Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield, Minister for the Arts and Warren Entsch, Member for Leichhardt are encouraging not-for-profit community organisations to apply for funding through the Community Heritage Grants Program.
Grants of up to $15,000 are available for community organisations such as public libraries, museums, historical societies, Indigenous and multicultural groups to help preserve and protect nationally significant collections.
“These grants will help our local communities preserve and display culturally significant material such as artefacts, letters, diaries and photographs. The grants can make all the difference in preserving out rich local history and making it available to the wider community,” said Mr Entsch.
“I encourage groups throughout the Far North who look after collections like these to apply. The program also offers collection management training workshops in the regions to assist staff and volunteers preserve these significant items.”
Minister Fifield said the Community Heritage Grants Program helps small community groups manage natural, historical and Indigenous heritage collections and enables collaboration with national cultural institutions such as the National Library of Australia.
“The Government is committed to preserving Australia’s unique history, artefacts and stories. The program is an important way of protecting culturally significant items in our regions and connecting community groups with our national institutions to share their knowledge and expertise.
“Since the program started over 20 years ago, it has provided over $6 million to more than 1,200 groups and communities.”
The Community Heritage Grants Program is administered by the National Library of Australia, with support provided by the Department of Communications and the Arts, the National Archives of Australia, the National Film and Sound Archive and the National Museum of Australia.
Applications close on Monday, 8 May 2017. The guidelines and application form are available at: www.nla.gov.au/awards-and-grants/chg