According to recent media reports, nearly two thirds of expression of interest applications for operational funding from arts organisations to the Australia Council have been rejected in the first round. This year was the first to adopt this EOI approach to securing funding for January 2021 to December 2024. Those who have been successful in the EOI round are not guaranteed funding in the next round.
Theatre Network Australia warns that a quarter of currently funded organisations are likely to lose Australia Council funding in this round. Melbourne’s Theatre Works is one of those who have missed out. Despite receiving funding from the Australia Council and the short-lived Catalyst program for six years, the organisation’s funding will run out at the end of 2019.