Margie Fischer

South Australian-based Margie Fischer has recently become involved in philanthropy, using the Australia Cultural Fund to make her most significant contribution.

Margie is able to give philanthropically because of the hard work, energy and vision of her Austrian Jewish parents Alois and Marianne Fischer who came to Australia in the 1950s from China, where they lived for 10 years after escaping the Holocaust.

Margie has a long record of engagement with communities and the arts, as a writer, performer, producer, director and avid community cultural development worker. For this enduring commitment to the arts she was awarded the Ros Bower Memorial Award in 1996, given by the Australia Council for the Arts’ community cultural development board.

Margie is originally from Sydney where she was part of the ground-breaking cultural development company Pipi Storm in the 1970s and 80s. Margie moved to Adelaide in 1983 where she co-founded and directed the Adelaide-based theatre company Vitalstatistix, which later became the National Women’s Theatre. Margie later became co-artistic director of Adelaide’s inaugural FEAST festival in 1997, a position she held until 2002.

In 2006, Artsupport Australia had an introductory meeting with Margie to discuss her interests and how Artsupport Australia could help her find the best prospects for long-term giving partnerships. By drawing on the expertise of the Australia Council for the Arts, Artsupport Australia could research and propose a shortlist of several arts options for her consideration.

The Ananguku Arts and Culture Aboriginal Corporation (KU Arts) was selected by Margie to be a recipient of a $35,000 grant per year for 3 years, totalling $105,000. The funded project will provide mentorship for four Anangu women in business/office administration, all of whom have already completed initial TAFE training and participated in the Commonwealth Government’s Indigenous Women’s Leadership Program. The project has the long-term aim of employing two women at the Ernabella Arts Centre. There are currently no Anangu people employed full-time at arts centres in their region, and this important ground-breaking project will start in September 2007.

As KU Arts did not have deductible gift recipient status (DGR) when Margie made her philanthropic donation, she was able to receive a tax deduction for her gift by channelling it through the Australian Cultural Fund.