Named Grants

All Named Grants are awarded yearly at the discretion of the Grants Panel and are awarded to exceptional applicants in the relevant arts category.

• Amy Young Award for Vocalists

• BLOC and Ballarat Lyric Theatre Award for Performing Arts/Musical Theatre

• Craig Revel Horwood Award for Contemporary Dance and Choreography

• Di Bresciani Drawing & Painting Award

• Emma Barrance Inclusive Arts Award

• Federation University Award for Creative Community Impact

• Fiona Sweet & Paul Newcombe Award for Photography

• Haymes Family Foundation Award

• Isobella Foundation Award

• Jack Anderson Award for Film Making

• Jess Crowe Memorial Award in support of Tertiary Education

• Jean Read Award for Piano

• Louis Stevens Award for Musicianship for classical or jazz musicians, composers and conductors

• Nicholson Award for Contemporary Performance

• Norman Hofmaier Award for Contemporary Art

• Rotary Club of Ballarat South Award for Visual and Performing Arts

• Stubbs Roberts Award

• VJ Award for Overseas Study

• Will Coltman Award for Writing

Eureka Art Award

The Eureka Art Award is a unique opportunity for BAF Alumni to exhibit works in a group exhibition. Works in painting, drawing, photography, sculpture and mixed media are encouraged. A maximum of three works can be submitted.

Denis Bateman Award

Denis Bateman was President of the Rotary Club of Ballarat South in the year 2000 and one of the instigators of the Foundation. Members of the Club provided seed funding to create the Ballarat Arts Foundation and continue to support the organisation annually. The Denis Bateman award exists to honour an individual who has made a long term commitment to the local Arts Community, indeed a reflection of the dedication of the Rotary Club of Ballarat South to the Arts in this regional centre.

The list of awardees since the inception of the award in 2010 is a distinguished one. Congratulations to:
2010 Peter Dale OAM
2011 Barb Dunlop
2012 Graeme Vendy OAM
2013 Val Sarah AM
2014 Michael Whitehead
2015 Janet Low OAM
2016 Julian Oldfield
2017 Dr. Tony Cole
2018 Peter Morey
2019 Beverley Horwood OAM
2021 Carmel Flynn
2022 Gordon Williamson
2023 Cathy Heenan
2024 Jim Muller

The 2024 Dennis Bateman Award was granted to Jim Muller. The following are some dot points from Peter Morey’s speech, delivered at the 2024 Dennis Bateman Award night. Peter Morey nominated Jim Muller for the award.

• Born 1939 in Ballarat

• School - St Patricks Primary and St Pauls Technical College

• Worked at John Valves from the time he left school till he retired (1954 – 2000)

• Integral involvement in the formation of the Ballarat Credit Union, and was a member of the Credit Union Directors of Victoria

 BLOC Music Theatre

• 1979 – First involvement with Ballarat Light Opera Company (BLOC) where he helped build the set and worked back stage on the Junior Production of Cinderella.

• Joined the Junior Committee in 1980 where he served a President for a period of 3 years

• Joined the BLOC Committee in 1992 and is still serving today (33 years) and held the position of Chairman (8 years) and Vice-Chair (8 years), and has served as the Company Archivist for the last 10ish years

• Has worked on over 70 productions for BLOC alone (Set design, construction & stage crew) and many other sets for Begoinia Festival, Lyric and other theatre companies across the state.

• Jim continues to supervise the hire of sets from the BLOC Shed in Spencer Street Sebastopol, which provides the sets for all of the local schools and theatre companies, but also statewide and interstate companies that travel to Ballarat for this service.  This service often includes the construction of items that don’t currently exist!

• Jim continues to support the set construction of BLOC productions whether this is with his son, Jason, on the construction of the Junior Productions or his Grandson, Nathan, who constructs BLOC’s major production at his highly successful set construction business ‘Form Imagination’

• Jim Received and Outstanding Service Award from BLOC in 1985 and Life Membership in 1992.

• Jim only ever appeared on stage in 1 production.  He played the role of Lewis Carrol (rowing a boat) in the 1987 Junior Production of Alice in Wonderland.  He left the performing to his wife, children and grandchildren (most of them appeared in at least one musical production)

Criteria

Much of the work recognised will be in a voluntary capacity. The individual would have played significant roles within many community organisations, not necessarily all within the Arts, but would have made a substantial contribution to this area. There would be an obvious dedication to the fostering of the Ballarat Arts Community and particularly emerging artists, specifically with the aim to improve and enhance the local arts culture through the development and provision of new opportunities.

Nominations for this award need to be forwarded to the Ballarat Arts Foundation (ea@ballaratartsfoundation.org.au) by the end of April each year.

Ellinor Morcom Scholarships

Ellinor Morcom Scholarships are awarded to students from the Ballarat area, in any Faculty of the University of Melbourne, who are residing at Ormond College. This Scholarship honours the significant contribution Ellinor made to the arts community of Ballarat, especially in music, and her continued support through her estate and other local donors. The Ballarat Arts Foundation does not provide funds for these Scholarships, but promotes them to the wider community. Applications for the Ellinor Morcom Scholarship close in mid-February each year, and are announced at the Commencement Dinner at Ormond College Melbourne University shortly afterwards.

BAF Encouragement Awards

The BAF Encouragement Awards are offered to participants in the vocal and classical dance sections of the Royal South Street Society Competitions in July/August each year. This is a well-established cultural event that runs for 14 weeks annually, hosting 40,000 on-stage appearances. The winner in each category is chosen from competitors who entered a prescribed number of sections, and who live within a 75 km radius of Ballarat CBD, and who are, in the opinion of the Adjudicator, worthy of encouragement.

• $100 to the competitor with the highest points across all divisions in section 360, 14 to under 16 year old classical solo (vocal and classical dance sections).

• $100 to the competitor with the highest points across all divisions in section 370, 16 year old and over classical solo.

The competition showcases 14 theatrical disciplines including voice, music, and movement, and attracts young artists from across the state. For more information, visit www.royalsouthstreet.com.au/

Equipment Grants

This grant of up to $350 is designed to support emerging artists in the purchase of essential equipment for their creative practice. Find out more.

2022
Sian Dowler, Rachel Power, Sami Regague, Wade Carmen, Lauren Matthews, Spencer Harrison, Jeremy Beggs Jaqueline Matisse, Amanda Western, Joy Warren Leah Heinrich,

2023
Callan Barclay, Joshua Lucassen, Chih Min Chiang, Mairin Briody