As part of an ongoing partnership, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and Meta Australia have run the Mardi Gras Parade Viewing Events Grants program throughout the pandemic; an initiative to support hospitality venues, small businesses, and LGBTQIA+ artists and performers around Australia.
The past two years has been especially tough on small businesses and the arts, Mardi Gras and Meta Australia brought back these grants specifically to support these sectors while enabling people all over Australia to celebrate Mardi Gras at live, COVID-safe events. The program has directly employed over 450 artists, creatives, hospitality staff and event coordinators, attracting over 6,500 patrons to venues impacted by the pandemic across the country.
It is vital that community empowerment and uplifting queer voices sits at the heart of Meta’s work with Mardi Gras, as it has for ten years of partnership.
