25 January 2006

Support for creator professional development

Australian creators can now seek funding to develop their skills and expertise under a new fund introduced by Australian copyright management company, Copyright Agency Limited (CAL).

CAL's new Professional Development Fund will offer up to $5,000 to successful applicants in support of professional development through attendance at a Conference, Festival, Summer School or Course, within Australia or overseas.

“This project will directly support the individual writer, visual artist, editor, publisher or small organisation wanting to broaden their skills,” CAL Chair, Brian Johns said.

“We hope the knowledge and skills gained will add to Australia 's cultural diversity.”

CAL will allocate $50,000 annually to the Professional Development Fund.

Applications will be competitive and accepted in two separate rounds a year, the first round closing in February and second round in August.

The Professional Development Fund forms part of CAL 's broader funding scheme known as the Research and Development Cultural Fund (Cultural Fund) .

The Cultural Fund is designed to complement CAL 's role in supporting initiative and innovation in Australia 's creative environment.

CAL has allocated over $3M to the Cultural Fund since 1995-96 in support of a wide range of research, projects, education campaigns and events.

Background on CAL 's Cultural Fund

Under the Copyright Act 1968 CAL is able to allocate up to one percent of income collected from its copying licences to the Cultural Fund annually.

Some of the recent projects supported by the Fund include:

• the Arts Law Centre of Australia's Artists in the Black Indigenous Education Project,
• an anti-piracy education campaign coordinated by the Australian Publishers Association; and
• literary awards such as the Miles Franklin Award 2005 and the inaugural Walkley Literary Award for Best Non-Fiction Book.

Applications to the Professional Development Fund

A selection panel will consider applications and make recommendations to the CAL Board.

The 2006 selection panel will be chaired by CAL 's Cultural Fund Coordinator, Susan Hayes , and comprise:

• José Borghino – editor of the online magazine New Matilda, Lecturer on Literary Journalism at the Media and Communications Department of Sydney University;
• Christopher Cyrill – author, academic and fiction editor of Heat magazine; and
• Irene Stevens – arts administrator, NSW Ministry of the Arts and formerly of the Australia Council.

For more information on how to apply for the Professional Development or Cultural Fund contact Susan Hayes on telephone 02 9394 7600.

Media contact:

Public Affairs
Tel: 02 9304 7600

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