Support resources for the arts

To the arts and cultural community - you are not alone. Here is a little list of support resources and guidance to help you during this period.

If you are struggling and need someone to talk to, we encourage you to reach out.

BeyondBlue: call 1300 22 4636 or visit their website for support and resources including National helplines and websites and articles Looking after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Support Act Wellbeing Helpline: call 1800 959 500. The helpline is a free, confidential counselling service that is available to anyone working in Australian music (all genres), or the Australian Performing Arts, who needs to talk to someone about any aspect of their wellbeing.
Lifeline: call 13 11 14 or visit their website for online tools including services finder.
Headspace: dedicated services for young people including How to cope with stress related to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Follow a mindfulness blog or download a meditation app such as Smiling Mind or Calm.
ReadArtsHub article: How to cope with COVID-19 mental health issues.

Ongoing: The Australian government - Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications Arts Division SmartyGrants.
August 2020: The Government of Western Australia announces $75million recovery package for arts and culture in WA.
June 2020: The Australian Government has announced the launch of a $250 million targeted package to help the creative sector start their COVID-19 recovery. The JobMaker Plan
April 2020: Australian Council for the Arts announces its Resilience Fund and reopens the Arts and Disability Mentoring Initiative. (Applications now closed)
March 2020: Australia Council for the Arts announces its first Response Package to support artists, arts practitioners, arts groups and arts organisations coping with the impact of COVID-19.
March 2020: City of Melbourne: Grants for artists and arts organisations affected by COVID-19.

Australia Council for the Arts has set up an Arts and Creative Industries: Digital Support Facebook group with resources aimed to support the arts community in the digital space.
Australian Arts amidst COVID-19: a place for Australian Arts to ask questions and share ideas about how to work with COVID-19. The Facebook group has structured topic discussions including government lobbying, taking art online, organisation announcements and more.
Arts Tasker: work, skill and community sharing during COVID-19.
Freelance Jungle: resources for freelance and self-employed workers.

We encourage you to speak up and share how COVID-19 is impacting you. Together as a community, we can continue to support, learn and grow together.

Tell your story with data. Complete the COVID-19 Recovery Survey for Organisations and Creative Practitioners. This survey is part of ongoing research into the impact of COVID-19 on the sector.
If you have lost work, the I Lost My Gig survey is capturing a big data set of income lost, people affected and events cancelled.
The Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) survey is collecting responses on the impact of coronavirus on work and income in the media, entertainment and arts industries.
The National Association for Visual Arts (NAVA) survey is addressing impacts experienced by organisations and artists.
Share your story on social media with the hashtag #CreateAustraliasFuture #KeepTheArtsGoing to urge the government to take immediate action.

Valuing Culture