Creative Strategy funding to aid Bendigo's Arena Theatre Company over four years.

The group will finally see its popular production Robot Song return to the Bendigo stage and is re-connecting with schools for face-to-face programs.

Assisting Arena is $760,000 of state government funding over the next four years. The company is one of 113 Victorian organisations to share in $85 million of Creative Strategy funding.

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It is hoped the multi-year investment will aid the the recovery of the state's creative industries, increase equity and inclusion in the sector, and create new art and jobs.

Arena executive director Sharon Custers welcomed the funding.

"This funding is essentially the support that gives us the confidence to hire staff and continue doing the work we do for four years," she said.

"We've had quite a lot of success with government grants as well as the support from the local community. We raised a significant amount last year in donations and that has kept us going the whole time and is why we can come back."

Arena artistic director Christian Leavesley said the funding was essential to the company.

"It's fundamental because it takes two or three years to make anything of scale from beginning to end," he said.

"Eighteen months to two years is a small thing. So we can really plan for some complex, interesting projects and do research we need to do with the community.

"We can now spend time with young people to make sure they are interested in the work we are making for them."

Arena will begin a residency with California Gully Primary School next week.

"It's being done with local artists and is part of a program we have done with Tongala and various other schools," he said.

"It's great to do it so close to home.

"It is based around the themes of belonging and Country and has us working with Aboriginal artist Annie Brigdale and others."

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Robot Song will return to Bendigo in May after being postponed several times between 2020 and 2021.

"It's the first Bendigo event we have this year and is a return by popular demand," Ms Custers said. "A lot of people missed it in 2018 because we had just arrived.

"In that time it has travelled all around the country. But (this year's dates) have already sold more than 1000 tickets. We have added an extra show for the general public, which is now our opening night on May 4."

The augmented reality project Hidden Creatures will visit other areas of Victoria this year and Arena's virtual reality project Heart VR will return this year. The company also plans to unveil its next major project later in the year.

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