RADF grants support five local artists

RADF funding is helping Peregian Beach artist Petalia Humphreys share her expertise during her Noosa Regional Gallery exhibition. Photo: Warwick Gow

Five local artists have shared in $19,000 worth of funding in the latest Noosa Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) grant round to help them develop their projects.

RADF funding is helping Peregian Beach artist Petalia Humphreys share her expertise through talks and workshops during her Noosa Regional Gallery exhibition.

“I am grateful for the support of Noosa Council through the RADF program to support engagement with contemporary art making in the region and to have the opportunity to exhibit my reductive three-dimensional paintings at Noosa Regional Gallery,” she said.

RADF Committee Chairperson, Councillor Karen Finzel, said Council was pleased to support the arts in Noosa Shire through the RADF program.

“The RADF program has provided more than $320,000 since 2014 in support of more than 160 local artists and their creative projects,” she said.

Other RADF recipients this round include emerging young musician, Sari Abbott, whose grant will help her launch her first EP and make a music video.

RADF is also supporting Noosa Music Society’s professional development program for young musicians, while multi-disciplinary artist Megan Rowland’s RADF grant will enable her to develop a new contemporary dance/performance art work.

Professional visual artist Simone Eisler, meanwhile, has received funding to add an augmented reality component to a sculpture that will be featured in Floating Land 2021.

“RADF is about bringing the community together in support of the arts and creative expression, providing opportunities for our local arts professionals and generally growing the arts in Noosa,” Cr Finzel said.

“Projects like the ones we’re pleased to be funding in our latest RADF round certainly tick all of those boxes.”

The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Noosa Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said that the long standing RADF program would help to boost Queensland’s plan for economic recovery, supporting artists and arts workers with employment opportunities through $4.2 million in funding for regional cultural projects.

“The Palaszczuk Government is investing $2.08 million in RADF for 2020-21 and an additional $2.13 million will be contributed by 59 councils across Queensland,” Minister Enoch said.

“Each year RADF showcases the extraordinary innovation of the arts and cultural sector in regional communities, delivers rich arts experiences and provides important professional opportunities for artists and arts workers.”