RISE Funding Announcement

Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF) is the recipient of $198,000 in RISE Fund finance in the latest round of Federal Government spending to support and reactivate the arts and entertainment sector affected in the wake of COVID-19.

Federal Member for Brisbane Hon Trevor Evans MP made the announcement at the Festival’s Marion Taylor Opening Night Gala on Friday 7 May.

The RISE Funding announcement comes as BWF 2021 wrapped on Sunday 9 May after a successful three-day event that saw the Festival deliver a new hybrid program of more than 100 live and virtual events and introduce new initiatives such as the First Word and Last Word events and Author/Editor Showcase.

Mr Evans said a strong and thriving creative and cultural sector is an imperative part of rebuilding our local economy after COVID-19.

“The Brisbane Writers Festival is an important fixture on the Brisbane arts community’s calendar, and I’m delighted to have helped secure federal funding support for staging this event over the next two years,” Mr Evans said. 

One of Queensland’s longest-established festivals, BWF will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2022, CEO Sarah Runcie said the funding will allow the Festival to diversify its programming, engage a wider audience, develop its hybrid program model and include more experiential event formats.

“We not only came out of a very difficult year in 2020 in which the world was suspended due to the COVID pandemic, we also rebuilt the Festival with a new calendar date, new ticketing, new program formats and new venues,” Ms Runcie said.

“In addition to rebuilding the Festival in 2021, we want to be able to truly celebrate BWF’s 60th anniversary next year.

“The RISE Funding for Brisbane Writers Festival is a very welcome financial boost, which will be crucial to our honouring the great cultural legacy of the Brisbane Writers Festival as well as reimagining our future as the premier literary event in Queensland.”