A Message From Our Artistic Director

Two weeks ago we received news that ActNow Theatre is among the small number of organisations that will receive four-year funding from the Australia Council for the Arts. 

This announcement is one that has greatly impacted the national arts sector and has meant that organisations we admire, both in our very own state and nationally, are facing dire times. 

Usually, we would keep these types of successes to our colleagues and closest friends, something we’d be quietly proud of. And we are. We’ve been working towards this for a very long time. 

But there are organisations who should have received this funding alongside us. The arts and the whole world are in crisis. It’s been difficult to decide if we should share the news, but this announcement is a reminder of the world beyond coronavirus and that makes it important to share.

This crisis has major impacts on us, our artists, our communities, on everyone who practices and participates in the arts. There’s article after article after article diving into the already fragile landscape that is arts funding. And this decision adds to the fact that even though the world will survive and continue to adapt, after this crisis passes the arts are still faced with a lack of funding. Throughout all of this, artists will still be supporting each other, and everyone else, because that’s what we do. 

We look to the future and continue to create ways to bring people together. But we need the support of those who aren't in the arts to continue doing that. 

If you are an artist reading this and have been affected by COVID-19, I strongly encourage checking out The Arts Wellbeing Collective and MEAA for resources and support. If you are not an artist and wish to support the arts during this time, I suggest doing any of these, donating if you have the ability, and supporting arts-based campaigns. 

The team at ActNow Theatre - Rhen, Yasmin, Caitlin, the Board and I - will be continuing to support our artists and communities in the ways that we know how to.

I look forward to being able to share that with you in person.

Sincerely, 

Edwin Kemp Attrill 

Artistic Director & CEO