Footscray-based organisation appeals for funding after Creative Victoria grant declined
His giant puppets have shocked, dazzled and entertained millions of people around the world, but one of Melbourne’s best-known arts institutions may soon disappear.
Footscray-based non-profit Snuff Puppets, which depicts goats, puppies and babies as well as exploring dark themes such as species extinction, faces doom after the state government withdraws funding.
Founder and CEO Andy Freer says he is “devastated” that Creative Victoria’s 34-year-old organization has refused to renew its long-running Creative Enterprises Programme’s $112,000 annual grant.
Freer says the $40,000 annual grant Snuff Puppets receives from the Maribyrnong Council is not enough to fund the company’s operations. If the white knight cannot be found, the company may have to close.
“I feel personally rejected,” Freer said. “I’ve been with friends since the beginning, so it feels personal.
“It’s been a great journey but it doesn’t feel like the right time to stop, we’re still reaching the top.”
Freer is proud of Snuff Puppets’ work ethic, which has seen them build and perform puppets with locals everywhere from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Brazil. A video called Human Body Parts in London has been viewed 160 million times on YouTube.
The Melbourne East African Women’s Foundation said in a statement on Facebook that the loss of funding for Snuff Puppets was devastating for many communities in Melbourne’s west and called on the Victorian government to reconsider.
Members of the Somali community have been working with Snuff Puppets since 2021, the foundation said. “Our stories were shared and our youth connected with their culture in creative and fun ways,” the foundation said.
Snuff Puppets is seeking new funding Including appeal for tax deductible donationsValid when Creative Victoria’s six-month bridging grant ends in June.
If Snuff Puppets folds, the 500 puppets stored in their headquarters, the historic Footscray Drill Hall, could be sold or thrown away, Freer said.
But he is more concerned about the hundreds of artists who will lose their jobs and opportunities. “A lot of artists started with us,” Freer said.
Most of the revenue from Snuff Puppets concerts is paid to the artists, Freer said.
A state government spokesman said the Creative Enterprises Program had supported 81 organisations, including 10 for the first time, such as the L2R Next Generation dance program in Footscray. The funding process was highly competitive and the final round reflected the need to be more fair and diverse.
According to the government, Snuff Puppets are eligible to apply to other Creative Victoria programmes.
Freer said: “We understand the need for renewal and the emergence of younger, new companies. [However]Working with various cultural organisations, we represent this practice of excellence that meets all criteria, [a] a very diverse pool of artists.”
Snuff Puppets are often provocative, Freer said. “We don’t just make puppets for children. We want to show stories of taboo subjects like sex, death and corruption.”
The company’s name reflects that years ago they sometimes used fire in shows and puppeteers joked that it could be destroyed or destroyed as well.
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