Footscray Community Arts is an arts precinct dedicated to sharing stories. We believe artists and communities need to be at the centre of the conversation. As we continued to navigate the ongoing impacts of a global pandemic in 2022, we were proud to continue to engage, platform and learn from artists who are critically thinking about a future that is equitable, humane and inclusive. A theme of 2022 was relationships; connections we deepened, new partnerships forged, and exploring the relationships between ideas through our artistic program. After four years of research, consultation and advocacy, we secured $8.7 million in investment via the Victorian State Government in May 2022. This visionary investment will allow us to move ahead with Stage 1 of our ambitious Precinct Plan, which will bolter our capacity to deliver accessible and highquality events for years to come. This investment is the result of deep collaboration and a shared vision for the West by State Government and our partners at Maribyrnong City Council. We look forward to collaborating with these partners, and our community to deliver this project. Footscray Community Arts became the official arts partner of the New Footscray Hospital commencing a 3year relationship with Plenary to connect community through creativity on the largest single health infrastructure investment in Victoria s history. Neighbourhood Contemporary Arts Festival drew on the spirit of solidarity in Melbourne s western suburbs. Together with local artists, venues and partners we drew in over 20,000 audience members in a oneoff 18day celebration of contemporary community engaged art. Building relationships with communities involves creating connections and trust. We were welcomed by our Indigenous Elders in our longstanding Wominjeka Festival celebrating First Nations culture and ceremony. We forged relationships with Vietnamese diaspora through Hoang Tran Nguyen s House of the Mother Tongue and local African diaspora through a partnership with VicHealth. Our team learnt the basics of Auslan to help welcome the Deaf community presenting and attending What I Wish I d Told You by Chelle Destefano and Claire Bridge. We collaborated across the shores across South Asia, Japan, Singapore and Canada through a range of initiatives throughout the year. Our artist development programs supported 82 artists in 2022 providing emerging artists with the necessary resources, guidance, and mentorship to hone their craft and establish their careers in the industry.