Thursday 13 March 2025

BACKING CREATIVE PROJECTS TO BOOST LEARNING IN NORTHERN VICTORIA

Students in Northern Victoria will turn learning into an art form this year thanks to the latest round of grants through the Victorian Government’s Creative Learning Partnerships program.

Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes announced a $35,000 grant to Healesville High School through the long running program which supports schools to work with local artists, creative collectives and arts companies on residency projects that will supercharge the curriculum in new, creative ways.

The project will see students from Healesville High School collaborate with YAVA Gallery and Arts Hub artists to create a dynamic new art space and hub within the school, where students can explore painting, sculpture, digital art, ceramics, and mixed media. The project will culminate in a community event to showcase the students’ artwork.

Harrietville Primary School will receive $10,000 for students from both Harrietville and Omeo Primary Schools, to collaborate with artist Craig Dent on a project set in the alpine landscape of Mount Hotham.

Peranbin Primary College will receive $10,00 for students from Violet Town, Baddaginnie & Strathbogie. Students will collaborate with Uncle Eric Brown to create interwoven murals inspired by platypus living in creeks running through school grounds.

These schools are some of the 19 primary, secondary and specialist schools across Victoria that will undertake creative projects linked to their curriculum from terms 2 to 4 in 2025.

Collaborating with artists from a wide range of disciplines including visual art, light installation, performance, storytelling, circus and ceramics, students will develop projects that explore topics such as First Nations culture, nature and the environment, citizenship, language and leadership.

The Creative Learning Partnerships program (formerly Artists in Schools) has run in Victoria for more than 40 years. During this time, the program has provided unique, hands-on creative experiences at more than 1200 schools, involving more than 70,000 students.

The Creative Learning Partnerships program is a partnership between Creative Victoria and the Department of Education. For more information on Creative Learning Partnerships, or to see the full list of 2025 recipients, visit creative.vic.gov.au/funding-opportunities.

Quotes attributable to Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes

“Programs like Creative Learning Partnerships are so important to Northern Victoria - providing exciting creative experiences for our students and schools and rewarding job opportunities to local artists. I can’t wait to see/hear the results.”