Local production company Cocoa And Butter Productions have received an early Christmas gift after taking out the December round of the #GreaterIllawarra community funding program.
For winning this month’s community vote, Cocoa And Butter Productions will receive a financial boost of $2,000, which they plan to use to grow their business and fan base while supporting local performers and artists.
Cocoa And Butter Productions is the passion project of local performers Malika Elizabeth and Diana McLaren who began performing together in 2017. With a desire to support other performers and artists, their profit-sharing business is founded on the idea of creating a supportive performance environment that encourages diversity of performers and performances.
They are currently running three shows including She’ll Be Right, All Good and No Worries, splitting any profits made with their performers to ensure artists are supported at every level and never left out of pocket.
According to Diana McLaren, Cocoa and Butter Productions Co-Founder, winning the #GreaterIllawarra funding allows them to continue their support of local artists.
“As a profit-sharing production company, we never have a huge surplus so surviving the live performance shutdown this year was hard. We're back now and trying to support as many artists as possible, so winning the #GreaterIllawarra funding round makes a huge difference.
“This year, we’ve not only lost a lot of work and money but also the chance to perform and develop our shows. It’s a pleasure to be able to use this funding to further grow and support our local performers and artists,” she said.
Also benefiting from this month’s funding round are Wollongong & District Kennel Club and Lake Illawarra Athletics Association who each received a $500 grant to put towards their operational costs.
Greater Bank’s Regional Manager, Greg Creagan, said it was great to finish the year by supporting an organisation that provides work for local performers and artists who have been hit hard by social distancing restrictions.
“We continue our commitment to supporting the communities that support us and this is a great example of how a small but generous funding contribution can go a long way towards providing a local production company with much needed financial support,” said Mr Creagan.
The January round of the #GreaterIllawarra program is now open until 5pm on Wednesday 27 January 2021 with Grace Church Shellharbour, Serbian Folkloric Group "Srbija" and Silversword Fencing Academy all vying for a share in the $3000 funding.