VCA50 Creative Development Grants: Enabling artists to innovate and inspire

A model poses in a skirt
Each of the 16 recent VCA alumni selected will receive necessary funds to develop a range of exciting creative projects spanning performance, visual art, design and film. Image credit: Genevieve Elliott, Disorderly Embroidery (2024), photography and creative direction by Copper Taylor-Bogaars.

A creative practice grants scheme for graduates of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) has recently been significantly expanded to support 16 talented artists this year.

Henri Matisse once said creativity takes courage — and in today’s world, it takes a lot more besides.

The difficulty of establishing a successful artistic career is well known, but in recent years the challenges have been exacerbated by persistent arts funding cuts, rising costs of living, precarious work conditions and the COVID-19 lockdowns.

At the same time, a recent report conducted by Creative Australia for Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA) found that Australia’s creative industries are facing critical workforce and skills shortages, with creative roles experiencing the most acute shortages.

With the role of the arts in rebuilding community and connection becoming more relevant than ever in an increasingly divided world, the VCA50 Creative Development Grants provide crucial support to early-career VCA alumni in developing creative projects. This transitional support is aimed at broadening opportunities for graduates across all creative disciplines and provides critical showcase platforms for establishing a professional career in the arts.

First launched in 2022 to coincide with the VCA’s 50th anniversary celebrations and in the wake of the devastating global pandemic, the VCA50 Creative Development Grants awarded five grants in 2023 and another five in 2024.

More recently, one of VCA’s current philanthropic partners, the Hansen Little Foundation, decided to provide support for these grants, in collaboration with the VCA Foundation. The Foundation’s Chair and the Chancellor of The University of Melbourne Jane Hansen AO, has now committed further significant funding to expand the number of grants this year.

So in 2025 the program will enable an unprecedented number of 16 emerging artists to build their creative profile. Fourteen will be funded by Chair Jane Hansen AO and the Hansen Little Foundation, and an additional two provided by the VCA Foundation.

Each of the 16 recent VCA alumni selected will receive necessary funds to develop a range of exciting creative projects spanning performance, visual art, design and film, as follows:

  • Rina Corpus (Dance)
  • Oliver Ayres (Theatre)
  • Gilda Jones (Film and TV)
  • Susannah Thomas (Film and TV)
  • Georgia Cromarty (Visual Art)
  • Shirin Shakhesi (Animation)
  • Tomas Parrish-Chynoweth (Music Theatre)
  • Meta Cohen (Theatre)
  • Genevieve Elliott (Visual Art)
  • Maki Morita (Theatre)
  • Chloe Kemp (Film and TV)
  • Guillym Davenport (Film and TV)
  • Andrea Cunningham Illes (Visual Art)
  • Chouwa Liang (Film and TV)
  • Ada Tzinis (Film and TV)
  • Christina Darras (Kampouroglou) (Visual Art)

Visual artist and fashion designer Genevieve Elliott said: “Receiving the VCA50 Grant will support me in creating an ambitious new body of work and allow me to take creative risks. With this opportunity, I can invest and grow my community of practice. It’s a gift of time, trust, and creative freedom.”

Three people stand behind a video camera on a film set

Filmmaker Chouwa Liang (pictured above, left) said: “This grant feels like a significant milestone in my creative journey. Not only does it validate my work, but it also provides the crucial financial support to finish my first feature film. This opportunity will empower me to push the boundaries of what I can achieve as a filmmaker, allowing me to tell stories that truly resonate with audiences.”

Filmmaker Gilda Jones said: “Receiving this grant allows me to continue developing my practice as a filmmaker, particularly my scriptless approach and focus on the intersection of dance and film. It’s rare to have the freedom to truly experiment, and this support gives me the space to take creative risks and explore ideas that might not otherwise be possible.”

Chancellor and donor Ms Jane Hansen AO said: “The VCA50 Creative Development Grants program is a wonderful initiative that nurtures and encourages the next generation of artists at a crucial moment in their creative journeys. We see this as an important investment in their future careers as they contribute to the transformative power of the arts. I congratulate to all sixteen recipients, I look forward to seeing their projects come to fruition”.

Director of the VCA, Professor Emma Redding, said: “Philanthropy continues to play a vitally important role in sustaining and nurturing the careers of emerging artists. We thank Chair Jane Hansen AO and the Hansen Little Foundation, and our other donors for their generous support and commitment to our VCA alumni as they transition into industry, forge brilliant careers, and contribute to a vibrant and diverse Australian arts community that’s not afraid to innovate and inspire.”