Internationale Tanzmesse NRW

Apply for support to attend the largest international professional gathering for contemporary dance.

Urban Dance Day at internationale tanzmesse nrw 2018. Photo credit Dmitrij Matvejev.

About the opportunity

Tanzmesse is the largest international professional gathering for contemporary dance. Taking place every two years, the event is attended by up to 2,000 international exhibitors and visitors, and is an important forum for exchange, knowledge transfer and networking.

Creative Australia will support a delegation to attend this event and will have a booth in the Exhibition Space. We also welcome any Australian artists and companies attending on a self-funded basis to join the delegation and any related networking activities.

You can find more details on the event on Tanzmesse’s website. You may also be interested in viewing the recording of APAM’s The Future of Market Platforms Series: Internationale Tanzmesse nrw conversation (from March 2022).

Applicants are encouraged to consider extending their time in the region to undertake additional market or professional development activities beyond Tanzmesse.

Other contemporary performing arts festivals and events taking place in Europe and the UK in August and September include:

August and September include:

 

Creative Australia will support delegates based in Australia with $5,000 and overseas-based Australian delegates with $2,500 towards the cost of travel to attend Tanzmesse. Delegates are responsible for all costs associated with attending the event including flights, visas, travel insurance, accommodation, and registration.

If you have been selected to showcase work in Tanzmesse’s official program, you can apply for support through the International Touring and Presentation Fund.

If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer, or support worker assistance. Please contact us to discuss your specific needs.

Who can apply

This opportunity is for dance artists and/or producers working independently or within organisations.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply for this grant if:

  • you have an overdue grant report
  • you owe money to Creative Australia
  • your organisation receives investment through the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework
  • your organisation receives a combined total of more than $520,000 annually (per calendar year) through the Four Year Funding program, and/or the Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy funding from 2021 to 2024
  • you have applied to the Tuesday 5 March 2024 closing date for the Arts Projects grant categories for the same activity.

Applicants are required to respond to the following assessment criteria:

  1. The impact of attendance at Tanzmesse in developing future international opportunities for your work.
  2. Demonstrated understanding of, and commitment to, the region and market.
  3. The timeliness of this opportunity and a demonstrated ability to plan and deliver on any international outcomes that may arise.

Your application will be reviewed by Creative Australia staff and industry advisers against the assessment criteria.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by mid-May 2024.

No support material is required for this application.

Frequently asked questions

No. You are not required to provide a budget with your application.

No. You are not required to provide support material with your application.

Creative Futures Fund

Us And All Of This by Liesel Zink. Photo by Mark Gambino

About the Fund

The Creative Futures Fund is an initiative of the National Cultural Policy – Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place referenced in the Policy as “Works of Scale”.

The Fund will support the creation and sharing of Australian stories, and new ways for people to engage with them.

The Fund is not a traditional grant program. It is a new way for Creative Australia to invest to support artistic works that build partnerships, drive engagement, and attract other sources of revenue and investment.

We are seeking great ideas that are genuinely innovative and unexpected. This includes new works and projects that may leverage existing intellectual property. The investment available is significant, but scalable depending on your ambition and context. We want to know what that investment will help you do, that might not otherwise be possible.

The fund will only support stories that are uniquely Australian, for example the intellectual property must be majority owned by Australian creatives, be an Australian concept, with subject matter relevant to contemporary Australia.

We will ask you to articulate what engagement means to you, your context and your artform – who you are planning to reach and connect with through this new work and how you plan to do this.

The Fund will be adaptive, responsive, and flexible to meet the needs of the sector. This investment will support all art forms and may change its emphasis over time.

In the first year of the Fund (2024/25) we will prioritise applications:

  • from organisations that demonstrate genuine and robust partnerships with artists and creative workers of calibre
  • that demonstrate how Creative Australia’s investment will leverage other sources of income
  • that leverage existing Australian work and intellectual property, capitalising on previous investments
  • that create new connections and partnerships in and outside the creative industries, and the public, commercial and private sectors
  • that support genuine innovation for artists, audiences, and communities.

For updates on the Creative Futures Fund, sign up here.

In this first cycle of the investment in 2024/25, two streams of investment will be offered to Australian organisations only. Organisations must be legally constituted and registered or created by law. Sole traders, unincorporated groups, and partnerships cannot apply.

Applications will be prioritised for those organisations who are genuinely working in partnership with a range of collaborators and artistic individuals.

  • Development Investment: This stream will support the development of new ideas, the adaptation of existing works, and/or allow you to test the market. Individual investments of between $50,000 – $250,000 will be negotiated
  • Delivery Investment: This stream will support the delivery of new works, including adaptation, building partnerships, securing co-investment, realising and sharing the work, and achieving impact. Individual investments of between $250,000 – $1,500,000 will be negotiated.

Please note that this is not a pipeline fund. Support for the Development Phase does not necessarily indicate ongoing support for the Delivery Phase in later rounds.

Applications to both investment streams will be accepted and assessed in two stages – an initial Expression of Interest, with a small number of organisations invited to submit a full application.

In selecting the final cohort of recipients, Creative Australia will curate a portfolio of creative works that may be varied in art form, geography, level of investment, outcome type and risk.

Creative Australia will negotiate bespoke investment agreements with successful applicants, reflecting the context of each application. This will include the level and scheduling of investment, special conditions, and financial / non-financial deliverables.

Activity Dates
Stage 1: Expressions of Interest open June 2024
Stage 1: Expressions of Interest close 6 August 2024
Stage 1: Notifications of outcomes and invitations to Stage 2 October 2024
Stage 2: Full Application round opens (invitation only) October 2024
Stage 2: Full Application round closes 3 December 2024
Stage 2: Notification of outcomes February 2025

 

Yes, they can. They will need to demonstrate why public investment is required for this development, and explain how financial dividends, if any, will be distributed.

Creative Australia may negotiate the right to recoup a portion of its investment from commercially successful projects.

Yes, they can. We accept different business units, departments, divisions or trading names (listed under the one parent entity ABN) as separate entities.

If two different departments exist for one organisation, then both departments can register separately. However, they cannot use more than one registration to edit and submit the same grant application or grant acquittal report.

Yes, they can.

No, only organisations are eligible to apply under this investment fund. You may wish to work with an organisation to develop a work, however they must be the applicant.

Priority will be given to applicants where there is a genuine collaboration and partnership with a range of artists, groups, or partners.

While we can support screen-based art, we do not solely support activities associated with short film, feature film, television or documentary or electronic games.

As per the eligibility, activities that develop, produce, promote and distribute Australian narrative (drama) and documentary screen content, that could be supported via Screen Australia, cannot apply to this investment fund.

Applicants should consider if there is funding overlap with Screen Australia and its allied state and territory equivalents and Games Investment steams. Requests for the same activities supported by other funds are ineligible.

Applicants should also note that investment support may come in different stages and for different components of their activities. Applicants should carefully consider what aspects of their projects require investment support and at what times.

Yes, you can. Please note your submission would be competing within a very competitive field of applications from arts organisations, commercial entities and those that work solely in the arts and culture sector. Applications from schools that are based on projects that mainly benefit the school and its grounds would not be competitive.

The industry advisors understand that it’s not possible to confirm every activity, partnership, source of co-funding or venue at the time that you apply at this initial Expression of Interest stage. However, if the advisors are deciding between two submissions of equal artistic merit, the application that has more activities and partnerships confirmed, may be more competitive.

If there are too many unconfirmed elements of your proposal, the advisors may question its alignment to this fund. If the artistic concept behind your project is still not sufficiently developed, you may not be ready to apply. The process of drafting your application will help you determine this.

As the applicant, it is your responsibility to demonstrate how the proposed activity differs from your usual developments. This may be via new partnerships, collaborations and artistic practices. We are seeking to support innovative proposals that expand Australians access to arts experiences.

Creative Australia is seeking to support, invest in and champion innovation through the following means:

  • Creativity: This may explore innovation in the creative content to be explored and realised over the duration of the development.
  • Connection and experimentation: The applicant may, for example, address elements of entrepreneurship and new ways of working. This may include how they will engage with new partners not typical for the applicant or diversify their income streams through co-investment models (e.g. commercial investments, new partners in philanthropy to support their work).

Concepts, ideas, developments and stories are terms we use interchangeably to describe the project or idea you want to develop and refine. Story can be expressed through a range of art forms and is not restricted to narrative based projects.

We are interested in great ideas that are ambitious, unexpected and reflect contemporary Australia.

As the organisational applicant, it is your responsibility to demonstrate how this activity is not a part of your ‘business as usual’ activities and you are essentially, extending your practice and approach.

You may be engaging with collaborators and partners as they have highly refined and established skill sets or artistic approaches that are unique, important and relevant to this development. These collaborators may not need to extend their usual practice.

If you are applying as a consortium, we would expect collaborators to show innovation.

Yes, this will become more relevant if your submission is invited to Stage 2 – Full Application. This is where industry advisors are analysing and assessing your budget and expenditure activities.

If this is a part of your concept outlined in your EOI, you will need to demonstrate its relevance to the development of your work.

This will become more relevant if your submission is invited to Stage 2, to submit a full application (see below).

Other income will vary depending on the type of project you are proposing for development. It should reflect the nature of your project, who is involved and the area of practice. Please consider the more you request, the greater the expectation that our investment leverages other cash income (be it philanthropy, earned, sponsorship etc).

Yes. Organisational administrative costs, including auspicing, should be reasonable and directly related to the project delivery. They should generally not exceed 10% of the total budget, although this will depend on the nature of the delivery of the project. If those costs are higher, your application may be less competitive.

Stage 1 is closed and not accepting applications.
The Australian Government is committed to this investment program and future iterations and new rounds will be announced in 2025.

Stage 1 Expressions of Interest (Feedback)

Industry advisors were impressed by the range of projects across art forms with elements of risk in the work. The strongest submissions:

  • showed a profound depth of practice and process
  • were well-written and easy to read, avoiding jargon or vague statements
  • told stories that were clear, powerful and demonstrated an urgency to share and present
  • addressed the two assessment criteria carefully and critically
  • discussed the innovation in the art or form, engagement with new partners or in communities scored more favourably against the alignment criterion
  • where appropriate, First Nations artist/s or the artistic leadership were clearly evident in the co-design of the proposal
  • where relevant, could demonstrate the links between the project and future engagement/audiences
  • confirmed partners that were well matched to the ambition of the project and indicated a collaboration that was mutually beneficial
  • provided a clear artistic vision and the ‘voices’ of the artistic team were present and instrumental to the delivery of the work
  • included details of the organisation and its work ensuring that Industry Advisors could see how the proposal differed from business-as-usual activities for the organisation
  • demonstrated exceptional artistic quality through engaging with artists of the highest calibre
  • provided support material such as biographies/CVs alongside evidence of previous developments or showings were also valued
  • provided compelling letters of support from stakeholders/communities/artists
  • included carefully curated support material to describe the organisation and illuminate the intention of the proposed artistic work.

Industry Advisors also noted the following:

  • Submissions that demonstrated connection to place and community, describing meaningful types of engagement were highly regarded.
  • Submissions that proposed working with targeted groups, such as the d/Deaf community or young people included permissions/endorsement for the work where their lived experience was clear.
  • While recognising business-as-usual may look different in a post-Covid world, advisors supported submissions where the application was ambitious, innovating away from their current practice and working in new ways. Advisors were less supportive of works that looked to be their usual business or programming.
  • Advisors were also interested in submissions where the applicant had demonstrated a life of the work beyond a presentation or engagement outcome.
  • If submissions are adapting existing works, a compelling explanation must be included. Do not assume that assessors have read the original work to know why it is an important story to adapt and share.

Watch our information session here and below.

Frequently asked questions

The Australian Government is committed to this investment program and future iterations and new rounds will be announced in 2025.

Future iterations of the fund have not yet been finalised and there may be variations and updates to these guidelines.

The assessment and moderation process can be found in the guidelines for the Stage 1: Expressions of Interest (EOI) under ‘Assessment’ which you can find on both the Development and Delivery investment stream page.

General feedback can be viewed on the Creative Futures Fund for both the Development and Delivery streams under ‘Stage 1 Expression of Interest (Feedback)’ on this page. Specific feedback on individual applications is not available.

Successful recipients of the fund will be published in early March 2025.

Only organisations were eligible to apply under this investment fund. We encouraged individuals to work with an organisation to develop a work, however the organisation must be the applicant.

Performing Arts Market in Seoul (PAMS)

Apply for support to attend this vibrant international performing arts market in Asia.

PAMS 2023 Salon Forum Ⓒ Courtesy of Performing Arts Market in Seoul (PAMS)

South Korea has a vibrant and diverse arts and culture scene that spans various art forms and disciplines. The Performing Arts Market in Seoul (PAMS) has been held in Seoul every October as a key Asian arts market for performing arts professionals domestically and internationally.  

With Hallyu’s (“Korean Wave”) rising influence on global culture, the Australian sector has been actively engaging with South Korea through touring, exchange, and market gathering at PAMS since pre-pandemic. In addition to Korean showcase programs PAMS Choice and Link, PAMS 2024 offers a platform for networking and information exchange with artists, presenters, promoters and producers through the PAMS Pitching, Salon, Booth, Speed Date and Night.   

Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS) will host PAMS 2024 from 8 to 11 October, at the National Theater of Korea, and the Seoul Namsan Gukakdang. PAMS 2024 is funded by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) Republic of Korea, and the Arts Council Korea (ARKO).  

Creative Australia will support a delegation to attend PAMS. We also welcome any Australian artists and companies attending on a self-funded basis to join the delegation and any related networking activities. 

You can find more details on the market on PAMS’ webpage. You may also be interested in reading Live from PAMS 2022 on the APAM website.

Applicants are encouraged to consider extending their time in the region to undertake additional market or professional development activities beyond PAMS. 

Other festivals and events taking place in North Asia in October include: 

Creative Australia will support delegates based in Australia with $3,000 and overseas-based Australian delegates with $1,500 towards the cost of travel to attend PAMS 2024. These delegates will be responsible for all costs associated with attending the event including flights, visas, insurance, accommodation, and registration.

If you have been selected for PAMS Pitching, or to showcase work in PAMS’ official program, you can apply for support through the International Touring and Presentation Fund. 

If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer, or support worker assistance. Please contact us to discuss your specific needs.

Who can apply 

  • Individuals, groups and organisations (including small businesses) may apply to this category. 

Who can’t apply 

You can’t apply for this grant if: 

  • you have an overdue grant report 
  • you owe money to Creative Australia. 
  • you have already applied to the Tuesday 5 March 2024 closing date for the Arts Projects grant categories for the same activity. 
  • your organisation receives investment through the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework 
  • your organisation receives a combined total of more than $520,000 annually (per calendar year) through the Four Year Funding program, and/or the Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy funding from 2021 to 2024.

Applicants are required to respond to the following assessment criteria:

  • The impact of attendance at PAMS in developing future international opportunities for your work.
  • Demonstrated understanding of, and commitment to, the region and market.
  • The timeliness of this opportunity and a demonstrated ability to plan and deliver on any international outcomes that may arise.

Your application will be reviewed by Creative Australia staff and industry advisers against the assessment criteria.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by May 2024.

No support material is required for this application.

Frequently asked questions

No. You are not required to provide a budget with your application.

No. You are not required to provide support material with your application.

Sir Robert William Askin Operatic Scholarship

Travelling scholarship to support the professional development of a man or male under 30 with outstanding ability and promise in opera singing.

About the Scholarship

The Sir Robert William Askin Operatic Scholarship was established by a Deed of Lady Mollie Askin to further culture and advance education in Australia by providing a travelling scholarship for Australian citizens with outstanding ability and promise in opera singing.

The scholarship is awarded biennially to a young man or male candidate who has outstanding ability and promise in opera singing. The scholarship is worth $30,000, payable in two instalments of $15,000 over two years.

The scholarships are administered by Creative Australia on behalf of Perpetual as trustee.

A list of previous recipients is available here.

Who can apply

Applications for the Sir Robert William Askin Operatic Scholarship are open to individual artists who identify as a man or male and are Australian citizens aged 18 – 29 at the closing date.

These are terms established by the Sir Robert William Askin Operatic Scholarship Trust. There are no exceptions to these requirements.

If you are an Australian citizen but will have difficulty providing a copy of a birth certificate, passport or citizenship certificate, please contact Artists Services.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply for a scholarship if:

  • you have an overdue grant report
  • you owe money to Creative Australia
  • you were previously awarded a Sir Robert William Askin Operatic Scholarship.

Scholarship funds can be used to assist with study programs, professional training courses and mentor programs that would not otherwise be obtainable due to lack of financial resources.

Scholarship proposals will be reviewed by Creative Australia staff. We may seek industry advice on your scholarship before making our recommendations to Perpetual, who will make the final decision.

The decision of Perpetual is final, and no feedback will be provided  on your application or the decision.

Your application will be assessed against two criteria:

  • the potential of the applicant
  • the viability of the proposal.

Scholarship applications are submitted through Creative Australia’s Application Management System (AMS).

Once logged into the AMS, click on ‘Apply for a Grant’ from the left panel menu. Scroll down the list of opportunities. Under ‘Co-Investment Opportunities’ select ‘The Sir Robert William Askin Operatic Scholarship’.

The type of questions we ask you in the application form include:

  • your name and contact details
  • your gender
  • confirmation that you are an Australian citizen
  • confirmation of your age
  • information about your practice, your professional experience and your career goals
  • the proposed aims and activities of your scholarship (names of teachers/institutions, travel plans, dates, etc.), and how your planned activities will assist your career
  • supporting material relevant to your proposal.

Additional material can be submitted to support your application. We will review support material to understand your artistic practice and viability of your proposal.

We do not accept support materials submitted via post. Application-related material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online, please contact Artists Services.

You can submit the following support material with your application:

1. Artistic support material

You may submit up to two URLs (web links). These URLs should be direct links to material that can include video, audio, images, and writing.

Please provide:

  • a direct link/URL to a video or audio recording of a performance.

2. Letters of support

You may include up to three letters of support or written references for you and your scholarship, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page. The letters should explain how the proposed scholarship will benefit you.

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks). However, if you cannot supply artistic support material via URL, we will accept artistic support material in the following formats:

      • video (MP4 and Windows Media)
      • audio (MP3 and Windows Media)
      • images (JPEG and PowerPoint)
      • written material (PDF).

Please note: Our assessors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access.

If you are linking to media files that are private or password protected like Vimeo, please provide the password in the password field on the application form.

To find out more about support material, including advice on how to get examples of your work online, please contact Artists Services.

International Travel Fund

$5,000 to $20,000 to support travel costs associated with attending key market development and cultural exchange platforms and gatherings.

Asia Topa 2020 Showcase The Seen & Unseen by Kamila Andini, Ida Ayu Wayan, Arya Satyani, Adena Jacobs, Eugyeene Teh, Jenny Hector. Image: Ifa Isfansyah

 

About the program

The International Travel Fund supports international travel costs associated with Australian artists, creative workers and organisations attending market development or key gatherings overseas.

Market development activities are those that enable applicants to promote, market, pitch, or sell works with a focus on entering or maintaining new or existing international markets.

The aims of the fund are to:

  • support international travel costs associated with individuals, groups or organisations to attend market development, key gatherings, events or opportunities overseas
  • enable support for Australian artists, creative workers and organisations to build and sustain international connections.

Applicants should consider when their travel activities will take place and plan in advance where possible.

Applicants can apply for flat rates of $5,000 or $10,000 or $15,000 or $20,000. Requests for other amounts will not be accepted.

Applications are accepted from:

  • Australian-based individuals
    Australian citizens living overseas are eligible. If your application is successful, you may be required to provide evidence of your Australian citizenship
  • Australian-based groups and organisations.

Applications from internationally based organisations are eligible, however international organisations must demonstrate the request benefits practicing Australian artists or creative workers, their work or Australian audiences.

  • open to individuals, groups and organisations, including small businesses
  • noting that recipients of Creative Australia’s Two-Year Investment for Organisations Pilots 2025-2026 and Four-Year investment for Organisations funding are eligible to apply
  • applicants can submit one (1) application per closing date. Note you cannot submit an individual application as well as a group or organisation application
  • art forms supported:
    • community arts and cultural development
    • dance
    • emerging and experimental arts
    • First Nations arts and culture
    • literature
    • music (excluding contemporary music as per Music Australia’s definition)
    • multi-art form
    • visual arts
    • theatre.
  • you are an internationally based individual artist or creative worker who is not an Australian citizen or permanent resident
  • you are an international individual, group or organisation seeking support for travel to Australia
  • you have already applied to this closing date under this grant category
  • you have already applied to an Arts Projects grant category for the same activity
  • you are an organisation and receive investment through the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework. Overseas organisations wanting to apply to work with a National Performing Arts Partnership Framework organisation are also ineligible
  • you have an overdue grant report to Creative Australia
  • you owe money to Creative Australia
  • you work in contemporary music. You must apply to the Export Development Fund from Music Australia.

Contemporary music, as defined by the Music Australia Council, is:

“Australian contemporary music is any genre or subgenre of music currently composed, written, produced by Australians and licensed, recorded, presented, and distributed through commercial and non-commercial activity. For the purposes of Music Australia’s initial investments, the focus will be on musical works that are new, original and relevant to contemporary Australia.”

You may apply for any and all costs associated with travel and attendance at confirmed international market development or key gatherings.

Eligible costs include but are not limited to:

  • fees for your time to attend the opportunity, (if wages are not covered by your organisation). We strongly advise you refer to and pay at, or above, industry standard rates
  • flights, accommodation, per diems and ground transport costs
  • travel insurance
  • visas
  • freight or baggage costs
  • marketing, promotion and project management costs
  • costs associated with attendance at international book fairs
  • costs associated with attendance at events and activities associated with publication and promotion of literary, art fair or works in international markets
  • costs associated with conferences however, applicants must demonstrate the market development outcome/s
  • childcare, carer and access costs
  • tickets and/or registration costs to attend events
  • costs associated with reducing the environmental impact of your activity
  • access costs, see below.
  • travel costs that are for the same activity across other applications to Creative Australia
  • travel costs for professional development, international tours, showcases or presentations (apply to Arts Projects instead)
  • travel costs to participate in international exchange activities such as residencies, labs, and peer exchange models (apply to the International Engagement Fund instead)
  • travel that does not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists or creative workers
  • travel to events or activities that do not have a clearly-defined arts component
  • travel for events and activities that have already taken place
  • activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to the Creative Australia First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols
  • travel to attend contemporary music activities. You must apply to the Export Development Fund from Music Australia.

Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. This may include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. presentation or delivery activities using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are working with d/Deaf people or people with disability in your application, you may use funds for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance including travel costs. Please contact Artist Services to discuss your specific needs.

Your application must comply with the following protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involving contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Industry Advisors and Creative Australia staff with relevant experience will assess the applications against the assessment criteria listed below. Creative Australia staff will consider how the proposed activities align with the aims of the fund when making final decisions on submissions.

Applicants are required to nominate the art form expertise required to assess your submission.

Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what assessors may consider when assessing your application. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

Assessors will assess the quality of the applicants’ practice in the context of the opportunity.

They may consider:

  • the quality of your work, demonstrating your professional track record
  • the relevance of the planned activities and the significance of these on your ongoing development
  • realistic and achievable planning and resource use, including contingency and relevant plans for international travel to enable the proposed outcomes
  • where relevant, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to.

Assessors will assess the expected impact or outcome of the proposed activities for the applicant.

They may consider:

  • how the activity is relevant to the identified areas of practice and career development
  • the benefit and impact on career, artistic or cultural practice of the applicant
  • the potential to develop new markets, relationships or meet existing market demand
  • the extent to which the activity contributes to a sector that is accessible, inclusive and equitable
  • the capacity to strengthen skills and abilities of those involved.

Creative Australia staff will consider how the proposed activities align to the aims of the fund when making final decisions on submissions.

They may also consider:

  • capacity of the applicant to deliver on the proposed outcomes
  • supporting diversity across investment streams, timelines, activities, art forms, geography, representation, audiences and risk, how the activity supports the development of artists and their works in international markets.

Applications must be submitted via Creative Australia’s Application Management System.

If you are registering to use the System for the first time, make sure you register well before the closing date. It can take up to two business days to process your registration.

The types of questions we ask in the application form include:

  • how you would like your application to be assessed (art form expertise).
  • a summary of your proposal.
  • a description of the international activities and how it meets the assessment criteria:
    • Quality: Tell us about your creative practice in relation to this opportunity
    • Impact: Tell us about the opportunity, possible partners and why this is important for your ongoing development as an artist/creative worker or as an organisation
  • Activity details including dates and locations
  • Supporting material as relevant to your project, including examples of your work, CVs or bios, invitations, and letters of support or permission from participants, communities, First Nations organisations, and Elders where relevant.

Additional material must be submitted to support your application. We will review support material to understand your artistic practice, quality and impact of your proposal. Do not assume that those who are reading your submission, know your work or experience and consider this when deciding what should be included.

We strongly recommend you curate your support material to be relevant, targeted and easily accessible.

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is targeted and relevant to your submission.

Assessors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to applications or documents that require users to log in or pay for access.

If you are linking to sites or files that are private or password protected, please provide the password in the password field on the application form.

You can provide up to 3 URLs and 3 file uploads.

You can include a maximum of:

  • 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording, and/or
  • 10 images as a single PDF, and/or
  • 10 pages of written material (for example, CVs/bios and letters of support/invitation or confirmation, promotional plans).

If you provide material that exceeds these limits it may not be reviewed as a part of the assessment process.

If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:

  • video (MP4, Windows Media)
  • audio (MP3, Windows Media)
  • images (JPEG, PowerPoint)
  • written material (Word, PDF).

We do not accept support material submitted via post. Support material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online or need advice on what type of material to submit, please contact Artist Services.

Learn more about support material via the Creative Australia website.

  1. Creative/artistic and cultural support material

This should include relevant, recent examples of your creative or cultural work and/or the services you provide using the formats identified above.

Information should be presented as a single document and not exceed the collective total of no more than 10 pages of written material, see above.

  1. Biographies and CVs

You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in your project.

Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document and not exceed the collective total of no more than 10 pages of written material, see above.

  1. Information about the international opportunity

This could include background information on the opportunity you wish to participate in. You may wish to include direct weblinks to the event/schedule of the program.

  1. Letters of support, invitation or confirmation

Individuals, groups or organisations can write letters in support of your project. A support letter should explain how the project or activity will benefit you, other artists or arts professionals, participants or the broader community. It can also detail the support, co-investment (financial or in-kind) or involvement of key project partners, or evidence of consultation.

If relevant to your activity, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information.

You may wish to include evidence of presenting venues or invitation or attendance to confirm your involvement. Each letter should include confirmation of any invitations, partners fees or contributions to the activity, whether cash or in-kind, if relevant.

Written information should be presented as a single document and not exceed the collective total of no more than 10 pages, see above.

If relevant to your application, evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities and Elders must be provided. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information.

Frequently asked questions

This fund covers many art forms and sectors. Individuals who may wish to apply to the fund could include artists, curators, producers, presenters and literary agents, rights managers and publishers, authors, illustrators and tour managers.

If you have applied as an individual, you are unable to also apply as a part of a group or organisation’s submission.

Applications will be assessed by Industry Advisors and Creative Australia staff. Assessments will also incorporate a moderation process before final decisions are made. This moderation will include the Heads of Practice and the International team.

The assessment team will also consider the suitability of each request in relation to the art form. An example of this may include the literature sector where applicants are encouraged to plan a suite of activities rather than attendance at a single event. This may include literary festivals or promotional opportunities.

International Engagement Fund

$5,000 to $30,000 for creative collaboration and development, cultural exchange and reciprocal activities.

Rainbow Chan, The Bridal Lament, 2022, Image courtesy of the artist.

 

About the program

The International Engagement Fund supports Australian artists and creative workers to undertake reciprocal exchange projects with confirmed international partners. This includes creative collaboration and development; cultural exchange and knowledge sharing; labs and practice-exchange models.

Activities can take place in-person, online, or in a combination of in-person and online (hybrid).

International organisations working with Australian artists or creative workers are eligible to apply.

Only one application can be made to this category per closing date.

Funding amounts are available between $5,000 to $30,000.

Applications must meet at least one of Creative Australia’s International Engagement Strategy 2021–2025 priorities:

  • rethink and expand the concept of mobility through testing dynamic engagement models that include digital, hybrid and in-person connection
  • leverage technologies and digital platforms for creation, distribution, networking, and increasing discoverability of Australian work
  • activate borderless thinking to build reciprocal and multilateral partnerships across regions and industries, and leverage co-investment
  • strengthen First Nations exchange that is First Nations-led and self-determined
  • amplify Asia Pacific engagement, and the perspectives of the Asia Pacific diaspora in Australia
  • diversify income and revenue streams to foster sustainable careers and business models by increasing access to markets, information and networks and showcase Australian work to global audiences and influencers
  • foster creative risk-taking, experimentation and innovation in creation, distribution, connection and profile-building
  • centre equity and access and reflect Australia’s diversity
  • embed sustainability through research and investment in best-practice models and frameworks to minimise the sector’s carbon footprint.

Supported activities must last no longer than two years from the proposed start date.

Please read through the following grant guidelines.

If you need advice about applying, contact an Artists Services Officer.

Community arts and cultural development, dance, emerging and experimental arts, First Nations arts and culture, literature, multi-artform, visual arts, theatre, and music.

This excludes contemporary music, defined by the Music Australia Council as:

“Any genre or subgenre of music currently composed, written, produced by Australians and licensed, recorded, presented, and distributed through commercial and non-commercial activity. For the purposes of Music Australia’s initial investments, the focus will be on musical works that are new, original and relevant to contemporary Australia.”

Music Australia has established an Export Music Development Fund for those artists working in contemporary music. Details to those three funding categories can be found here:

  1. Performance and Touring Activity
  2. Professional and Artistic Development
  3. Market and Audience Development
  • Eligible applicants include Australian artists, and creative workers who do not work in contemporary music (as defined above).
  • You can only submit one application to each closing date for the International Engagement Fund.
  • Individuals, groups and organisations (including small businesses) may apply to this category.
  • International organisations can apply for projects that benefit practicing Australian artists or creative workers, their work or Australian audiences.

You can’t apply for a grant if:

  • you have already applied to this closing date for the International Engagement Fund
  • you have already applied to the 3 September 2024 closing date for the Arts Projects grant categories for the same activity
  • you have an overdue grant report
  • you owe money to Creative Australia
  • you receive, or are working with an organisation that receives, investment through the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework
  • you work in contemporary music (as defined above). You must apply to the Export Development Fund from Music Australia.

You may apply for costs associated with creative collaboration and development; cultural exchange and knowledge sharing; research, experimentation, scoping and prototyping activities; and reciprocal relationship-building activities such as residency exchanges, labs and peer exchange models.

Activities may take place in-person, online, or a combination of in-person and online (hybrid activities).

Eligible costs include but are not limited to:

  • artist and creative worker fees. You may refer to industry benchmarks set by the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA), and the Australian Society of Authors (ASA), etc
  • flights, accommodation, per diems, ground transport costs
  • travel insurance
  • visas
  • freight or baggage costs
  • production expenses
  • marketing, promotion and project management costs
  • childcare, carer and access costs
  • costs associated with reducing the environmental impact of your activity.

Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Budgets may include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Please contact Artists Services to discuss your specific needs.

You can’t apply for:

  • costs that duplicate from the same activity across other current applications to Creative Australia
  • international activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists or creative workers
  • international activities without international partners
  • international activities that do not have a clearly-defined arts component
  • international activities that have already taken place
  • activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to Creative Australia First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols
  • travel to attend contemporary music activities. You must apply to the Export Development Fund from Music Australia

Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Industry Advisors will assess your application against the published assessment criteria. Creative Australia staff will moderate the assessment.

You must respond to all three selection criteria: viability, impact and strategic focus.

Listed under each criterion are points the assessors may consider when reviewing your application.

Assessors will consider whether your activity is feasible. Some ways to consider viability are listed below. You do not need to respond to every bullet point.

  • The relevance and timeliness of the proposed project.
  • The skills and abilities of those involved, and their relevance to the project.
  • Realistic and achievable planning and resource use, including contingency plans.   
  • Evidence of other sources of income or co-funding, such as earned income, grants, sponsorship and/or in-kind contributions.
  • Well-researched and rationalised activity, particularly if this is your first engagement with an international market.
  • Extent of sustainable practices, multiple engagements and/or slow touring or concept touring, where the idea, process, or work travels but the artist does not.  
  • Appropriate payments to participating artists, creative professionals, collaborators, participants, or cultural consultants.   
  • Measures being applied to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the project.   
  • Measures being applied to ensure the proposed activity is accessible.   
  • Where relevant to the project, evidence that the protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to, or the relevant cultural protocols for the international jurisdiction in which you are working.   
  • Evidence of appropriate consultation with participants, audiences or communities.   
  • Confirmation of the role of partners or collaborators, including any income and co-funding, such as earned income, grants, sponsorship and in-kind contributions.    

Assessors will consider the impact of your activity. Some ways to consider impact are listed below. You do not need to respond to every bullet point.

  • The extent to which this activity develops an international market or relationship for, or enhances international networks, audiences, and profile.
  • The contribution of the activity towards re-imagining the future for international engagement in the cultural and creative industries.
  • The extent to which the activity contributes to a sector that is accessible, inclusive and equitable.

Assessors will consider how your activity aligns with one or more of the strategic priorities identified in our International Engagement Strategy 2021–2025.

You must respond to one or more of the bullet points listed below.

  • Rethink and expand the concept of mobility through testing dynamic engagement models that include digital, hybrid and in-person connection.
  • Leverage technologies and digital platforms for creation, distribution, networking, and increase discoverability of Australian work.
  • Activate borderless thinking to build reciprocal and multilateral partnerships across regions and industries, and leverage co-investment.
  • Strengthen First Nations exchange that is First Nations-led and self-determined.
  • Amplify Asia Pacific engagement, and the perspectives of the Asia Pacific diaspora in Australia.
  • Diversify income and revenue streams to foster sustainable careers and business models by increasing access to markets, information and networks and showcase Australian work to global audiences and influencers.
  • Foster risk-taking, experimentation and innovation in creation, distribution, connection and profile-building.
  • Centre equity and access and reflect Australia’s diversity.
  • Embed sustainability through research and investment in best-practice models and frameworks to minimise the sector’s carbon footprint.

The types of questions we ask in the application form include:

  • a title for your project
  • a summary of your project
  • a brief description of the individual/group/organisation applying
  • an outline of your project and what you want to do
  • a timetable or itinerary for your project
  • a description of the outcome your project delivers
  • a projected budget which details the expenses, income, and in-kind support of the project
  • supporting material as relevant to your project, including examples of your work, bios of additional artists, and letters of support or permission from participants, communities, First Nations organisation, and Elders.

You should submit support material with your application. The Industry Advisors may review this support material to help them gain a better sense of your project.

We do not accept application-related support material submitted via post. Application-related material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online, or need advice on what type of material to submit, please contact Artists Services.

There are three types of support material you may submit:

1. Artistic support material

This should include relevant, recent examples of your artistic or cultural work, or the services you provide.

Types of support material we accept

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).

You can provide up to three URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. This may include video, audio, images, or written material.

These URLs can include a total of:

  • 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording
  • 10 images
  • 10 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of literary writing).

Please note: Our industry advisors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access.

If you are linking to media files that are private or password protected like Vimeo, please provide the password in the password field on the application form.

Other accepted file formats

If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:

  • video (MP4 and Windows Media)
  • audio (MP3 and Windows Media)
  • images (JPEG and PowerPoint)
  • written material (Word and PDF).

2. Biographies and CVs

You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in your project.

Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document no longer than two A4 pages in total.

3. Letters of support

Individuals, groups or organisations can write letters in support of your project. A support letter should explain how the project or activity will benefit you, other artists or arts professionals, participants or the broader community. It can also detail the support or involvement of key project partners, or evidence of consultation.

If relevant to your activity, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information.

You can include up to five letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.

Please provide a single link to all letters or scan the letters into one PDF file. 

There were 170 eligible applications; 26 applications were funded.

From Monday 6 January 2025, you can use our online grants database to see the list of funded applications.

You can review the guidelines for the opportunity on our website.

Although there is no specific feedback on applications, the industry advisors provided some general feedback on applications to this round below which you may find helpful.

General feedback on applications to this round:

  • competitive applications had a reciprocal international exchange component
  • competitive applications clearly articulated the rationale, outcomes, and/or the longevity of a proposed international partnership, exchange or engagement
  • proposals that demonstrated community engagement, long-term relationship building, and deeper connection beyond a one-off activity were generally more compelling
  • the strongest applications demonstrated deeper thinking around international engagement as well as finding new ways of working, including innovative uses of technology
  • residencies where there was no reciprocity (i.e. an international artist coming to Australia as well as an Australian artist travelling overseas) were uncompetitive
  • the strongest proposals provided evidence of confirmed activities and project partners and provided strong letters of support
  • applications that articulated the timeliness and relevance of the activity were more competitive, as well as those that demonstrated their viability through detailed and thorough planning and an effective use of resources
  • applications that did not provide a detailed breakdown of the budget, appropriate payments to artists and cultural consultants, and confirmed income from other sources did not score as highly
  • proposals that articulated a clear rationale for why they were engaging with the country or region were more competitive
  • where First Nations artists, creative workers or communities were involved in a project, successful applications demonstrated that the activity was self-determined and First Nations led, and complying with the Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts.

Createch: Digital Enterprise Program

We’re funding coaching for digital creative enterprises in partnership with industry leaders, REMIX Summits.

Photo credit: Culture Vault

Watch our info session

Remix Summits, Creative Australia and previous program alumni answer your questions about applying for and participating in Createch.

Watch here

About the program

We are collaborating with REMIX to support for a cohort of creative entrepreneurs. The program will help you scale a digital innovation project or creative business and is open to individuals, groups or organisations.

Alongside REMIX, Createch is co-facilitated by Tara McKenty, the Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Executive Creative Director at BMF Australia. 

You will receive 24 hours of consultancy and seed funding to support the development of your digital enterprise.   

The program will run from March 2025 – June 2025. Full dates and program activities are detailed below. 

We are seeking people with an existing track record who would benefit from consulting and support from experienced creative entrepreneurs and industry specialists. 

The goal of this program is to provide you with access to REMIX’s consulting to give you the highest likelihood of success. Outcomes will be tailored to your needs, but may include: 

  • coaching and strategic advice around the development of your project 
  • expert advice and strategic reviews to identify challenges and opportunities 
  • planning for investment 
  • planning your technical or project roadmap 
  • global trend analysis and insights to assist your project development 
  • introductions to potential investors 
  • introductions to potential partners and collaborators who can grow and expand your idea/s. 

In addition to 24 hours of bespoke consulting, you will become part of a unique peer community made up of Australia’s leading creative innovators. You will also attend REMIX Summit Sydney in June 2025 to network and exchange with peers. 

As part of the program you will receive $5000 seed funding at the program mid-point in April 2025 to help towards scaling your business, developing new technologies or piloting new products/programs.  

The consultancy hours with REMIX will include guidance on the use of the seed funds to best support your project to the next level. You will need to present a short pitch outlining how the funds will be used, at the mid-point workshop. Seed funds will be granted following a successful pitch. 

REMIX has worked with some of the world’s greatest cultural institutions, technologists, funding bodies and creative businesses to apply its global market intelligence. It helps clients respond to disruptive new trends – redefining services, rethinking business models and creative experiences to find innovative ways to unlock additional revenue streams and engage new audiences. Clients have included Tate, the National Gallery (UK), State Library Victoria, ACMI, Melbourne Arts Precinct, Saatchi Gallery, and the Houses of Parliament (UK).

For further information and case studies please see here.

Co-facilitator: Tara McKenty 

Tara McKenty is the Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Executive Creative Director at BMF Australia.

She started her career at TBWA in Aotearoa/New Zealand before heading to Saatchi & Saatchi in Sydney, Australia then moving to Google where she held multiple roles and lead teams that ignited love in the Google brand through creativity. One of Tara’s most notable career achievements to date was founding Rare with Google: an initiative that provides equitable opportunities for underrepresented creatives. 

Tara led a project with client OPSM that was named the most effective marketing campaign in the world by the WARC 100 in 2016 and continues to disrupt the status quo and has won over two hundred awards during her advertising rebellion including D&AD pencils, Cannes Lions, Grand Prix’s, and Best in Shows. 

The program will run from 10 March – 27 June 2025.

You will:

  • receive 24 hours of bespoke consulting delivered online by REMIX co-founders Peter Tullin & Simon Cronshaw and an additional program facilitator
  • receive $5000 seed funding at the program mid-point in April 2025 to help towards scaling your business, developing new technologies or piloting new products/programs
  • Attend three online cohort workshops with other participants featuring presentations from digital innovators and disruptors:

Orientation Workshop: 9am-12pm AEST, Tuesday 11 March 2025 (Online)
Mid-Point Workshop: 9-11am AEST, Tuesday 15 April 2025 (Online)
Final Workshop: 9-11am AEST, Thursday 26 June 2025 (Online)

  • have access to digital REMIX resources, including talks and the Business of Culture course, supporting those working in the creative industries to develop new revenue streams and audiences
  • attend REMIX Summit Sydney in-person on 12-13 June 2025. Travel and accommodation provided
  • become part of a unique peer community made up of Australia’s leading creative innovators.

This opportunity is open to arts-aligned/creative industries individuals, groups and organisations based in Australia that have: 

1) A proven track record with further potential for growth and/or impact 

Your project or organisation is getting traction; you can point to its positive reception and early growth or your expertise in a particular area. Now you are ready to grow it to the next level, for example through investment, introductions, strategic planning or advanced tech support. 

2) A digital or hybrid innovation that reimagines how the arts are experienced or supported 

You are a disrupter with an ability to imagine new opportunities for the arts sector, whether fully digital or hybrid. Innovations may come from the use of technology (e.g. immersive experiences using projection or free-roam VR) or innovations offering new or improved digital access to culture (e.g. new aggregation models, new creative platforms, gamification, creator economy, hybrid online/offline experiences, new digital content or new distribution channels). We’re also open to digital innovations that directly support the arts but don’t have a creative end product (e.g. new models for creative retail, funding or networks).

Applications will be reviewed by staff and industry advisors. Your application will be based on merit, response to the selection criteria below, and in line with our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Your application will be assessed on the: 

  • viability of the proposed project 
  • timeliness and relevance of the consulting opportunity to scale your project 
  • potential impact your project will have on the creative sector. 

Learn more about how we assess your application. 

​​To apply, you will need to answer the following questions:

  • ​Project title
  • ​Project description
  • How your project is getting traction. Describe how you have had a positive reception and early growth and why this opportunity is timely in terms of supporting the scaling of your project
  • ​Describe how you have been a disrupter with an ability to imagine new opportunities for the arts sector, whether fully digital or hybrid
  • ​Describe the potential impact of your project on the creative sector​.

A ‘project’ in this context can be a standalone creative enterprise or a program/business unit within a cultural organisation. It can be either for-profit or non-profit but must be digital or hybrid. It should be innovative in driving new audiences and/or revenues, and already be (or have the longer-term potential to become) financially sustainable. If it operates within a cultural organisation, at least one staff member should be assigned to the project as a component of their job function (so we have a clear lead to work with on the program).

A ‘disrupter’ is free from traditional assumptions about how creative and cultural experiences and content should look. They are the first to ask, ‘Why does it have to be done this way?’ and instead champion innovative new models and approaches. Disrupters forge their own paths, inventing bold new ways of engaging the general public with cultural content and experiences.

Some examples of potential ‘impacts’ are:

  • to set new standards for what digital and hybrid experiences look like in the creative sector
  • to create strategies, tools or platforms that other organisations could also benefit from
  • to redefine how audiences regard or engage with the creative and cultural sectors; rethinking audience demand, consumption and involvement.

You will own the intellectual property rights in any material you bring to the program and/or create through your participation in this program. Notwithstanding this, you give us permission to use and communicate any material you submit to us as part of this program for internal reporting purposes only. 

Please email digital@creative.gov.au if you would like more information.

Creative Climate Leadership Program

A transformative 5-day climate leadership program for artists and arts professionals, delivered in-person at Bundanon, NSW.

Julie’s Bicycle’s Creative Climate Leadership Benelux 2023 programme, photo by Moa Karlberg

Creative Climate Leadership (CCL) empowers artists and cultural professionals to take action on the climate and ecological crisis with impact, creativity, and resilience. It was designed to mobilise and connect a creative climate movement.

CCL offers:

  • An inspiring 5 day program of learning and peer-to-peer exchange for 24 talented and motivated participants living and working in Australia.
  • A powerful opportunity to collaborate and develop creative ideas in a serene environment.
  • A space to develop and/or scale up cultural leadership on climate action and justice.
  • A supportive network of national and international CCL alumni.

Participants will:

  1. Deepen their understanding of the climate and ecological crises as an intersectional issue.
  2. Understand and develop the role of culture and creativity in responding to these challenges.
  3. Emerge with a toolbox of approaches and practical solutions for transformative action, including:
    • approaches to action and collaboration that are equitable and inclusive
    • methods for designing solutions to complex problems
    • strategies for rethinking and reorienting the cultural ecosystem towards a thriving future that prioritises the well-being of people and nature
  4. Develop insights into climate ‘leadership’ at individual and collective levels, bottom up and top down
  5. Emerge ready to translate their learning into a CCL Action project

The Australia Council is committed to increasing the diversity of leaders in our industry and encourages applications from people who identify as First Nations, from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability, and people living in regional and remote areas.

We actively work with individuals to support access needs – including childcare, cultural practices, financial and/or learning access needs as required.

Find out more information about this program in a one-hour Zoom information session with Mikala Tai and Adam McGowan from the Australia Council; Farah Ahmed and Chiara Badiali (Music Lead) from Julie’s Bicycle, and Australian Facilitator Ruth Langford. Watch the recording here.


This program delivery is supported by the British Council.

Ruth has a diverse background in cultural arts, environmental, social justice, youth work and Indigenous Medicines Therapy and divides her time on projects that reflect her passion for uniting ancient traditions and contemporary innovations for optimistic action and healing for all.

As a Songwoman and Storyteller, Ruth draws upon the cultural knowledge of her Yorta Yorta lineage and the Tasmanian Aboriginal community where she was born and continues to live.

Combining over twenty years traveling the world sitting with Indigenous Elders, Senior Knowledge Keepers and World Wisdom Teachers with conscious research, Ruth Langford’s vision is to connect people to the ancient wisdom of Indigenous teachings in a contemporary and relevant context through the expression of cultural arts, ceremony and ritual.

Establishing Nayri Niara Centre for the Arts of Healing and Nayri Niara Good Spirit Festival, Ruth has gained a reputation as an expert facilitator and coordinator of effective capacity building programs, which have as their guiding principles Connection to Country, Culture, the Self and the Sacred.

Alison established Julie’s Bicycle in 2007 as a non-profit company helping the music industry reduce its environmental impacts and develop new thinking in tune with global environmental challenges. JB has since extended its remit to the full performing and visual arts communities, heritage and wider creative and cultural policy communities. JB is acknowledged as a leading organisation bridging sustainability with the arts and culture.

Originally trained as a cellist, Alison worked with seminal jazz improviser and teacher John Stevens. She worked for many years at Community Music and at Creative and Cultural Skills where she established the National Skills Academy. She has been on many advisory and awarding bodies including Observer Ethical Awards, RCA Sustainable Design Awards, D&AD White Pencil Awards. She has been on the boards of the Music Business Forum, Live Music and Sound Connections, and is on the board of Energy Revolution.

Farah Ahmed (she/they) is the Climate Justice Lead at Julie’s Bicycle. She supports the delivery of events and the Creative Climate Justice programme, developing resources, training and advocacy, connecting environmental, racial and social justice, and creative activism. Their interests lie in how art can centre stories and solutions from the frontlines of climate impacts, and how we can imagine and enact decolonial and anti-capitalist ways of being.

Farah is also co-founder and facilitator of Diaspora Futures, a reflective space for people of colour to centre collective care in the face of the climate crisis. She was on the sounding board for Arvae, a site-specific experiment in collaborative work between artists, scientists and regional environmental experts in Arosa, Switzerland, and was on the oversight board for Art For The People, a citizen’s assembly on arts and culture in Coventry. She is an alumni of the peer-led accelerator programme Huddlecraft and is also an Arts Emergency mentor, supporting young people into careers in the arts.

Thiago Jesus is a creative producer and researcher that joined JB in 2022 to work on the Creative and Climate Leadership programme. For over ten years, he has managed wide-ranging international creative projects and interdisciplinary research at People’s Palace Projects (Queen Mary University of London) in collaboration with artists, academics, activists, and local communities in ten countries.

Since 2014, as the head of PPP’s Indigenous Exchange and Climate Action projects, Thiago has been working closely with Indigenous peoples from the Xingu Territory—in the Brazilian Amazon’s ‘arc of deforestation’—leading an exchange programme for the preservation of indigenous cultural practices as a key factor in safeguarding these communities from the climate crisis.

Thiago is doing doctoral research at Queen Mary University of London, funded by the AHRC (LAHP Collaborative Doctoral Awards). The study, ‘The Art of Creating Climates’, investigates how third-sector organisations with arts and environment at the heart of their programmes approach climate change and respond to environmental issues in distinct North and South contexts, in partnership with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Inhotim Institute in Brazil.

Thiago holds a MA in Visual Culture (University of Westminster) and a BA in Media and Communications (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Aimee Smith is an award-winning choreographer and climate change professional working for 20 years at the intersection of these two fields.

As a choreographer Aimee has created over 15 professional productions including Borderline, Wintering, Accidental Monsters of Meaning and The Futures Project, and has an extensive community arts and cultural exchange practice. She is inspired by the capacity of art and creative experiences to hold spaces for dialogue about the issues of our time, and to imagine the kind of future(s) we want to create.

With a Masters in Sustainability and Climate Policy, Aimee has also worked as a climate change professional across government, business and academia. She has supported arts companies and festivals to develop and implement sustainability strategies and climate action plans, and co-founded Arts and Cultural Workers for Climate Action (ACWCA) to mobilise WA artists & cultural workers for the global student climate strikes.

Anna Weekes is a parent, activist & artist with a CACD practice, working both in Australia and internationally on arts projects for social and environmental justice. Anna has previously worked in Cambodia with an arts organisation, and remote Vanuatu with a women’s group.

Anna has spent the last 14 years working in the Northern Territory. Anna is one of the Creative Producers and Executive Officers at Darwin Community Arts, is a recipient of the Kirk Robson CACD Award, Future Leaders, and Australian Progress fellowship alumni.

Antonia is an arts leader living and working on Gadigal land. She has a rich knowledge of the performing arts sector and the national touring landscape, and is passionate about the transformative impact of arts experiences as well as working collaboratively to lead on change. In her current role as Executive Director of Arts on Tour, she has led on, and is deeply committed to, supporting the transition to environmentally sustainable touring, launching in 2022 the award-winning Green Touring Toolkit. In 2024 Arts on Tour will launch a carbon neutral touring service.

Antonia has held senior management roles in marketing, producing and development at companies large and small, including Urban Theatre Projects, the Australian Theatre Forum, Performing Lines, the Lyric Hammersmith in London and Sydney Dance Company. An alumna of Adaptive Leadership Australia, past Board roles include Co-Chair of PYT Fairfield and Chair of De Quincey Co.

Ari Fuller is Facilities Management Officer at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in Brisbane, Queensland. With 20 years of invaluable experience at QAGOMA, Ari has emerged as a driving force for museum sustainability practices. Leading the sustainability portfolio since 2015, Ari has implemented comprehensive initiatives that have positioned QAGOMA at the leading edge of Australian museum sustainability.

Drawing on a strong background in museum operations and armed with dual arts degrees, Ari brings a unique blend of artistic sensibility, operational expertise and personal influence to his role. His commitment to institutional carbon reduction strategies has earned him recognition in and beyond the art gallery community. With a vision of carbon neutrality, Ari continues to shape the future of museum operations, leaving an indelible mark on QAGOMA’s sustainability practices and contributing to the preservation of art and culture for generations to come.

Astrid Edwards is a teacher, interviewer and critic. Her PhD at the University of Melbourne investigates potential and perceived barriers to publishing and selling climate fiction in Australia. She hosts The Garret, a podcast exploring the Australian writing and publishing industry, and teaches in the Associate Degree of Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University. She is the former Chair of Melbourne Writers Festival and former Deputy Chair of Writers Victoria.

Beatrice is a Facilitator, Creative Producer and Climate Impact Manager. For the best part of the last decade, Bea has worked with festivals, events, arts organisations and touring musicians to reduce emissions and take action on climate.

Bea has worked with Green Music Australia, the Off-Grid Living Festival, Slingsby Theatre Company, the Adelaide Festival, Tim Minchin and Lime Cordial.

Last year Bea co-produced Climate Crisis and the Arts, a free one-day event as part of the Adelaide Festival. Bea also co-curated and produced Australia’s first Culture and Environment Roundtable, a collaboration with Julie’s Bicycle, British Arts Council and Australian Council for the Arts.

In November 2022, Bea launched Creative Climate Action, an environmental action course to build frameworks and set goals for sustainability in the live music and arts sector.

Bea is currently working with FEAT.Live, spearheading a new climate action strategy designed to reduce the emissions of live entertainment by unlocking sustainability funding through ticket sales.

In between projects, Bea leads multi-day hiking trips and outdoor adventures around Australia.

Bryony Anderson has been a maker, designer and creative director of participatory artworks for 26 years, creating high calibre works with salvaged materials for puppetry, performance and exhibition. Her work has toured nationally and internationally with many of Australia’s leading performing arts companies. Currently heading Terrapin’s workshop team in Hobart, Tasmania, she has led the company’s move towards carbon neutrality. She has held over 120 workshops in rural, desert, and urban communities and is currently training emerging makers in sustainable practice.

Bryony and her family spent 15 years living in an off-grid shed in the forests of NSW, where they experienced first-hand the upheavals of extreme climate events. Her work is dedicated to raising awareness of the preciousness of resources and ecosystems, coupled with the potential of imagination to motivate and illuminate.

Catherine Polcz is a curator and creative producer working across museums and media specialising in climate and the natural world. Drawing on her background as a botanist and ecologist, she has conceived and produced content for science festivals, events and panel discussions and has exhibited her own work at artist centres in Canada, US and Australia. Since 2018, she has been science producer at the Powerhouse Museum and Sydney Observatory. She is the curator of 100 Climate Conversations, the new Powerhouse climate solutions exhibition, program and podcast featuring 100 weekly conversations with Australian climate leaders.

Charlie Mgee is a songwriter, ukulele-player, permaculturist and founder of the world-renowned ecological funk/swing band, Formidable Vegetable. Growing up in a tin shed with a veggie garden, rainwater tank and one 100W solar panel for power in the south-west of Western Australia, Charlie lived the low-impact lifestyle from a young age, using a dunny that didn’t flush and hanging out with his chickens for entertainment, which made him realise early on that you don’t need a lot in life to be happy.

Later on, Charlie went off to study permaculture and soon after, formed Formidable Vegetable – a band based entirely around principles of regenerative living and being good to the planet, with the hope of inspiring people everywhere to grow better gardens/lives/communities and generally make the world a nicer & more ecologically just place.

His music has been acclaimed by the United Nations and the band has performed not once, not twice, but thrice at Glastonbury Festival alongside such acts as Ed Sheeran, Dolly Parton and The Rolling Stones, inspiring the creation of many a backyard, frontyard and community garden, among other things.

Eliki Reade is an Interdependent Producer and artist of kailoma-Fijian (Fijian/European) heritage. Eliki is intrigued by many forms of storytelling and the ways it is creatively embodied, engaging with work that centres the practice, creating critical connection. Centring relationships in the work that they do and not tied to form, their producing practice covers various forms across performing and visual arts including live music, parties, poetry and spoken word performance, workshops, exhibitions, experimental and digital art. Put simply, ‘they like making cool stuff with their mates’.

They wear multiple creative hats including Program & Events Coordinator at MPavilion, co-instigator with Lana Nguyen for A Climate For Arts commissioned by Diasporas, Co-Creative Producer for Listening Across Faultlines, Pacific Drift—Crenulations & Oceanic Refractions with AM Kanngieser and Mere Nailatikau supported by Australia Council’s International Engagement Fund and VACS, Cultural Advisor for Museums Victoria’s Culture Makers Program, and Co-Chair with Lana Nguyen at SEVENTH Gallery, among many other personally fun and exciting projects and loves.

Eliki is a recipient of the Creative Victoria’s Unlocking Capacity grant (2022-24) and is currently developing a working methodology and manifesto, applying iTaukei / Indigenous Fijian knowledge in intercultural collaboration.

Fiona Lee (b. 1981 Vancouver) is a visual artist and the government relations advisor for Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action (BSCA). A graduate of Newcastle Art School and the University of Newcastle (with class one honours in sculpture), Fiona’s journey merges her art practice with her dedication to climate activism.

The line between protest, installation and campaigning is blurred, with a constant focus on challenging the social license of fossil fuels by highlighting the personal costs of climate change. Her involvement in grassroots social justice and climate organisations across the country spans two decades, including her recent coordination of the Gas Free Hunter Alliance.

A pivotal moment in her campaigning work was her participation in Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action’s landmark court win in 2021. The NSW Land and Environment Court ruled that the NSW Environment Protection Authority take significant action on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. This groundbreaking decision marked the first time an Australian court had directed a government agency to address climate change, setting a precedent for targeted climate policies across Australian states.

Following the devastating loss of her home in the 2019-20 bushfire crisis, Fiona embarked on a 12-month Bushfire Affected Artist residency at The Creator Incubator in Newcastle. From the remnants of her scorched home, Fiona crafted unapologetic and political artworks that addressed her personal loss and the impact of climate change on us all. Her resulting solo exhibition, Carbon Tax, toured Maitland and Manning Regional Art Galleries, CLIMARTE Gallery Melbourne, was featured on ABC Artworks TV and in The Art of Protest at Newcastle Art Gallery.

In 2024 her public artwork High Tide, a collaboration with architectural designer Aaron Crowe, is set to be installed at Yapang Sculpture Park within the Museum of Art and Culture Lake Macquarie.

Grace is a scientist and stage manager with a unique blend of expertise. Currently pursuing her PhD in social-ecological systems, Grace held a previous career as a stage manager, touring nationally and internationally. Driven by her love for both theatre and the environment, Grace has undertaken a mission to promote sustainability within Australia’s theatre industry. With a strong background in research and science communication, Grace founded Griffin Theatre Company’s Green Griffin program and Bump Out Sydney. Her current project is the creation of The Theatre Green Book Australia.

Grace firmly believes that sustainability should be accessible to all and that everyone can contribute to positive change. Her research centres on cultivating and strengthening stakeholder networks across Australia to advance sustainability in the creative and cultural sectors. By understanding the intricacies of the professional theatre industry, and the science behind climate change and sustainability, Grace combines her dual passions to help arts organisations create and maintain greener theatrical practices.

Guy Ritani (Ia/they/them) is a proud Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Kahungunu & Macnamara takatāpui Māori artist, activist, designer and teacher currently living on Kombumerri Country. Co-founder of PermaQueer, Pacific Climate Warrior & community organiser, Guy’s work is within the growing edge of our systemic ecological relationships to Whenua/Country, building food systems, economic support systems and housing that aligns to our planetary limits. Guy is the President of regional arts council Tamborine Mountain Arts Collective and is passionate about social systems and climate justice. Their practice it within storytelling and uses the whatever medium is available and most appropriate to tell stories needing to be told.

Dr Jen Rae is an award-winning artist-researcher of Canadian Scottish-Métis (Indigenous) descent based in unceded Djaara Country/Castlemaine, Victoria. Jen’s practice-led expertise is situated at the intersections of art, speculative futures and climate emergency disaster adaptation + resilience – predominantly articulated through transdisciplinary collaborative methodologies and multi-platform projects, community alliances and public pedagogies. She is a Co-founder and Creative Research Lead of the Centre for Reworlding.

A Bundjalung-Kannakan woman (she/her) and emerging artist, Juundaal lives on Wodi Wodi land of the Dharawal nation and returned to visual arts study at the University of Wollongong in 2018. Her work functions within the discomfort of decolonisation frameworks to actively negotiate tensions, investigate strength in vulnerability and contribute to empowering the non-Indigenous and Indigenous relationship in addressing climate crisis. Healing, cultural connection and learning inextricably fuel and co-exist within her work within an intersectional environmental and Aboriginal cultural revitalisation context. As an emerging artist with a disability, her mentors and space for diverse expression in the arts, are also integral to her creative practice.

Dr Kate Scardifield is an artist and researcher living and working on Gadigal Land. Her practice is cross-disciplinary, collaborative, and focused on charting materials and material systems through states of transformation. Her works span large-scale installations, adaptable textiles, sculpture, and video. Her current projects are investigating algae-based biopolymers, designing with biomaterials for carbon capture and storage, and working with textiles as instruments for navigation, transmission and communication.

She is co-founder and Co-Director of the Material Ecologies Design Lab at the University of Technology Sydney. MEDL is a creative practice and interdisciplinary research lab committed to transforming waste and transitioning material systems for a post-petrochemical world. She is a member of the Algal Biosystems and Biotechnology group in the UTS Climate Change Cluster, working closely with marine scientists and biotechnologists on the design and development of algae-based materials for fashion, textiles and architecture.

Keg de Souza is an artist of Goan ancestry who lives and works on unceded Gadigal land in Sydney. Architecturally trained, she creates social and spatial environments, making reference to her lived experiences of squatting and organising with projects that use and food politics, temporary architecture, publishing and radical pedagogy. Keg draws from personal experiences of colonialism – from her own ancestral lands being colonised to living as a settler on other peoples unceded lands – to inform her layered projects that centre marginalised voices and lesser-known stories for learning about Place.

kelli is an artist and co-founder of boorloo based experimental art group, pvi collective. their work is renowned for being socially engaged and participatory, seeking to empower audiences to step out of their comfort zones.

kelli is a passionate advocate for experimental practice and it’s continued growth in australia. kelli is an AusCo peer, a member of #feminist educators against sexism, a climate champion for better futures australia and a trouble-maker at heart – good trouble, that is 🙂

Na’im lives and works on stolen Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Country. They’re a settler non-binary disabled queer neurodiverse radical composer, ecologist & sound artist. Their practice, identity & values are indivisible. Their work explores environmental and social justice, & personal experience using traditional notation, sonifying data, live-composing with objects, video scoring, field-recordings, hand-drawn graphic scores, & collaboration across artforms.

Na’im has been commissioned & had works performed in Australia, Aotearoa, UK, US, Hong Kong & China. They’ve had residencies at Tilde New Music Fest (Naarm, Aus) & Lijiang Studio (Yunnan, China). In 2022 they created the soundtrack to Zoë, A Good Catch Circus’s response to the climate crises.

Art is for everyone and it’s integral to growing change. Na’im wants to empower access to ecological & marginal knowledges, radical futures imagining, and weird enriching art experiences.

Noemie Huttner-Koros is a performance-maker, writer, dramaturg and community organiser based between Whajuk Noongar country and Wurundjeri country. Their practice is driven by a deep belief in the cultural and civic role of art and in engaging with sites and histories where queer culture, composting and ecological crisis occur. Shows include: Mother of Compost (M1 Singapore Fringe Festival), The Lion Never Sleeps (Australian Book Review’s Arts Highlights of 2019) & Democracy Repair Services (The Blue Room Theatre 2023).

Noemie has a Bachelor of Performing Arts, Performance Making (WAAPA) and a Master of Theatre, Dramaturgy from Victorian College of the Arts. They have worked with companies including: Mammalian Diving Reflex, Australian Theatre for Young People, DADAA, Propel Youth Arts WA and is currently the Graduate Dramaturg at Red Stitch Actors Theatre. They were the winner of the 2020 Venie Holmgren Environmental Poetry Prize & 2021 WA Young Environmentalist of the Year.

Pippa Bailey is an independent producer/director/consultant based on Wangal Land in Sydney. She is committed connecting artistic practice to plans for fairer future where Climate Justice leads.

Pippa started her career as an actor and reporter/producer with SBSTV. She held leading roles in the UK including The Museum Of on London’s South Bank, oh!art at Oxford House in Bethnal Green, The World Famous – company of pyrotechnicians and Total Theatre Awards at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Since 2013 Pippa has worked as Senior Producer with Performing Lines, Sydney Festival and in the First Nations team at Carriageworks. As Director/Producer for ChangeFest 2019-21, she worked in collaboration with Elders and communities to create events that imagine systems change and rehearse fairer futures.

Pippa co-convenes the Cultural Gardeners – Australian Cultural Alliance for Climate Action, is a coordinator with Culture Declares Emergency UK, member of Collaborative Futures and a board Director of IETM: International network for contemporary performing arts.
ve Futures and a board Director of IETM – International Network for the Performing Arts.

Sēini ‘SistaNative’ Taumoepeau (she/her) is a Regenerative Orator & Songwoman, Faivā practitioner (performance of space). A voice of modern Australia, Sēini is an inter-disciplinary artist, storyteller and founder of OceaniaX, Pacific Wave and LELEI Wellness.

Commissions include: Sydney Opera House, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Museum of Contemporary Art. Sēini is a veteran of the arts, media, culture, educational and personal development sectors with an intersectional Oceanic-Pacific lens and First Nations focus.

She carries medicine in her presence, hands and voice, commanding an aesthetic in harmony and rhythm, working with the invisible and intangible.

Connecting with global communities, Sēini is known as: SistaNative, Napangardi & Cantora, with origins from Kingdom of Tonga. An Australian veteran with a career spanning more than 30+ years as a performance artist, presenter/broadcaster and creative industries professional.

Dr Tanja Beer is an ecological designer and community artist who is passionate about co-creating social gathering spaces that accentuate the interconnectedness of the more-than-human world. Originally trained as a performance designer and theatre maker, Tanja’s work increasingly crosses many disciplines, often collaborating with landscape architects and urban ecologists to inspire communication and action on environmental issues.

Her most celebrated project is The Living Stage: a global initiative that combines spatial design, permaculture and community engagement to create recyclable, biodegradable, biodiverse and edible event spaces. Tanja’s extensive career as a designer, educator and researcher builds on more than 20 years of practice. Her pioneering concept of Ecoscenography has been featured in numerous programs, exhibitions, articles and platforms around the world. Tanja is Co-director of the new Performance + Ecology Research Lab (P+ERL) and Senior Lecturer in Design at Griffith University (Brisbane). She is the author of Ecoscenography: An introduction to Ecological Design for Performance (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021).

Vika Mana is a Torres Strait Islander and Tongan storyteller that takes many forms. They are from the Zagareb and Dauareb tribes of Mer Island and the village of Fahefa in Tonga. They perform poetry, write criticism and breathe life into worlds whilst doing their best to protect this one. Vika excels in a variety of storytelling mediums, all of which centre sovereignty and justice.

This opportunity is open to:  

  • Practising artists and creative/cultural/arts professionals. 
  • Australian citizens or permanent residents. 
  • Individuals who are available to travel to Bundanon NSW to attend the program in full and in person from 11 – 16 September 2023. 

You can’t apply if: 

  • You have an overdue grant report. 
  • You owe money to the Australia Council. 
  • You are applying as a group or organisation. 

You can submit your application via our online application system 

If you have access requirements, please let us know how we can support you. Please see FAQs below for information on submitting a video application. 

Selection criteria:  

  • Nuanced understanding and reflection on what creative climate leadership means. 
  • Engagement with and awareness of climate change, environmental and/or social justice themes, issues and connections in your work to date. 
  • Ability and capacity to take action and lead change. 
  • Demonstrated ability and willingness to work collaboratively and contribute to a group. 

Applications will be reviewed by staff and industry advisors. Your application will be based on quality, response to the selection criteria above, and in line with Australia Council’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. 

Please note:   

To apply you must be registered in our application management system a minimum of two business days prior to the closing date.  

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately four weeks after the closing date.

Learn more about how we assess your application.

Applicants may choose to supply up to 3 links or attachments to support your application (optional).  

Examples include: 

  • online links to documentation (blogs, news articles, other multimedia content) 
  • past projects and reports 
  • links to video files should be between one to ten minutes in .mp3, .mp4, .mov or .wmv formats 

The CCL Australia programme includes: 

A five-day residential course for arts and cultural professionals who want to take a lead on climate change. Participants will arrive on Monday and leave the following Saturday, with full days of workshops, discussions and talks in between. 

The training sessions will: 

• Explore the role of culture and creativity in responding to climate change and environmental challenges. 

• Share case studies, research, approaches and practical solutions for environmental sustainability in the cultural sector. 

• Enable each participant to develop their leadership and ideas. 

• Prepare participants to apply their learning and new skills when they return home. 

• Support ongoing learning and exchange through an alumni network. 

Themes will include: 

• Approaches to organisational change. 

• Engaging people with new narratives and shifting values through art and design. 

• Encouraging behaviour change through communications and advocacy. 

•  Collaborative ways of working to maximise impact in civic society and policy making. 

A full programme will be released to participants in advance of the course. 

After the course, participants will become members of the CCL Alumni network, which will facilitate ongoing communications. 

CCL Australia is open to practising artists and creative/cultural/arts professionals based in and/or working in Australia. We encourage creatives and leaders that want to challenge the status quo and conventional ways of thinking. 

Previous applicants and/or alumni from Australia Council leadership programs are eligible to apply.

The CCL Australia will take place between 11 – 16 September 2023, at Bundanon NSW, therefore you need to ensure you are available to participate fully, in person, for the full duration. 

​Dates: 

Monday 11 September 2023 – Participants arrive at Bundanon 

Monday 11 to Saturday 16 September 2023 – Training course 

Saturday 16 September 2023 – Participants depart Bundanon. 

The new Bridge and Art Museum are wheelchair accessible. There are designated accessible parking spaces available outside the Bridge and Art Museum. Guide dogs and assistance animals are allowed on Bundanon properties. 

Arthur Boyd’s Studio and the ground floor of the Homestead are wheelchair accessible. There is a staircase inside the Homestead and uneven ground in the visitor carpark and throughout the site. 

We are committed to ensure to remove all possible barriers to participation. If you have any access requirements please let us know in advance so we can make the necessary adjustments. Please contact HOPadmin@creative.gov.au

Participants do not need to do any work prior to attending the course. However, an important part of this CCL is active participation. All participants will be given space to share their skills, knowledge or experience with the other participants. All participants will become members of the CCL Alumni network, which will facilitate ongoing communications. 

Yes, CCL Australia will be held in person at Bundanon, NSW. Applicants must be able to travel and participate in person for the full duration of the course. 

Yes, if you would prefer to submit a video application instead of a written application, please record a video of max 5 minutes addressing the questions in the application form. For further information on how to submit a video application, or if you would like to discuss submitting an application in another format, please email HOPadmin@australicouncil.gov.au.

The Australia Council will cover the costs of accommodation and all meals at Bundanon, NSW during the course. 

Bus travel between Sydney and Bundanon will be provided by the Australia Council. Successful applicants can make their own preferred travel arrangements to Bundanon from other locations at their own cost.

There is an optional question for those seeking to apply for a stipend to support costs. Australia Council will pay a stipend to successful applicants who are self-employed and/or freelancers, and need support to cover costs such as interstate travel, course participation and other expenses. We suggest applicants include a breakdown of the costs you anticipate needing to cover when answering this question.

We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation, and the appropriate protocols will be put in place. We will remain in close communication with all successful applicants to chart the best course of action. 

We ask all participants to take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) within 24 hours before the programme starts and recommend wearing wear masks when travelling to the event on public transport. Masks and RAT tests will be made available on-site. 

Spaces will be ventilated with regular opening of windows where possible (please bring layers in case of cooler temperatures), and some sessions will be held outside weather permitting. 

All participants who, prior to the event, have symptoms of a respiratory infection, have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to carry out normal activities will be asked to stay at home. Any participants and facilitators who present symptoms during the programme will be asked to self-isolate until they have had a negative RAT test and will be asked to wear masks and maintain a distance to other participants if re-joining the group. 

Creative Climate Leadership Program Information Session

Download the transcript.

CINARS 2022 Biennale

Blood on the Dance Floor by Jacob Boehme. Credit: Dorine Blaise.

About the program

Established in 1984, taking place every two years, CINARS is one of the most important international showcases and networking events attracting over 1900 performing arts professionals from around the globe.

The Australia Council will support a delegation to attend this event. We also welcome any Australian artists and companies attending on a self-funded basis to join the delegation and any related networking activities.

More details on the event can be found on the CINARS website.

Funding

Australia Council will support 10 delegates with $4,000 each, towards the cost of travel. These supported delegates will be responsible for all costs associated with attending the market including flights, visas, insurance, accommodation and registration.

Who can apply

  • This opportunity is for Australian-based artists and/or producers working independently or within organisations.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply for this grant if:

  • you have an overdue grant report
  • you owe money to the Australia Council.

Applicants are required to respond to the following assessment criteria:

  1. The impact of attendance at CINARS in developing future international opportunities and enhancing international visibility.
  2. Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the region and market.
  3. The timeliness of this opportunity and demonstrated ability to plan and deliver on any international outcomes that may arise.

Your application will be reviewed by Australia Council staff and industry advisers against the assessment criteria.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by late September 2022.

No supporting material is required for this application.

Victorian Circus and Physical Theatre Projects for Individuals and Groups

Announcement

Recipients of this opportunity have been announced. The full list can be found on the awarded grants page.

About the program

This program is designed to specifically support the circus and physical theatre sector in Victoria. It provides investment into artist and artform development, projects and activities to support skills development, employment, market development and artistic outcomes. This program supports circus and physical theatre practice; it does not extend to dance or dance-theatre.

Victorian applicants may apply for activity to take place in Victoria, nationally and internationally.

Applicants from outside of Victoria may apply for activity in Victoria if the proposed activity is in partnership with Victorian individuals, groups or organisations and the applicant can demonstrate impact for the Victorian circus and physical theatre sector.

Individuals and groups can propose a single project; a series of projects; or a suite of activities over a fixed period of time.

This Investment is offered following changes to the circus and physical theatre landscape in Victoria during 2021. The Australia Council and Creative Victoria are jointly managing strategic investments to support the circus and physical theatre sector, guided by the principles of the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework.

Grants are available from $10,000 to $80,000. Supported activities must last no longer than two years from the proposed start date.

Please note: Your project must consider the latest government advice regarding COVID-19.

Please read through the following grant guidelines.

If you need advice about applying, contact an Artists Services Officer now.

Who can apply

  • Only individuals and groups may apply to this category.
  • Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents and a practicing artist or arts professional.

The proposed activity must support the circus and physical theatre sector in Victoria

 

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply for this grant if:

  • you are an organisation
  • you have an overdue grant report
  • you owe money to the Australia Council

What can be applied for

We will fund a range of activities which support and build capacity in the circus and physical theatre sector in Victoria, for example:

  • professional skills development, including mentoring and residencies. This may include a suite of activity over a fixed period of time.
  • the creation of new work
  • practice based research
  • creative development
  • experimentation
  • collaborations
  • touring
  • festivals
  • productions
  • exhibitions
  • performances
  • publishing
  • recording
  • promotion and marketing
  • market development activity
  • activities that creatively engage communities.

Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Therefore, budgets may also include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are an applicant with a disability, or are working with artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer, or support worker assistance. Please contact Artists Services to discuss your specific needs.

What can’t be applied for

You can’t apply for:

  • projects or activities that do not involve or benefit the Victorian circus and physical theatre sector
  • projects or activities that do not have a clearly defined arts component
  • projects that have already taken place
  • activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to the Australia Council First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols.

Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Your application will be assessed by a panel of artists and arts workers with expertise in the Australian circus and physical theatre sector.

You must address three assessment criteria in this category.  

Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what peers may consider when assessing your application. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed. 

First criterion 

Quality 

  • Peers will assess the quality of the artistic and cultural activities at the centre of your proposal. They may consider: 
  • vision, ideas and artistic rationale 
  • benefit and impact on career, artistic and cultural practice 
  • level of innovation, ambition, experimentation or risk-taking 
  • rigour and clear articulation of creative, engagement or development processes 
  • significance of the work within the relevant area of practice and/or community 
  • contribution to diverse cultural expression 
  • timeliness and relevance of work 
  • quality of previous work 
  • responses to previous work from artistic or cultural peers, or the public. 

Second criterion 

Viability 

Peers will assess the viability of your proposal. They may consider: 

  • relevance and timeliness of proposed activity 
  • skills and ability of artists, arts professionals, collaborators, or partners involved, and relevance to activity 
  • realistic and achievable planning and resource use, including contingency and COVID-safe plans for activities involving public presentations, national or international travel 
  • appropriate payments to participating artists, arts professionals, collaborators, participants, or cultural consultants 
  • the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the project 
  • role of partners or collaborators, including confirmation of involvement 
  • the diversity and scale of income and co-funding, including earned income, grants, sponsorship, and in-kind contributions 
  • where relevant to the project, evidence that the Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to 
  • evidence of appropriate consultation with participants, audiences, or communities 
  • where relevant, evidence that you have considered and addressed any access issues associated with your project 
  • where relevant, evidence that you have addressed the environmental impact of your project. 

Third criterion 

Impact 

The peers will assess how your activity contributes towards building a sustainable and diverse Victorian circus and physical theatre sector. They may consider how your activity: 

  • contributes to increasing diversity (including First Nations, disability, gender, LGBTIQ+, age and cultural diversity) within the circus and physical theatre sector in reference to artists, key creatives, programming and audiences. 
  • contributes to artform development through the commissioning, development and/or presentation of new Australian work that reflects contemporary Australia  
  • contributes to building capacity in the circus and physical theatre sector 
  • demonstrates collaboration and/or leadership on key sector issues.

You should submit support material with your application. The peer assessors may review this support material to help them gain a better sense of your project.

What you should provide

We do not accept application-related support material submitted via post. Application-related material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online, or need advice on what type of material to submit, please contact Artists Services.

There are three types of support material you may submit:

  1. Artistic support material

This should include relevant, recent examples of your artistic or cultural work, or the services you provide.

Types of support material we accept

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).

You can provide up to three URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. This may include video, audio, images, or written material.

These URLs can include a total of:

  • 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording
  • 10 images
  • 10 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of literary writing).

Please note: Our peer assessors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access.

If you are linking to media files that are private or password protected like Vimeo, please provide the password in the password field on the application form.

Other accepted file formats

If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:

  • video (MP4, QuickTime, and Windows Media)
  • audio (MP3 and Windows Media)
  • images (JPEG and PowerPoint)
  1. Biographies and CVs

You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in your project.

Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document no longer than two A4 pages in total.

  1. Letters of support

Individuals, groups or organisations can write letters in support of your project. A support letter should explain how the project or activity will benefit you, other artists or arts professionals, participants or the broader community. It can also detail the support or involvement of key project partners, or evidence of consultation.

If relevant to your activity, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information.

You can include up to five letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.

Frequently asked questions

You will receive your grant payment within two weeks of accepting your funding agreement. Please note we pay our grants in the financial year which they are approved. We will not adjust payment timelines to the particular circumstances of individuals. 

The deadline for applications is at 3:00pm AET on the closing date. We strongly recommend submitting before this. Administrative and technical support is only available during office hours (Monday-Friday) 9am to 5 pm AET. Late applications will not be accepted. 

Yes, if you have support materials such as letters from project partners, collaborators or participants that are in languages other than English (including Auslan), we can arrange translation or captioning. 

Please contact the Artists Services team at least four weeks before the closing date of the grant round to which you are intending to make an application. If you do not contact us at least four weeks before the closing date, we may not have sufficient time to meet your translation needs. 

Our online application form also has a checkbox at the top which you can tick if you have attached materials in a language other than English. This alerts the Artists Services team that you have submitted these materials. 

We do not accept applications submitted via post. Any material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your application online, please contact Artists Services. 

We do not amend, correct, update or change any part of your application once it has been submitted. However, if you receive additional confirmations for activities or artists after the closing date you may alert us to these, and we may bring them to the attention of peer assessors at the assessment meeting. These updates could include confirmation that a proposed activity will take place, a partnership has been secured, or funding from another source has been received. 

You can update us about such confirmations by contacting us. Briefly describe the nature of the confirmation and cite your application reference number.  You do not need to send us copies of confirmation emails from third parties – if we need to see evidence of the confirmation we will request it. 

If you wish to update your application once it has been submitted, but the closing date has not yet passed, you can submit a new, updated application and request to withdraw the original one by emailing operationsservicedesk@creative.gov.au 

Grant applications can be found and are submitted through our online system. If you are using the system for the first time you will need to register your details before filling out a grant application form. 

When will I be notified about the outcome of my application? 

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately 12 weeks after the closing date. Please see the guidelines page for the grant category you are interested in for more details. 

Yes, however you must be the applicant. Contact us to discuss your proposal prior to submitting your application.

To apply for this category your project must be circus or physical theatre activity or proposing to support the Victorian circus and physical theatre sector.

This program supports circus and physical theatre practice, it does not extend to dance or dance-theatre. 

Following changes to the circus and physical theatre landscape in Victoria during 2021, the Australia Council for the Arts and Creative Victoria are jointly managing new investments to support the circus and physical theatre sector, guided by the principles of the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework. 

We define a ‘group’ as two or more individuals who do not form a legally constituted organisation.  This can include co-collaborators and collectives.  Groups are not eligible to apply to programs open only to organisations. 

An ‘organisation’ is a legally constituted organisation that is registered or created by law. For example, incorporated associations, companies limited by guarantee or government statutory authorities are all defined as organisations. Organisations that are not legally constituted are not eligible to apply for funding in grant categories that are open to organisations only. Organisations may be required to provide a certificate of incorporation or evidence of their current legal status.  Funding programs for organisations are not intended for sole traders or partnerships. 

No. 

Yes. However, the contact person for group applications must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. 

We provide funding to practising artists or artsworkers. While you may not regularly earn income from your practice, you must be identified and recognised by your peers as a practising artist or artsworker. This may include cultural practitioners, editors, producers, curators and arts managers. 

No. If you have an overdue grant acquittal you will not be eligible to apply for any further grants. 

No. Only Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents may apply to the Australia Council for funding. Foreign nationals who are permitted to live and work in Australia by holding visas such as a Special Category visa or a Bridging visa are not eligible to apply. 

Yes. Creative research and development is a key component of the creative process and can be funded through this category.

Yes. We accept applications in languages other than English, including Auslan. 

If any part of your application requires translation into English, please contact the Artists Services team at least four weeks before the closing date of the round to which you intend to apply. We will use our best and all reasonable endeavours to assist in having some or all of the material translated. However we reserve the right to refuse an application in a language other than English if we believe there is no genuine reason to accept such an application, or if the time-frame for translation precludes us from making the materials available for assessment in the round to which it was submitted.

If you wish to request an application form in a language other than English, please contact the Artists Services team at least 12 weeks before the closing date of the round to which you intend to apply.

We reserve the right to refuse an application form translation request if we believe there is no genuine reason for the request. We also reserve the right to refuse an application form translation if the time-frame for translation prevents us from providing a translated form in time for assessment in the round to which it was submitted. 

Where you have supplied creative content in a language other than English, we may engage an industry expert to provide the peers with an evaluation of the artistic merit of that creative content. 

You can speak with staff at the Australia Council in your first language. Please telephone the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 (local call anywhere in Australia) and ask to be connected with the Australia Council. 

Applications that focus solely on academic studies, or are for activities that are part of assessable coursework are unlikely to be successful with our assessment panels. Assessment panels are also unlikely to support applications requesting the costs of academic fees or courses. 

If you wish to apply for study costs, explain to the panel how your project extends, or supplements, the course’s standard curriculum requirements. Also, bear in mind that your project will be assessed on artistic merit of the work. 

If you are applying for funding to complete a training program, course, workshop or diploma, explain how doing so will impact positively on your career or practice. 

Do you fund feature film, television or documentary? 

While we can support screen-based art, we do not generally support activities associated with feature film, television or documentary. See Screen Australia, the Federal Government’s primary agency for production of Australian screen activity. https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/  

No, we do not offer quick response grants. Outside of our regular grants program, we do offer a number of other grants and opportunities. 

Yes. Early career artists are eligible to apply for funding through this category.  

Yes. Individuals and Groups can propose a program of projects and/or activities. This could be a series of projects; or a suite of activities over a fixed period of time.

We encourage applicants to be mindful of the following considerations: 

The activities should each contribute toward a clear, unifying overall objective –  for example,  the development of an individuals or group’s artistic practice. The suite of activity could include creative development or presentation alongside professional development opportunities. It is important to demonstrate the rationale for the inclusion of these activities and how the overall program or suite of activity will align with the individuals or group’s artistic practice and ambition.

In proposing a program consisting of multiple projects or activities, it is possible that some individual projects may be less compelling than others. If you are submitting an application proposing multiple activities or projects, we encourage you to ensure that a similar level of consideration, planning, and artistic merit is common to each to avoid one component of your program potentially letting down the others. 

You may wish to consider using one of the 3 URLs you can provide as support material to link to a document that provides more detail about each individual project or activity in your program. 

As a national arts funding body, all Australia Council grant rounds are competitive. Success rates are usually between 15% and 20%. Success rate for this category may be higher depending on demand.

Yes. Projects must have a start date that falls after we notify you of the outcome of your application, and no later than one year from that date. We will notify you of the outcome of your application approximately 12 weeks after the closing date. 

No. However, applications involving venues and partners are likely to be more competitive if their involvement is confirmed. 

Australia Council staff are available to assist you in understanding the purpose of the grant, application requirements, and submitting your application. Staff can assist over email, phone and using Skype. We cannot review application drafts. 

Additional support can be discussed where needed. Where the additional support required is beyond the scope of what our staff can provide, we may recommend speaking to an appropriate organisation for further assistance. 

The best applications are those where the voice of the artist comes through. Where possible you, ‘the artist’, should write your application. Your manager may administer the grant on your behalf to undertake the financial and reporting requirements. 

If you are applying as an unincorporated entity, unincorporated association or partnership you do not need to have an administrator for your grant. However, you must be able to provide an ABN and bank account that are in the group’s name. If you cannot do this you must nominate an administrator. For more information about this, please contact us. 

All individual or organisation grant applicants based in Australia must have an active Australian Business Number (ABN). Individual applicants without an ABN may have their grant administered by an individual or organisation with an ABN. Organisations operating outside of Australia do not need an ABN to apply. Individuals based outside of Australia may not need an ABN to apply, depending on their circumstances (please check with your accountant or tax advisor). 

Furthermore, the name of the applicant must match the name of the ABN and the name of the bank account into which we pay the funds. There are no exceptions to this rule. If you cannot provide an ABN and bank account that are in the same name as the applicant, you will need to nominate an administrator for your grant. 

For more information about this, please contact us.

Grants can be considered income by Centrelink. The amount is generally assessed as a lump sum and could affect your Centrelink payment for the financial year. Artists who are running a business (even on a small scale) may have their grant treated differently. It is possible to have your grant paid to an administering body if you wish. 

Applicants should contact Centrelink on 13 28 50 for advice. Additionally, Centrelink’s Financial Information Service (FIS) is an education and information service available to everyone in the community and may be of benefit to applicants who also receive assistance through the social security system. To contact FIS phone 13 23 00. 

Yes.  The Australia Council expects that artists professionally employed or engaged on Australia Council-funded activities will be remunerated for their work in line with industry standards. Payment of artist fees should be reflected in your application budget. 

For more information, see our Payment of Artists page. 

Our grants program is primarily designed to support projects that have a defined start and end date, rather than ongoing organisational administration costs. Project budgets that include a high proportion of administration costs may be less competitive. However, if you do need funding to cover administration costs directly related to the delivery of your project, you can include them in your grant request. 

Grants paid by the Australia Council may be considered part of your income in a financial year and may be subject to tax. You must determine your own taxation liabilities. We suggest you consult your financial adviser or contact the Australian Taxation Office on 13 28 66. 

No. The Australia Council encourages applicants whose projects will take place in regional and remote locations to budget accurately and realistically, as it is recognised that costs may differ between regions and major cities. 

If you are GST-registered when you receive an Australia Council grant, the Australia Council will pay the grant amount plus GST. The budget provided in your application should be exclusive of GST. 

Yes. The Australia Council recognises that funding may be required for access costs incurred by applicants with disability, or for costs associated with working with artists with disability – who may have particular access needs (e.g. use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, support worker/carer assistance). Access costs are viewed as legitimate expenses and may be included in an applicant’s budget. The Australia Council encourages applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Therefore, budgets may also include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. performances using Auslan, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, materials in other formats such as Braille or CD). 

The application form calculates your grant request as the difference between your total cash income, and your total cash costs. The gap between these two numbers is the grant request. In-kind contributions are not included in this calculation. 

Total cash costs – total cash income = grant request 

For example – 

$50,000 cash costs – $30,000 cash income = $20,000 Australia Council grant request. 

Yes. The Australia Council recognises that childcare needs may impede access to employment in the arts. Accordingly, childcare is a legitimate expense to include in an applicant’s budget. 

We encourage our applicants to seek funding from other sources to cover the complete costs of their projects. While it does depend on the size of your grant request to us, we would expect that applicants with large grant requests would also secure funding from elsewhere to cover all costs associated with a large-scale project. 

Yes. Out-of-pocket expenses such as telephone calls or petrol for travel, are recognised as legitimate expenses and may be included in an applicant’s budget. 

Yes. In-kind support refers to resources, goods and services (for example, use of a venue, materials, and/or people’s time) provided by yourself or others either free of charge, or below market value. Detailing in-kind costs in the budget is important as it gives peers a full understanding of the viability of your project and levels of support you are receiving. In-kind costs are also an expense so, when you save your application, any in-kind income you included will auto-populate to the expenses side of the budget. 

Victorian Circus and Physical Theatre Projects for Organisations

Announcement

Recipients of this opportunity have been announced. The full list can be found on the awarded grants page.

About the program

This program is designed to specifically support the circus and physical theatre sector in Victoria. It provides investment into artist and artform development, projects and activities to support skills development, employment, market development and artistic outcomes.

This program supports circus and physical theatre practice, it does not extend to dance or dance-theatre.

Victorian applicants may apply for activity in Victoria, nationally and internationally.

Applicants from outside of Victoria may apply for activity in Victoria if the proposed activity is in partnership with a Victorian organisation and the applicant can demonstrate impact for the Victorian circus and physical theatre sector.

Organisations that undertake arts programs, projects or that provide services to artists are welcome to apply. Organisations can propose a single project, a suite of projects or annual programs of activity.

Applicants do not need to be a specialist circus or physical theatre organisation however the application must propose circus or physical theatre activity or capacity building for this sector.

This Investment is offered following changes to the circus and physical theatre landscape in Victoria during 2021. The Australia Council and Creative Victoria are jointly managing strategic investments to support the circus and physical theatre sector, guided by the principles of the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework.

Grants are available from $20,000 to $150,000. Supported activities must last no longer than two years from the proposed start date.

Please note: Your project must consider the latest government advice regarding COVID-19.

Please read through the following grant guidelines.

If you need advice about applying, contact an Artists Services Officer now.

Who can apply

  • Only organisations may apply to this category.
  • The proposed activity must support the circus and physical theatre sector in Victoria

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply for this grant if:

  • your organisation receives $600,000 or more per year in Multi-Year Investment from the Australia Council
  • you are an international organisation
  • you have an overdue grant report
  • you owe money to the Australia Council
  • you are an individual or group

What can be applied for

We will fund a range of activities which support and build capacity in the circus and physical theatre sector in Victoria, for example:

  • professional skills development, including mentoring and residencies
  • the creation of new work
  • practice based research
  • creative development
  • experimentation
  • collaborations
  • touring
  • festivals
  • productions
  • exhibitions
  • performances
  • publishing
  • recording
  • activities to develop the arts sector
  • promotion and marketing
  • market development activity
  • activities that creatively engage communities.

Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Therefore, budgets may also include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are an applicant with a disability, or are working with artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Please contact Artists Services to discuss your specific needs.

What can’t be applied for

  • projects or activities that do not involve or benefit the Victorian circus and physical theatre sector.
  • projects or activities that do not have a clearly defined arts component
  • projects that have already taken place
  • activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to the Australia Council First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols.

Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts 

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework 

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Your application will be peer assessed by a panel of artists and arts workers with expertise in the Australian circus and physical theatre sector.

You must address three assessment criteria in this category.

Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what peers may consider when assessing your application. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

First criterion 

Quality of artistic activity or services to artists 

Peers will assess the quality of the artistic and cultural activities at the centre of your proposal. They may consider:

  • vision, ideas and artistic rational
  • benefit and impact on careers, artistic or cultural practice
  • level of innovation, ambition, experimentation or risk-taking
  • rigour and clear articulation of creative, engagement or development processes
  • significance of the work within area of practice and communities
  • contribution to diverse cultural expression
  • relevance of work
  • quality of previous work
  • responses to previous work from artistic or cultural peers, or the public.

Second criterion 

Viability

Peers will assess the viability of your proposal.

They may consider:

  • capacity to deliver the proposed activities or services
  • timeliness of proposed activity
  • skills and ability of artists, arts professionals, collaborators, or participants involved, and relevance to activity
  • realistic and achievable planning and resource use, including contingency and COVID-safe plans for activities involving public presentation, national or international travel
  • meaningful evaluation
  • appropriate payments to participating artists, arts professionals, collaborators, participants, or cultural consultants
  • the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the project
  • governance arrangements
  • role of partners or collaborators, including confirmation of involvement
  • diversity and scale of income and co-funding, including earned income, grants, sponsorship and in-kind contributions
  • where relevant to the project, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to
  • evidence of appropriate consultation and engagement with participants, audiences or communities
  • Where relevant, evidence that you have considered and addressed any access issues associated with your project
  • Where relevant, evidence that you have addressed the environmental impact of your project.

Third criterion 

Impact

Peers will assess how your activity contributes towards building a sustainable and diverse Victorian circus and physical theatre sector.

They may consider how your activity:

  • contributes to increasing diversity (including First Nations, disability, gender, LGBTIQ+, age and cultural diversity) within the circus and physical theatre sector in reference to artists, key creatives, programming and audiences
  • contributes to artform development through the commissioning, development and/or presentation of new Australian work that reflects contemporary Australia
  • contributes to building capacity in the circus and physical theatre sector
  • demonstrates collaboration and/or leadership on key sector issues

You should submit support material with your application. The peer assessors may review this support material to help them gain a better sense of your project.

What you should provide

We do not accept application-related support material submitted via post. Application-related material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online, or need advice on what type of material to submit, please contact Artists Services.

There are three types of support material you may submit:

  1. Artistic support material

This should include relevant, recent examples of your artistic or cultural work, or the services you provide.

Types of support material we accept

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).

You can provide up to three URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. This may include video, audio, images, or written material.

These URLs can include a total of:

  • 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording
  • 10 images
  • 10 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of literary writing).

Please note: Our peer assessors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access.

If you are linking to media files that are private or password protected like Vimeo, please provide the password in the password field on the application form.

Other accepted file formats

If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:

  • video (MP4, QuickTime, and Windows Media)
  • audio (MP3 and Windows Media)
  • images (JPEG and PowerPoint)
  1. Biographies and CVs

You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in your project.

Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document no longer than two A4 pages in total.

  1. Letters of support

Individuals, groups or organisations can write letters in support of your project. A support letter should explain how the project or activity will benefit you, other artists or arts professionals, participants or the broader community.  It can also detail the support or involvement of key project partners, or evidence of consultation.

If relevant to your activity, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information.

You can include up to five letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.

Frequently asked questions

You will receive your grant payment within two weeks of accepting your funding agreement. Please note we pay our grants in the financial year which they are approved. We will not adjust payment timelines to the particular circumstances of individuals. 

The deadline for applications is at 3:00pm AET on the closing date. We strongly recommend submitting before this. Administrative and technical support is only available during office hours (Monday-Friday) 9am to 5 pm AET. Late applications will not be accepted. 

Yes, if you have support materials such as letters from project partners, collaborators or participants that are in languages other than English (including Auslan), we can arrange translation or captioning. 

Please contact the Artists Services team at least four weeks before the closing date of the grant round to which you are intending to make an application. If you do not contact us at least four weeks before the closing date, we may not have sufficient time to meet your translation needs. 

Our online application form also has a checkbox at the top which you can tick if you have attached materials in a language other than English. This alerts the Artists Services team that you have submitted these materials. 

We do not accept applications submitted via post. Any material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your application online, please contact Artists Services. 

We do not amend, correct, update or change any part of your application once it has been submitted. However, if you receive additional confirmations for activities or artists after the closing date you may alert us to these, and we may bring them to the attention of peer assessors at the assessment meeting. These updates could include confirmation that a proposed activity will take place, a partnership has been secured, or funding from another source has been received. 

You can update us about such confirmations by contacting us. Briefly describe the nature of the confirmation and cite your application reference number.  You do not need to send us copies of confirmation emails from third parties – if we need to see evidence of the confirmation we will request it. 

If you wish to update your application once it has been submitted, but the closing date has not yet passed, you can submit a new, updated application and request to withdraw the original one by emailing operationsservicedesk@creative.gov.au 

Grant applications can be found and are submitted through our online system. If you are using the system for the first time you will need to register your details before filling out a grant application form. 

When will I be notified about the outcome of my application? 

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately 12 weeks after the closing date. Please see the guidelines page for the grant category you are interested in for more details. 

Yes, however you must be the applicant. Contact us to discuss your proposal prior to submitting your application.

To apply for this category your project must be circus or physical theatre activity or proposing to support the Victorian circus and physical theatre sector.

This program supports circus and physical theatre practice, it does not extend to dance or dance-theatre. 

Following changes to the circus and physical theatre landscape in Victoria during 2021, the Australia Council for the Arts and Creative Victoria are jointly managing new investments to support the circus and physical theatre sector, guided by the principles of the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework. 

We define a ‘group’ as two or more individuals who do not form a legally constituted organisation.  This can include co-collaborators and collectives.  Groups are not eligible to apply to programs open only to organisations. 

An ‘organisation’ is a legally constituted organisation that is registered or created by law. For example, incorporated associations, companies limited by guarantee or government statutory authorities are all defined as organisations. Organisations that are not legally constituted are not eligible to apply for funding in grant categories that are open to organisations only. Organisations may be required to provide a certificate of incorporation or evidence of their current legal status.  Funding programs for organisations are not intended for sole traders or partnerships. 

No. 

Yes. However, the contact person for group applications must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. 

No, international organisations are not eligible to apply for this category.

We provide funding to practising artists or artsworkers. While you may not regularly earn income from your practice, you must be identified and recognised by your peers as a practising artist or artsworker. This may include cultural practitioners, editors, producers, curators and arts managers. 

No. If you have an overdue grant acquittal you will not be eligible to apply for any further grants. 

No. Only Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents may apply to the Australia Council for funding. Foreign nationals who are permitted to live and work in Australia by holding visas such as a Special Category visa or a Bridging visa are not eligible to apply. 

Yes. Creative research and development is a key component of the creative process and can be funded through this category.

Yes. We accept applications in languages other than English, including Auslan. 

If any part of your application requires translation into English, please contact the Artists Services team at least four weeks before the closing date of the round to which you intend to apply. We will use our best and all reasonable endeavours to assist in having some or all of the material translated. However we reserve the right to refuse an application in a language other than English if we believe there is no genuine reason to accept such an application, or if the time-frame for translation precludes us from making the materials available for assessment in the round to which it was submitted.

If you wish to request an application form in a language other than English, please contact the Artists Services team at least 12 weeks before the closing date of the round to which you intend to apply.

We reserve the right to refuse an application form translation request if we believe there is no genuine reason for the request. We also reserve the right to refuse an application form translation if the time-frame for translation prevents us from providing a translated form in time for assessment in the round to which it was submitted. 

Where you have supplied creative content in a language other than English, we may engage an industry expert to provide the peers with an evaluation of the artistic merit of that creative content. 

You can speak with staff at the Australia Council in your first language. Please telephone the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 (local call anywhere in Australia) and ask to be connected with the Australia Council. 

Applications that focus solely on academic studies, or are for activities that are part of assessable coursework are unlikely to be successful with our assessment panels. Assessment panels are also unlikely to support applications requesting the costs of academic fees or courses. 

If you wish to apply for study costs, explain to the panel how your project extends, or supplements, the course’s standard curriculum requirements. Also, bear in mind that your project will be assessed on artistic merit of the work. 

If you are applying for funding to complete a training program, course, workshop or diploma, explain how doing so will impact positively on your career or practice. 

Do you fund feature film, television or documentary? 

While we can support screen-based art, we do not generally support activities associated with feature film, television or documentary. See Screen Australia, the Federal Government’s primary agency for production of Australian screen activity. https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/  

No, we do not offer quick response grants. Outside of our regular grants program, we do offer a number of other grants and opportunities. 

Yes. Early career artists are eligible to apply for funding through this category.  

Yes. Organisations can propose a program of projects and/or activities. This could be an organisation’s full artistic program for a given calendar year, for example.

We encourage applicants to be mindful of the following considerations: 

The activities should each contribute toward a clear, unifying overall objective –  for example,  the organisation’s artistic vision. It is important to demonstrate the rationale for the inclusion of these activities and how the overall program will align with the organisation’s vision.

In proposing a program consisting of multiple projects or activities, it is possible that some individual projects may be less compelling than others. If you are submitting an application proposing multiple activities or projects, we encourage you to ensure that a similar level of consideration, planning, and artistic merit is common to each to avoid one component of your program potentially letting down the others. 

You may wish to consider using one of the 3 URLs you can provide as support material to link to a document that provides more detail about each individual project or activity in your program. 

As a national arts funding body, all Australia Council grant rounds are competitive. Success rates are usually between 15% and 20%. Success rate for this category may be higher depending on demand.