📣 Starweekly: Footscray’s iconic Snuff Puppets could be snuffed out by the middle of this year after becoming the latest victim of the
@victorianlabor state government’s cost cutting drive through the creative sector.
The celebrated puppet theatre company was informed by
@creative_vic at the end of last year that public funding worth $110,000 per year would be withdrawn by mid-2026, as part of cuts to its Creative Victoria’s Creative Enterprises Program.
Snuff Puppets joins the likes of
@writersvictoria ,
@abbotsfordconvent and the
@australianprintworkshop in having funding provided though the creative enterprises program removed, with the company’s co-artistic director Nick Wilson estimating that roughly $20 million in had been cut from the program since 2022.
“The program has helped Snuff Puppets to thrive and be a vital part of the cultural fabric of Victoria for over 20 years,” Wilson said of the impact public funding had had on the company which was founded in Footscray in 1992.
Since then its large-scale handmade puppet performances have toured major arts festivals in more than 30 countries and generated over 1.4 billion online viral video views.
Snuff Puppets have also represented Australia through
@dfat Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade cultural diplomacy programs, delivered work in regional Victoria and remote Indigenous communities, and performed in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Wilson said funding from Creative Victoria covered a lot of the company’s operational costs and made overseas and interstate tours possible, as well as allowing it to run community workshops and mentor emerging artists.
He said while the company still received funding from Maribyrnong council and that Creative Victoria had provided courtesy support until June, the immediate outlook was not great.
“We’re committed to finding a way to keep the company alive and still working out exactly what that will look like – our capacity is seriously minimised for the short to medium term.”…
![@makeitupclub celebrate 28 years Tuesday at Footscray Drill Hall!avant-garde improvised music & sound performance night+ FRANCK VIGROUX / LOÏC VARANGUIEN / ANTOINE SCHMITT – [FR]+ YUKA DISCOBEANS [JP] / BACCHUS HARSH / TATI AU MIEL [CA]+ HARTE ECHTZEIT / NŪ / D.DADUT+ DJ HAROLDFully licensed barPalestinian food van Aheda’s Kitchen @palestinian_chef_ahedaTuesday 17 March, 8pmFootscray Drill Hall395 Barkly St FootscrayTIX: $20 on the doorDoors: 7:30pm#livemusicmelbourne #footscray #whatsonmelbourne](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6742692570512163195210_0_45462ae05a6481f81c69bd0b267a1de7.jpg?o=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&h=033e406d2b8537fb0f043621149f9b5e)
