Students explore creative flair through in-school grants 🎨

As part of the Creative Learning election commitment, round four of the Creativity for Schools (CFS) grants have funded $443,093 for creative activities and exposure to the arts.

The program partners schools with creative professionals to embed creativity into students’ learning and understanding across curriculum areas. The funding supports activities in schools and aims to increase access for students and teachers to engage in enriched learning through arts processes and experiences.

The CFS has two funding categories: Collaboration and Residency.

The Collaboration category awards up to $60,000 to projects and programs designed to connect Western Australian arts organisations and creative practitioners with schools.  

In this round, eight applications were recommended for total funding of $357,525. The recipients are:

• PICA — $ 47,634 for year-long creative work with primary school communities in Balga and Highgate.
• Studio Schools of Australia — $59,401 for a collaborative project involving Yiramalay Studio School, Theatre Kimberley, Broome artist Jacky Cheng and Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency for Fitzroy Crossing students to develop skills across a range of artistic disciplines.
• Alkimos Primary School — $12,290 for a creative learning project focusing on native flora and fauna with artist James Giddy and bird specialist Simon Cherryman.
• City of Fremantle — $45,400 for a young people-led public art mural project in collaboration with artists, Whadjuk Elders, three high schools, local business and the City to co-design a framework for a mentorship residency program across three schools.
• City of Melville — $60,000 to engage students from low socio-educational backgrounds to build their literacy skills, self-confidence and creative capacity, culminating in a book and exhibition of student art and stories.
• Port Hedland Primary School — $60,000 for a collaboration with Kariyarra Aboriginal Corporation and FORM to work with students to create a book, videos and visual arts display on local flora.
• Sensorium Theatre — $60,000 to work with three Perth schools to explore the provocation of play being the highest form of learning.
• Dardanup Primary School — $12,800 for nurturing a culture of creativity and imagination as students discover their unique artistic voices and unleash their full potential in art, dance and filmmaking across two terms.

The Residency category awards up to $20,000 to projects involving artists-in-residence in schools for approximately 25 days. Five applications were recommended totalling $85,568 and included 3 recipients from education support centres. Recipients are:

• Broome Primary School — $11,600 for the Yawuru Seasons Song Composition and Performance as students learn about electronic music composition, lyric writing, recording and performance.
• Calista Primary School — $19,992 for students to work with musician Ken Allen and members of Junkadelic to co-design, make and perform with large scale puppets and musical instruments made from reused and recyclable materials.
• Geographe Education Support Centre — $19,930 for three artists to work with students across dance, drama and music.
• Warnbro Community High School Education Support Centre — $16,729 for students to work with a local Noongar artist to explore language and build cultural responsiveness.
• Gwynne Park Education Support Centre — $17,317 for an arts residency to support staff development and a creative learning experience for students with disability which results in a picture book.