Townsville City Council supports Umbrella
06/06/2016
Umbrella has been successful in its application to Townsville City Council for funding to support the studio for three years. Umbrella requested $10,000 annually to support its studio operations, which has been granted starting 01 July 2016. This recurring funding comes at a great time considering the instability of arts funding at the federal level. The three year commitment means Umbrella won’t have to jump from project funding to project funding, an unsustainable model for an organisation. A three year commitment means we can properly plan, deliver, and report on our activities, and garner support from other levels of government, corporates through sponsorship, and the general public – contributing to our organisation’s sustainability.
Townsville City Council has demonstrated its commitment to the arts, and to a vibrant city. The grant helps us to cover some of the real costs of running: rent, electricity, repairs and maintenance. These operational costs are often called the ‘unsexy’ parts of funding applications, and yet they are the core components that help us deliver our program of workshops and professional development for artists, and enable our community to access a professional studio. Our facilities are well loved by the community, with 100% of studio survey respondents giving a rating of Very good (77%) or Good (23%) to their studio experience. The Studio is also accessed by smaller community groups with no organisation funding. Artist Kerrie Cleverdon says:
“Working regularly in the studio has enabled me to work alongside other local printmakers. We often meet to exchange ideas and explore new techniques. The feeling of camaraderie and generosity in the studio is very conducive to creativity. Over my time there I have produced work that has been shown in City Council galleries, at Umbrella Studio, and overseas through PressNorth Printmakers projects.”
If you would like to support Umbrella Studio too, please come along to our fundraiser film. You can buy tickets online now.
Read “Culture Matters” by Townsville City Council.
I’m thrilled that Townsville City Council has backed such a vibrant and vital organization. Having found out how wonderful the studio environment is, I totally agree with Kerrie’s praise of it.
Fantastic news and good on TCC for filling part of the void created by the Feds cutting Umbrella’s organisations funding.