Artists in Focus – Auspicing

Creative Victoria wanted to get money to artists affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. And we were able to support artists applying for the funding, and auspice projects for them.

Auspicing is where we submit the grant application on your behalf and manage the money for you. Benefits of auspicing are:

• not having all the grant money counted as your income (only your artist fee),
• being covered by our Public Liability Insurance,
• extra promotion,
• and much more!

We are proud to be auspicing the following artists as part of this fund:

• Melody Shotade: Melody has been supporting inclusive performing arts initiatives in differing capacities for over six years. In 2019, she started producing and directing work independently with her first initiative ‘Woven’. These funds are supporting Melody with the development of storytelling work that includes one-on-one mentoring with Julie McNamara, Director of UK theatre company Vital Exposure, and Victorian-based Director of Weave Movement Theatre Janice Florence. Melody has also initiated Creative Movement Labs with a small group of participants with different skills. All activities are being documented and will be presented in video.
  
  
• Emily Dober: Emily is a painter and illustrator whose figurative works focus on the feminine form. In 2018, she held her first solo show at the Clock Tower Café Space in Moonee Ponds. Emily’s works are exhibiting from 12 September to 7 November at Summertime’s ‘Fair Vanity’, an exhibition in Brooklyn, New York. Thanks to these funds, Emily is making paintings and drawings on a theme of film and dance, under the title ‘The Yellow Brick Road’. A selection of this work will be exhibited at her second solo show.
  
• Robert Croft: Robert is a is a visual, performance and sound artist. He works in theatre and film with Theatre of Speed. He also dances with eMotion21. And he is part of the visual art collective ArtGusto. Robert’s artworks are sold via the ArtGusto website, and the commercial gallery Boom Gallery. You can also check his SoundCloud, which features a song called COVID-19. With these funds, Robert is undertaking skills and creative development in an online environment and building his own website.
  

  Robert using a silicone gun on a wooden sculpture.

  

• Naomi Fryers: Naomi is a writer and editor. She has written widely for many celebrated publications, such as Elephant Journal, Eureka Street and The Huffington Post. The launch of her debut book ‘The Long Way’ has been postponed to next year due to COVID-19. Thanks to these funds, Naomi has arranged an editorial internship with Independent Australia to develop her writing skills. Naomi aims to complete 25 new pieces around disability and mental health for political discourse and publication.
  
• Jonathon Goodfellow: Jonathon is a visual artist. His work was featured in last year’s Arts Access Victoria’s annual visual arts showcase, Ignite 2019. This grant will assist Jonathon to develop his online presence. He will be live streaming work on a living sculpture that he is making for this project. Johnathon will be creating new opportunities to connect to audiences and to collaborate with other creatives in this new climate.
  
  
• Leisa Prowd: Leisa is a dancer, performance artists, life model and public speaker. She has performed nationally and internationally with Weave Movement Theatre and Rawcus Theatre, among others. She has also created and performed burlesque, such as her performance ‘Wicked Queen’. Leisa is utilising the funds to undertake research into engaging new audiences and creative online possibilities for contemporary performance.
  

To find out more about how we can auspice your arts project, please email Tania Smith at tsmith@artsaccess.com.au. Or you can call (03) 9699 8299 (voice only) and ask for Tania Smith. Tania is the Manager of Arts Services Partnerships.