Queen Street Studio and Tafe NSW have distributed a total of $10,000 in ArtStart grant money to four organisations working with young people aged 12-24 years old.
The various arts programs - which range from street art to health-focused arts programs - are based within the Central Metropolitan Region in Sydney, which includes Marrickville, Leichhardt, Ashfield, Burwood, Canterbury, Strathfield and Canada Bay.
Rosemount Good Shepherd Youth & Family Services have received funds to help facilitate a community Photo Voice project called "Impressions", designed to highlight and celebrate the views and voices of young people through the creative medium of photography. The participants will benefit from the project by learning and developing skills in photography and editing and participating in various workshops and a final exhibition.
Acclaimed physical theatre company Legs On The Wall are joining forces with Rozelle Neighbourhood Centre's Ever After ensemble to run "Game Plan", a project which will enable young people with a disability to access skills development workshops and explore new approaches to their artform. ArtStart funds will pay for a multi-media artist to collaborate on the project.
Babushka Youth Arts Inc are teaming up with Camperdown Youth Health Service to creatively and artistically engage marginalised young people in Sydney's Inner West through a series of workshops across drama, physical theatre and visual arts to address sexual health and ethics.
And finally Stretch A Family Inc, an organisation which provides live-in out-of-home care for youth waiting for foster care, has received funds to employ a graffiti artist to help design and create a graffiti wall on their garage door in Stanmore.
A call for applications was released in February of this year and projects such as writing for film and television, community cultural development, culturally specific projects, workshops, festival events and performances, or projects involving multimedia, drama, dance, physical theatre, visual arts, performance art, circus, design and production were able to apply for up to $3,000 in funding.
A further $10,000 in funding is still up for grabs. A second round of applications will be announced shortly.