Set up under the City of Greater Bendigo, the program will provide opportunities for creatives to maintain and grow their skills along with offering support to those who have been unable to work during the pandemic.

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The paid creative positions will run for up to three months at the City, Coliban Water, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Bendigo Pottery and The Emporium Creative Hub.

Caitlin Royce will be one of the creatives undertaking a residency at Coliban Water.

Originally from northern NSW, Royce arrived in Bendigo in her mid-20s to pursue art studies at La Trobe University.

Royce, a multi-disciplinary creative and researcher who creates works through the exploration of archives, scientific data and possible connections between human and non-human life.

"This program has provided an opportunity for myself and four others to sustain and grow our creative practice as well as develop relationships outside of the arts with originations unique to the City of Bendigo," she said.

"I feel extremely fortunate to be working and collaborating with Coliban Water on this project to deliver an artwork that maps the significance of Greater Bendigo's historical waterways by researching its layered history."

Royce said her aim will be to map Greater Bendigo's historical waterways through moving image, photography and sound to produce digital installations.

"(I will) research as much as possible about the waterways, past and present, and use this information to create experimental narrative based works," she said.

"I have been looking through archives and am about to start doing site visits with Coliban Water to collect footage. I am hoping that I will be able to show the work as an installation somewhere local towards the end of the year."

The other four artists include Kathy Holowko, Mia McAuslan, Kerry Punton and Bailey Bish.

City of Greater Bendigo's acting director strategy and growth Andrew Cooney said creative professionals had been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions and lockdowns.

"The program has been designed to nurture Greater Bendigo's talent providing time, space, mentorship, financial support and professional development for the creation of new work," he said.

"The City's Greater CREATIVE Bendigo strategy identified a need to grow partnerships between the creative and business sectors.

"Creatives can stimulate creative design thinking, promote positive organisational culture and assist business to connect with their communities in unique and innovative ways."

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Royce said she felt excited and honoured to be in the program.

She said these programs are essential to assist and support creatives during COVID-19.

"Not only do they fund the making of considered and significant artworks and research that allow us to continue our careers, they foster ongoing interdisciplinary and community based relationships," she said.

"My peers and I in The Arts have experienced immense and ongoing disappointment over the past year, and these kinds of programs offer hope and support.

"It demonstrates the possibilities for developing art on a local level and that needs to be a focus in the contemporary moment."

For information on the residencies, head to https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/creative-residency.

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