2017 Artists Investment Program

The Hodgman Government is committed to growing our vibrant arts sector, and I am pleased to announce funding of more than $400,000 has been allocated today through the 2017 Artists Investment Program.

Investment in our artists helps deliver arts experiences around Tasmania that will create jobs, grow the economy, and help us achieve our goal of attracting 1.5 million visitors to the state by 2020.

Some of the artists receiving funding in this year’s round include:

• Visual artist Rebecca Coote of Clifton Beach, who will develop a new body of glass sculptures to exhibit in 2018 in Hobart;

• Spike Mason, an internationally recognised jazz musician and composer based in Poatina. The funding will help Spike record Flying, a large-scale original composition with Sydney’s Sirius Chamber Ensemble; and

• Emerging Hobart band Lazer Baby, who will use the funding to support an Australian tour to launch their first single. The band has been playing together for just under two years, and secured its first festival spot at the Falls Festival 2014/15.

The government has also committed funding to a range of initiatives including the Tasmanian Residencies Program, which supports artists to undertake residencies at unique wilderness, historic and cultural sites around Tasmania.

I congratulate all the successful applicants and look forward to seeing the positive results that will flow from this investment.

For a full list of successful applicants, please visit www.arts.tas.gov.au/2016fundingreports
Vanessa Goodwin, Minister for the Arts