First Nations Media News :: Job Opportunities :: COVID-19 coverage :: Funding, Funding, Funding

Over the past weeks we have been focused on supporting our members through the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on all of our networks and stakeholders to keep our communities safe. Some of the key things we’ve been doing include:

Funding
Securing emergency funding from Minister Wyatt, through the NIAA and the Northern Territory Government with support from MLA Chansey Paech, Minister Selena Uibo and Chief Minister Michael Gunner. Media organisations will have received notification of how that funding will be distributed via email. We have also been in consultation with the Community Broadcasting Foundation about the establishment of its COVID-19 Crisis Fund, which is due to open for applications in late April (more info below).

Organisational support
Our COVID-19 Business Health Check webinar series provides information on how to prepare your finances and governance processes to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This series includes expert advice from Darren Godwell (i2iglobal), Glen Brennan (KPMG) and Anthony Bevan (Grant Thornton Australia) relevant to Boards, Managers and Finance Officers. The series covers what Boards should be doing right now, how to access government stimulus packages and reporting to ORIC. If you missed it, or want to revisit parts of it , recordings of the four webinars are on our website here.

Broadcast resources
To support your reporting on COVID-19, 33 Creative has prepared a range of key message scripts, social media tiles, audio grabs from Minister Wyatt and leading health professionals, short videos and messages in some languages. We have created a one stop website where you can find all of those materials, along with business resources such as links to IBA assistance and factsheets here.

Shoulder to Shoulder
While we’re working alongside our members to support you through this crisis, we’ve also been working alongside other peak bodies in the community broadcasting sector and other community-controlled peak bodies through the Coalition of Peaks. We’re proud to share information about the work our sector has been doing in these spaces and to collaborate with other like-minded organisations. Together in isolation, even for our organisations.

Part of this work has included making connections between our members and various State Government departments, organisations seeking advisory and production work and taking a leadership role in promoting our sector’s capacity to delivery key messaging to First Nations audiences.

For the most part, our team has been working from home from the past month and staying connected via daily check-ins online. We’ve still been participating in all of our usual activities remotely, connecting with members. Dot West and Catherine Liddle attended the Community Broadcasting Sector Roundtable meeting earlier this month, Claire Stuchbery reported to the CBF’s Sector Investment Advisory Committee, work has progressed on the refreshed targets in the new Closing the Gap Framework and our indigiTUBE team has been adding some awesome new content to the site to keep everybody entertained at home. Read more about that below….

This month we said a sad farewell to our Events & Member Services Officer, Jacinta Barbour. Jacinta re-joined our team in April last year and hit the ground running organising the Remote Indigenous Media Festival on Waiben (Thursday Island) and CONVERGE Alice Springs, along with the First Nations Media Awards. She had previously worked with us in an administration role for IRCA and we hope to see her back again in the future. Jacinta will be staying in Alice Springs to take on a community engagement role with Congress and we wish her all the best in her new position.

Stephanie Stone will be taking on the Member Service work and Mikayla Friday-Shaw will be stepping up her administrative duties to help fill the gap Jacinta leaves in our team. Nancia Guivarra is also helping out with member services through the pandemic period.

Adam Dixon-Galea began work with us this month in the new part-time position of Content Coordinator for indigiTUBE. Adam is a Kaurna man born in Adelaide. although he grew up in Broken Hill, NSW before moving back to Adelaide to live. He studied a Bachelor of Creative Arts - Screen at Flinders University and has mostly worked as a Curator and Programmer in film. Adam began his career interning at Adelaide's Mercury Cinema before moving over to the Adelaide Film Festival to work as a curation intern. He has also worked extensively as a freelance sound mixer.

Adam brings a fresh perspective to the First Nations media sector and we're very excited to have him join the First Nations Media Australia team. Adam is available to members to help share your content through indigiTUBE and has been busy adding some great new content already. Take a look if you haven't visited the site recently.

We've been moving forward with plans for CONVERGE Adelaide, scheduled to be held on November 4-6. Like all public gatherings at the moment, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may determine whether or not we can go ahead with the annual conference or not. We just don't know at this stage. So please keep the dates on your calendar and make your budget plans with the intention to travel to Adelaide in November. And cross your fingers that we can get together again later in the year.

AT HOME AND HANGING OUT?

Jump on indigiTUBE and check the awesome music, podcasts and videos. Let's stay connected to each other, country and culture. Flashback to the First Nations Media Awards last year where STUART NUGGETT and BLACK ROCK BAND performed live, check the latest from NITV, get behind the stories on FIRST SOUNDS VOL.1 or chill with SOUNDS OF THE KIMBERLEY. Download the APP for Apple or Android.

Or maybe you've got something to share?

Highly respected Lurtija Elder and lead guitarist from the legendary Warumpi Band, Sammy Butcher - shared his thoughts about how his community of Papunya is coping with threat of Coronavirus on CAAMA radio. Currently the community of Papunya is doing okay, but Mr Butcher is adamant that the younger generations need to be made more aware of the potential threat and danger Coronavirus COVID-19 presents. This is just one interview in a series of stories CAAMA has produced to keep communities informed about the pandemic. Hear the interview.

Yolŋu Radio is looking for a Graphic Designer/Animator consultant, to start immediately. They require someone who is available up to 5 days a week, to create basic digital animations based on ideas provided by Yolngu Radio staff. This is a work from home, consultancy opportunity, not an ongoing position (though it may lead to further work with ARDS/Yolŋu Radio on other projects).

Yolŋu Radio would prefer the applicant to have both Graphic Design and Digital Animation/Video Editing experience. The consultant should be NT-based or have previous experience in the NT. Applicants who can provide a quick turnaround at short notice will be strongly favoured. "Indigenous applicants are strongly encouraged"

Send a short email outlining your experience, examples of your work (or a link to a website with examples), and your daily charge-out rate. Please call Nic O’Riley (Yolŋu Radio Manager) on 0417 563 503 or nicholas.oriley@ards.com.au for more information.

Through the Energy Efficient Communities Program, the Australian Government is offering funding to help community groups and businesses lower their energy bills. This can include equipment upgrades such as solar panels and batteries, new high efficiency split system air conditioners, LED lighting equipment to replace non-LED lighting and solar-powered generator systems. Community organisations can apply for up to $12,500 with no co-contribution required. Applications are open now. Read more.

The Australian Council for the Arts is directing approximately $5M to the Resilience Fund to provide immediate relief to the Australian arts sector. The 2020 Resilience Fund is designed to provide emergency relief to support the livelihoods, practice and operations of Australian artists, groups and organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding can be combined with relief offered by other arts funding agencies, government departments, support services and philanthropy. Read more.