The Impact of public funding on creative processes in Australia: three case studies of visual artists

Artistic practices are subjected to numerous situational factors that simultaneously hinder and/or enable future artistic activity: public funding is positioned in this research as one such situational factor. This article explores the immediate impacts public funding has on the artistically creative processes of the funded art project using three case studies of Australian-based visual artists Kelly Doley, Agatha Gothe-Snape and Nigel Helyer. Each of these artists has recently received new work grants from the Australia Council for the Arts. Notions relating to definitions of creativity are explored. We conclude that while public funding can impact on the creative process of the funded projects, the (in)ability to access funding does not necessarily impact on the motivations to continue practicing art.