State Library announces recipients of $150,000 in fellowships

At the State Library today the recipients of the 2010 Creative Fellowship program and R E Ross Trust Playwrights' Script Development Awards were announced.

This year $150,000 will be distributed between 11 fellows who will make scholarly, literary or creative use of the Library's rich collections. A further $30,000 will be distributed to four Victorian based playwrights as recipients of the R E Ross Trust Playwrights' Script Developments Awards which support the development of plays as works-in-progress.

The Creative Fellowship program fosters the creation of new works based on research of State Library collections. Since 2003 the State Library of Victoria's Creative Fellowship program has provided $1.39 million in funding to over 80 Australian writers, academics, artists, composers and researchers, allowing them to undertake extended periods of concentrated work with State Library collections. Fellows are also provided office space within the Library to work on their projects.

Anne-Marie Schwirtlich, Chief Executive Officer and State Librarian says the Creative Fellowship program demonstrates the strong commitment of the State Library of Victoria and its fellowship partners to original scholarship, writing and creative endeavour.

'The Creative Fellowships provide financial support, time, space and access to the Library collections and staff, all important ingredients for a healthy creative environment. This suite of fellowship is only made possible with the funding support of the State Library of Victoria Foundation and the generosity of our fellowship partners. We are very grateful for their support,' Ms Schwirtlich said.

The State Library creative fellowships are funded through a grant from the State Library Foundation. They are awarded by the Library Board of Victoria on the recommendation its creative fellowships committee.