GRANTS of up to $20,000 are available to empower Aboriginal communities to strengthen, protect, share, promote, and maintain traditional and modern expressions of Aboriginal culture.

Applications are now open for the NSW Government’s $1 million 2022/2023 NSW Cultural Grants program which will support community organisations, groups and businesses to fund Aboriginal cultural events and activities.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin said supporting Aboriginal cultural heritage is a vital part of maintaining health and wellbeing in communities across the State.

“The NSW Cultural Grants program will empower Aboriginal organisations and community groups to host cultural events and activities that will enable the sharing of cultural knowledge and skills between generations.

“This is an important program that will invest funding into the hands of Aboriginal communities who best know how to deliver culturally appropriate and community-centred events and activities for their local areas,” Mr Franklin said.

“We know by investing in local community initiatives we will significantly shift the dial on Closing the Gap targets and I encourage all Aboriginal community groups to apply for this funding.”

The program makes $700,000 available for smaller, community-based Aboriginal owned and controlled organisations, unincorporated groups, and businesses while larger regional and state-wide organisations will share in $300,000 in funding.

Aboriginal Affairs NSW delivered a Cultural Grants program in 2021/2022 that supported 43 projects totalling $680,910.

Applications for the NSW Cultural Grants Program close on Friday, April 14, 2023.

By Andrew VIVIAN