

The Ian Potter Cultural Trust is fully funded by The Ian Potter Foundation, a major Australian philanthropic foundation that supports and promotes excellence and innovation.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

A word from our CEO: Time to reflect