Queensland Government announces Reconciliation grants – $200,000 available

The Queensland Government has announced $200,000 in grant funding for events promoting reconciliation. 

 

Individual grants of up to $10,000 are on offer to host events and activities bringing communities together for National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June 2024).

 

Since 2018, the Queensland Government has provided $689,000 in grant funding to support 198 events and activities across Queensland, and in 2024 the Celebrating Reconciliation Grants Program offers increased funding for local events.

 

Applications are now open, with grants of $5,000 or $10,000 available to support events and activities for National Reconciliation Week.

 

“National Reconciliation Week is a chance for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and to explore how each of us can join the national reconciliation effort,” Minister for Communities and Housing, Minister for Digital Economy and Minister for the Arts Leanne Enoch said. 

 

“They also give communities the chance to learn and grow through the sharing and celebration of the oldest continuous living cultures in the world.”

 

Key criteria for events and activities are to:

 

• Promote and facilitate truth-telling, healing, trust and respectful relationships between Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Queenslanders
• Promote inclusion through strengthening relationships between Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Queenslanders
• Raise community awareness of National Reconciliation Week
• Offer community members opportunities to learn, share, and grow – for example, through sharing stories about past events, and showcasing local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, arts and cultural activities.

 

What is National Reconciliation Week? 

 

Held each year from 27 May to 3 June, National Reconciliation Week commemorates two significant milestones in Australia’s reconciliation journey – the successful 1967 referendum and the 1992 High Court Mabo decision.

 

How are grants typically used? 

 

Past rounds of the Celebrating Reconciliation Grants have inspired a wide range of activities – from cooking demonstrations and community concerts to touch footy and tree planting.

 

For Mount Isa City Council, the grants were used to host multiple events throughout National Reconciliation Week, including children’s storytime at the library, bushtucker tours, and a community cultural painting session.

 

The events encouraged the Mount Isa community to recognise, embrace and honour First Nations cultures. The painting session with local artists Cungelella Art was very popular with tourists and locals alike.

 

“By partnering with local businesses and Elders, we were able to provide an opportunity for the wider community to immerse themselves in Aboriginal culture, while ensuring that the events were giving back to Aboriginal peoples and communities,” a spokesperson said. 

 

Applications for the 2024 Celebrating Reconciliation Grants close at midday on Monday 22 January 2024.

 

For more information, including eligibility criteria, visit www.qld.gov.au/recgrants.