Footscray electorate arts funding
Ms HALL (Footscray) (12:44): In Footscray we love live music and the arts. The inner west is home to some of Victoria’s most exciting creative industries and artists, and I am thrilled that the arts is the centrepiece of this year’s Labor budget locally. Since the start of the pandemic the Andrews Labor government has invested more than $80 million in dedicated support for the music sector. In the most recent grants from the Victorian live music venues support program, $114 000 of dedicated funding came to venues in Footscray. Pride of our Footscray, the Hotel Westwood and Kindred Studios are all fantastic live music venues, and I was thrilled that they received funding under the program. Mat O’Keefe, the manager of Pride of our Footscray, said that Labor’s support throughout the pandemic has kept that vital venue alive in Footscray This funding will assist them to get artists back on stages and audiences back in venues and help live music to thrive throughout Footscray. Live music is just one area of the arts that we are investing in. The budget contained a massive $8.7 million investment for the Footscray Community Arts Centre to help implement stage 1 of their precinct plan. This funding will cement Footscray Community Arts Centre as the heart and soul of arts and culture in the western suburbs. Additionally, there is $2.4 million for the Go West Festivals Fund, bringing the best festivals to Melbourne’s west.