It is important that we share with you the disappointing news that Community Arts Network (CAN) has not been successful in our bid to secure Four Year Investment Funding from Creative Australia for 2025–2028.

This outcome has been surprising for all, as CAN has received this funding for more than 20 years. It has accounted for 25–30% of our income.

While the news has come as a shock, CAN’s board and management team are confident that the organisation, with its 38-year history of ground-breaking work in the field of community arts and cultural development, has the reputation and runs on the board to secure funding from alternative sources.

Just this year the value of CAN’s work was recognised by Creative Australia (then Australia Council for the Arts) itself, when our Now Sounds intercultural dance, music, multilingual spoken word and video project was selected as a case study for the Australia Council’s 2022–2023 Annual Report. In the words of the Australia Council:

[Now Sounds] demonstrates the unique mix of cultures and art forms that infuse our nation, as well as the power of intercultural collaboration and the creative potential of multicultural Australia. The cultural and social impacts of Now Sounds will continue to be felt by the participants, their communities and the wider public into the future.

The CAN team is proud of its track record of giving voice to the hidden histories of this land and all its people – work that has earned our artists and community participants awards and recognition around the globe.

Such is the quality of the work produced in our programs, that several pieces have been acquired by the Western Australian Museum, for permanent display, and our Place Names Walyalup project won a 2023 History Council of WA Award.

We take immense pride in the work that our organisation produces with the Western Australian community and, while the failure to secure this federal funding is a setback, CAN is a resilient organisation, full of passionate arts workers. We are hopeful that we will be able to fill the funding shortfall to ensure we continue to deliver world-class community arts projects and support understanding between peoples.

We congratulate all the organisations that have successfully achieved funding in this round from Creative Australia, and we will look to our network of friends and supporters as we find a way to continue our meaningful and innovative work. We are excited to explore new relationships and partnerships, and invite our community to join us in our ongoing mission of creating impactful cultural programs. We encourage everyone to join our mailing list and follow us on social media for updates.

“Whilst a different outcome would have been welcome, CAN is a healthy and strong organisation with programming excellence in community arts and CACD space. CAN has an impeccable reputation of working with communities across Western Australia in projects that foster connections and long-standing relationships. CAN has a rich history of delivering life-changing projects and will continue to work with communities, new and existing partners, and periodic input from Creative Australia, to deliver projects into the future.”

– Pearl Proud, Board Chair

“Though this news has been a massive blow to the enormous community outcomes and high quality artistic achievements delivered over its decades long history, CAN is a critically important part of WA’s arts and culture landscape and we are determined to overcome this setback. Drawing on our strength, values and resilience we will seize this as a rich opportunity for us to regroup, reimagine and explore new strategic partnerships and alternative funding sources, continuing to advocate for the underrepresented voices in our society.’”

– Danielle Antaki, CEO