The Palais Theatre Community Fund returns for its biggest round of funding, providing meaningful support to the Port Phillip Community
Melbourne’s iconic Palais Theatre is honoured to announce the recipients of its Palais Theatre Community Fund, which has returned for an eighth round of support in what is its biggest set of funds since the program’s inauguration in 2017.
This round of funding will provide grants of up to $5,000 to local registered charities, communities and not-for-profit organisations based within the City of Port Phillip, including projects for creative arts, infrastructure, equipment, and community activities. From live performances, community engagement and sporting clubs, the grant enables organisations to support and celebrate local activities and people who work behind the scenes to keep Melbourne’s renowned vibrant communities alive.
The program is an integral part of Live Nation Australia Venues’ 30-year lease of the iconic Palais Theatre, located in the heart of St Kilda, and is set up in partnership with the City of Port Phillip to provide long-term benefits to local organisations dedicated to supporting the local St Kilda and City of Port Phillip art and culture community.
Funding for the grant is delivered via a 50-cent donation from Live Nation Australia Venues for every ticket sold at an event at the Palais Theatre and is set to generate approximately $100,000 to $120,000 per year into the City of Port Phillip community.
The Palais Theatre’s eighth round of funding will provide meaningful support to a number of local organisations, including:
- Elwood Life Saving Club
- South Port Community Housing Group
- Rawcus Theatre Company Inc
- Elsternwick Park Association
- St Kilda Bike Kitchen Inc.
- Australian National Memorial Theatre Limited
- St Kilda Police & Citizens Youth Club Inc
- Theatre Works
- Space2b Social Design
- BalletLab Association Inc
- Linden New Art
- We Support You LTD
- FoodFilled Incorporated
Sarah Hunt, CEO of The National Theatre, commented: “The National Ballet and Drama School [is] now able to replace and install the studios with mirrors which will greatly enhance the training experience of hundreds of students throughout the year - from age 44 to 75!
The secondary benefit of this contribution is that the wider team at The Nash feel supported by [The Palais Theatre] and can see that steps are being taken, incrementally, to restore this theatre and teaching institution for the local community and set it up for future success.”
Lloyd Jones, Venue Manager of the Palais Theatre, commented: “The Palais Theatre is proud to support our local community and the people who make the City of Port Phillip the vibrant cultural hub it is globally renowned to be. It is a highlight for me personally to be a part of the greater local community in this way. We are looking forward to watching the support this funding provides these local organisations and following the incredible work they do each day.”
Since the fund was established in 2017, the fund has distributed over $353,000 in donations to local organisations.
Applications for the fund’s upcoming ninth round of funding open on 15 May 2023. Any registered charities, communities and not-for-profit organisations located within the City of Port Phillip are encouraged to submit an application.
To apply, or for more information, eligibility criteria and a breakdown of key dates, please visit: www.palaistheatre.com.au/community-support
Notes to editors
Photo Credit: Samantha Meuleman
From Left to Right:
- Ephraim Block (Rabbi, Chabad St Kilda)
- David Rylance (President, Elwood Life Saving Club)
- Lucy Worsley (Operations & Programs Manager, Space2b Social Design)
- Dale Kent (South Port Community Housing Group)
- Brooklynn Baker (Fitness Coordinator, SK PCYC)
- Kahlia Sulendra (Head of Ballet & Drama Schools Administration, The National Theatre Melbourne)
- Phillip Adams (Artistic Director, BalletLab)
- Tina Gelberidis (VP, St Kilda Bike Kitchen)
- Jacque Robinson (General Manager, Rawcus)
- Friday Saarelaht (Volunteer, St Kilda Bike Kitchen)
- Rosie Grech (Communications, Yalukit William Nature Reserve)
- Alexis Olavarria (President, St Kilda Bike Kitchen)
- Ally Souter (Vice President, Yalukit William Nature Reserve)
- Belinda Goldman (CEO, FoodFilled)
- Vincent Alessi (CEO + Director of Linden New Art)
Summary of The Palais Theatre Community Fund Round Eight Receivers:
Elwood Life Saving Club
Elwood LSC's Nippers program teaches children aged 5-13 vital water safety and surf skills. This grant will help fund new foam Nippers boards that are needed to support the program's growth, with more than 300 participants enrolled for the upcoming season.
South Port Community Housing Group
The funding will support the project by providing people living in South Port Community housing the opportunity to attend activities and events that are often not accessible due to prohibitive costs. This project is about giving local people on low incomes the opportunity to participate in a wide range of community activities and events that they are often excluded from.
Rawcus Theatre Company Inc
The grant will support the project “And there was dancing”, which brings together three diverse Rawcus performers with renowned projection artist Yandell Walton and cellist Campbell Banks. The project will present a public art installation and performance that explores the relationship between the seen and the unseen, the every day and the fantastic. The exhibition is currently proposed to be held at Theatre Works and the Victorian Pride Centre.
Yalukit Willam Nature Association
The transformation of the old Elsternwick Golf Course into a wetland nature reserve (to be known as the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve) is a ten-year project that is currently three years in. The organisation seeks to share the learnings of this regenerative project with the broader community to encourage further engagement and support. The grant will help achieve this by funding the production of newsletters and video content and will cover the cost of the Mailchimp marketing service.
St Kilda Bike Kitchen Inc.
St Kilda Bike Kitchen Inc. are an all-volunteer-run, non-profit that teaches folks to repair and maintain their own bicycles. These open public workshops are currently run at the Peanut Farm Farmers' Market and the Port Phillip EcoCente. The grant will fund two bike trailers and other bike repair equipment to support this ongoing initiative.
Australian National Memorial Theatre Limited – The National Theatre
The funding will replace some of the dance studio mirrors that have cracked over the years. Mirrors are a crucial element of performing arts training; they enable teachers and students to critique and improve their positioning and performance.
St Kilda Police & Citizens Youth Club Inc (PCYC)
St Kilda PCYC provides non-contact boxing and strength exercise classes for people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, providing them with a sense of control and empowerment. The grant funding will cover the cost of the trainers and classes.
Theatre Works
The funding will go towards the ‘Theatre Works Emerging Artist Program’ which is dedicated to giving emerging artists the opportunities to engage in their artistic process and extend their professional networks. Each year, the program attaches artists from various disciplines to a Theatre Works production in line with their field of enquiry to give them invaluable, direct experience with practising established theatre-makers.
Space2b Social Design
3D bas clay-relief work is an artistic technique involving lightly carving a design into a surface, and dates back over 20,000 years. This genre and unique craft is not currently taught or practised anywhere in Australia. The funding will assist the organisation in bringing this craft to the City of Port Phillip. Iranian artist Leila Ashtiani will train/mentor ten local artists (half from CALD backgrounds (cultural & linguistically diverse)) in this unique art, providing insight into the technique and the cultural aspect of clay relief making.
BalletLab Association Inc
The grant will assist with BalletLab’s Midsumma program in 2023, as they continue a seven-year commitment to presenting cutting-edge performance work for LGBTIQ+ audiences in the heart of the City of Port Phillip (CoPP) as part of this iconic community festival. For the new Biennial Dance Festival, they will premiere five original performances and experiences for diverse audiences, cementing the organisation as the home of dance in CoPP.
Linden New Art
The grant will support a week-long pilot art-making program for children in grade two up to grade five living in the City of Port Phillip. The participants will be given the cultural and creative tools required to develop a creative practice and deliver an exhibition outcome. The program is a facilitated ‘role play’ in being a living Artist/Curator/Arts-Worker. Participants will make lots of art and will then choose where it goes in the gallery, hang it, write about it, and host an opening (for families and friends).
We Support You LTD
Funding supported the event held in December 2022 to enhance the profile of the City of Port Phillip as an outstanding, vibrant arts environment through the artistic display of Menorahs (Candelabra with eight branches 6 feet tall) for all to see. The nature of the events is to gather a large group of diverse religions and communities together, showcasing messages of unity, tolerance and harmony.
FoodFilled Incorporated
The grant will support FoodFilled, which has grown and continues to grow at an incredibly quick pace facilitating retailers who donate food to charities to feed those in need. They have an unprecedented number of retailers that want to donate food, but even more so charities that are requesting these goods. However, given they are a volunteer-centric organisation, are in need of more volunteers to meet this demand. As such, they will use the funds to increase brand awareness by hiring a dedicated person to invest time into material creation and sharing organisational details via social media.
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About the Palais Theatre:
The Palais Theatre is an iconic live entertainment venue and historical landmark, located in St Kilda, Melbourne. As of April 2017, Live Nation Australia Venues has taken on the Palais Theatre’s operations and restoration works in a 30-year lease. For additional information, visit palaistheatre.com.au
For all media enquiries, contact:
Iliana Perisanidis
Communications, Live Nation APAC
iliana.perisanidis@livenation.com.au