Australia Council Funding Announcement

Last Friday, the Australia Council announced the recipients of four-year funding for organisations (2021–2024). Chunky Move are grateful to the Australia Council, and heartened to have secured this funding. It is a privilege to lead in this space, dancing across time into the future. We will do this thoughtfully and always with an attention to the physical body, so central to our sense of connection.

Whilst we are enthusiastic about our future, we are saddened and concerned by the loss of funding to so many dance companies who have collectively and tirelessly contributed across the full spectrum of our vivid art form. A lack of new voices along with significantly less diversity will have troubling long-term effects on our dance-making ecology for generations of artists and audiences. Our colleagues and partners across Australia form a rich tapestry of interconnectedness that allows our art form, and our company, to truly thrive. Without them, we will all suffer.

The presence of a robust culture of artistic expression is a fundamental indicator of a successful and fully rounded society. The resources we devote to the universal and primal impulse for art-making are crucial to living lives that go beyond mere survival toward a meaningful, connected tomorrow.

For now, we look forward to furthering our vision of an ever-evolving dance culture with all who will work with us in the coming years.

Antony, Kristy, Freya and the Chunky Move team

Read Ausdance National’s statement here