Download

Digital Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) Workshop Series 

About the opportunity

Download is a workshop for First Nations artists and arts workers at all career stages, who are engaging or wish to engage more with digital practice and learn more about ICIP. This is a program developed in partnership with Arts Law Centre of Australia to provide practical advice on how to manage and protect ICIP when working digitally.  

In person workshops will be held in Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. 

Workshops will cover: 

  • Intellectual Property (IP) laws, including Australian copyright laws, and strategies to protect, use, and share copyright material in digital arts practice.  
  • Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), focusing on its protection within the Australian legal framework.  
  • Protocols for working in digital arts practice, including industry standards and guidelines for collaborating with institutions, government, and businesses in Australia.  
  • Techniques for managing and safeguarding ICIP across digital platforms, especially when creating, sharing, using, or selling digital artworks.  
  • Strategies for managing and protecting rights through contracts and partnership arrangements, particularly in commissioned or funded projects, creative collaborations, and co-authorship.  
  • Insights into current policy and legal developments regarding ICIP protections in Australia.  
  • Guidance on accessing legal, consumer law, and licensing services, and understanding how organisations like Arts Law and other support or agent organisations can provide assistance.
    10.00AM – 10.30AM Welcome to Country
    10.30AM – 10.50AM House Keeping & Introductions
    10.50AM – 11.50AM Digital ICIP Workshop – Session 1
    11.50AM – 12.00PM Tea break
    12.00PM – 1.00PM Digital ICIP Workshop – Session 2
    1.00PM – 1.30PM Lunch
    1.30PM – 3.30PM Digital Doctor Sessions

    One-on-one ICIP info sessions for each artist with Arts Law lawyer. Optional in person on the day, or another date via zoom.

    Artists in the Black briefing, what they do and how you can access support

    Update on current opportunities at Creative Australia and information on First Nations and digital programs

Other details: 

  • Each attendee will be provided with a $200 stipend for participating  
  • Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided 
  • Each participant will be provided with a Resource booklet covering key information from the workshop to take with them 

Some venues to be announced.

Location Date Venue
Gimuy Cairns QLD Tuesday, 22 October 2024 NorthSite Contemporary Arts
Tarntanya Adelaide Capacity reached Carclew Youth Arts Centre
Kurdnatta Port Augusta Thursday, 10 April 2025 Venue TBA

Who can submit an EOI 

This opportunity is only open to:  

  • First Nations individuals and groups  

You cannot apply if:  

  • you are an organisation 
  • you received a grant from Creative Australia in the past and that grant has not been satisfactorily acquitted 
  • you owe money to Creative Australia.  

You can only submit one EOI.  

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

More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.

All questions must be completed for your EOI to be eligible. 

You will be notified of the outcome of your EOI in late August 2024.

EOIs will be reviewed and assessed by Creative Australia staff to ensure individuals meet the eligibility requirements.   

Your EOI will be assessed based on how well it addresses the selection criteria below, and in line with Creative Australia’s commitment to diversity and access.   

  • Impact of the proposed workshop on your professional development.    
  • Timeliness and relevance of the workshop to your professional development.   

This program is generously supported by The Sun Foundation. 

This workshop series will be delivered by Arts Law Centre of Australia and Artists in the Black. 

Key dates

Expressions of interest closed.

Digital

Contact

Please direct your enquiries to:
digital@creative.gov.au

 


Related links

First Nations Protocols animation

First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

​​Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) refers to the rights of Indigenous peoples to protect their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and intellectual property. This encompasses a wide range of elements including but not limited to:  

  • ​Traditional knowledge: Practices, innovations, and wisdom developed by Indigenous communities over time.  
  • ​Cultural expressions: Art, music, dance, stories, symbols, and rituals that are integral to the cultural identity of Indigenous peoples.  
  • ​Genetic resources: Biological materials and their derivatives that hold cultural significance or traditional use.  
  • ​Cultural heritage: Tangible and intangible heritage, such as sacred sites, artifacts, languages, and oral traditions.  

​ICIP aims to ensure that Indigenous communities have control over the use, representation, and dissemination of their cultural and intellectual property, safeguarding it from misuse or exploitation. ​ 

​​​No. First Nations artists and artworkers are welcome to apply. You could, for example, be working as a curator, the general manager of an arts centre, in a role focused on digital archiving, in marketing for an arts organisation or as an independent artist. ​​Your arts practice may or may not include work in digital. This workshop would also be suitable for those who are working directly in digital arts including gaming, AR/VR, AI and those with an interest in e-commerce. 

​This workshop is open to those interested in digital arts practice and individuals who might already be using digital tools, platforms or approaches to creating work. You do not need to be actively using digital approaches in your work.

Yes, you can. This might include situations where you are applying on behalf of an Elder, someone with accessibility issues, or other circumstances that prevent a person from applying themselves.

​​We use the term ‘digital’ broadly. Digital includes both online and other technologies that extend or impact on the creation, presentation and distribution of creative content.

​Importantly, we refer to digital as a way of doing things and a way of thinking: a digital mindset. We also use the term when referring to the technology that enables these actions.

​Digital is constantly evolving. The pace of change is speeding up, as are the expectations of arts audiences and consumers, so shifting from fixed and historical mindsets to a flexible, growth mindset and culture is how new opportunities will be identified and realised.​

CREATIVE FUTURES FUND

Delivery Investment

About the program

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

Creative Futures Fund: Delivery Investment will bring new Australian stories to life so people can engage with and experience them.

It is for works in their final stages of development that are ready for presentation. Investment can be used to adapt existing works that have already had a public outcome, develop and deepen partnerships, secure co-investment, realise and share the work, and capture the impact this has had for you, your collaborators and those experiencing the work.

We are seeking great ideas that are ambitious, unexpected and innovative. This includes new works and projects that may leverage existing intellectual property. The innovation could be in the story, the artforms or mediums used, the partners and artists you work with, or the way you will present or share the work.

The investment available is significant, so we want to know what that investment may help you do what wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Funding business as usual activity is not a priority.

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

Investment of between $250,000 and $1,500,000 will be negotiated with successful recipients.

Applications will be accepted and assessed in two stages:

  • Stage 1: an initial Expression of Interest (EOI) where you propose the story you want to bring to life, who you plan to work with and the level of investment you are seeking.
  • Stage 2: a small number of organisations will be invited to develop their EOI into a full application, which will provide detail on how the work will be realised, your partners, how people will engage with the work, the budget, milestones and risk management.

The final amount of investment and any deliverables will be negotiated directly with successful applicants. This may include the recoupment of funds where appropriate. The investment we provide may vary (higher and lower) from the amount requested at Stage 2.

Supported activity can commence from March 2025 onwards and must be completed within three years.

Further background on this fund can be found here.

Stage 1 EOIs closed.

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

Industry advisors were impressed by the interesting range of projects across arts 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 three 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.

Who can apply

  • Australian organisations working in the arts and culture sector who are carrying on business in Australia and have their central management and control in Australia
  • Organisations in receipt of Multi-Year Investment from Creative Australia can apply, however they must demonstrate the delivery or presentation activity is not already supported by their existing funding
  • Organisations can only submit one application to the Delivery Investment stream in this closing date.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply to this fund if:

  • you are an individual or group
  • your organisation is based outside of Australia
  • your organisation does not work in the arts and culture sector
  • you have already applied to this closing date of Delivery Investment
  • you have an overdue report for another Creative Australia grant
  • you owe money to Creative Australia.

What can be applied for

We will support the delivery or presentation of intellectual property that is owned by Australian citizens/permanent residents and/or an Australian company. This includes a wide range of delivery activities such as:

  • final creative developments that build on previous public outcomes
  • adapting existing Australian work and intellectual property into new formats and media
  • presentation based activities such as exhibitions, performances, publishing, recording, streaming, touring
  • professional skills development and capacity building
  • specialist advice and consultancies
  • establishing new partnerships, collaborations, investors, or income streams
  • community engagement and consultation
  • market and audience development
  • evaluation
  • a reasonable contribution to staffing or operational costs in support of this activity.

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

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. 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 apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Please contact Artist Services to discuss your specific needs.

What can’t be applied for

You can’t apply for:

  • funds to develop new works that have not already has some form of public outcome, including works in progress or pilots
  • activities that create or leverage intellectual property that is majority owned by international individuals or entities
  • activities that do not have a clearly defined artistic, creative or cultural component
  • activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists, creative workers, or audiences
  • activities that could be considered a part of ‘business as usual’ for your organisation, and do not demonstrate innovation
  • activities that have already taken place
  • the same activities that have already been funded by Creative Australia (for example, through your multi-year investment)
  • activities that develop, produce, promote and distribute Australian narrative (drama) and documentary screen content
  • activities that could be supported by Screen Australia and its allied state and territory equivalents
  • activities that could be supported by Games Investment steams in the same jurisdictions
  • activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to our First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols.

Industry advisors with diverse and relevant experience assessed the EOIs against the assessment criteria listed below and advised Creative Australia on which applicants to prioritise.

Assessment Criteria

Your EOI was assessed against three assessment criteria. The bullet points underneath each criterion indicate what Industry advisors considered if relevant.

  1. Quality

Industry advisors have assessed the quality of the artistic and/or cultural development proposed in your EOI.

Advisors considered:

  • the quality and vision of the concept, story or work
  • evidence of the quality and impact of the work in earlier stages of development or presentations or in its original medium or format
  • the calibre and track record of your organisation, partners, and collaborators
  • who the final work is being made for, and how those people will engage with it
  • the impact this presentation activity may have for your organisation, collaborators and people
  • where relevant, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to.

  1. Viability

Industry advisors assessed your capacity to undertake ambitious and innovative projects.

Advisors considered:

  • the calibre and track record of your organisation, partners, and collaborators
  • your previous experience delivering other ambitious and innovative projects
  • the financial stability of your organisation
  • evidence that the initial development of your proposed work for delivery has been informed by appropriate consultation and evaluation.

  1. Alignment

Industry advisors assessed the extent to which your EOI aligned with the priorities of the fund – the telling of Australian stories, and innovation.

Advisors considered:

  • who holds or will hold the intellectual property and rights to your story
  • the relevance of your story to contemporary Australia
  • the innovation demonstrated through your partners, the mediums or art forms you will work with, who will engage with the work and the experience they may have
  • how this work extends the usual practice of your organisation and collaborators
  • whether this work represents innovation for the Australian creative and cultural sector.

Moderation

Final decisions on which applicants to invite to submit a full application in Stage 2 were moderated and approved by Creative Australia staff to ensure a diverse investment portfolio across both investment streams, activities, art forms, geography, representation, audiences and risk.

Creative Australia has also determined the investment level that organisations can apply for in Stage 2 and provided those organisations with any specific feedback on issues to address, or support material to provide.

The closing date for full applications is Tuesday 3 December 2024, 3pm AEDT.

Please note that Stage 2 is by invitation only.

Who can apply

Only organisations with a successful EOI at Stage 1 will be invited to submit a full application.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply to Stage 2 if:

  • your EOI was unsuccessful in Stage 1
  • you have an overdue grant report
  • you owe money to Creative Australia.

What can be applied for

We will support the creation or leveraging of intellectual property that is owned by Australian citizens/permanent residents and/or an Australian company. This includes a wide range of delivery activities such as:

  • final creative developments that build on previous public outcomes
  • adapting existing Australian work and intellectual property into new formats and media
  • presentation based activities such as exhibitions, performances, publishing, recording, streaming, touring
  • professional skills development and capacity building
  • specialist advice and consultancies
  • establishing new partnerships, collaborations, investors, or income streams
  • community engagement and consultation
  • market and audience development
  • evaluation
  • a reasonable contribution to staffing or operational costs in support of this activity.

What can’t be applied for

You can’t apply for:

  • activities where all the costs are funded through this investment; you must demonstrate other sources of income will be leveraged or contributed.
  • activities that create or leverage intellectual property that is majority owned by international individuals or entities
  • activities that do not have a clearly defined artistic, creative or cultural component
  • activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists, creative workers or audiences
  • activities that could be considered a part of ‘business as usual’ for your organisation, and do not demonstrate innovation
  • activities that develop, produce, promote and distribute Australian narrative (drama) and documentary screen content
  • activities that could be supported by Screen Australia and its allied state and territory equivalents
  • activities that could be supported by Games Investment steams in the same jurisdictions
  • activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to our 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.

Industry advisors with diverse and relevant experience will assess your application against the assessment criteria listed below and advise Creative Australia on which applicants to prioritise.

Please note the industry advisors who will assess your application will include some advisors from Stage 1 as well as new advisors. Please consider this when preparing your application. Do not assume all industry advisors will be familiar with the information provided in your EOI.

Assessment Criteria

Your application will be assessed against three assessment criteria. The bullet points underneath each criterion indicate what industry advisors may consider if relevant. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

  1. Quality

Industry advisors will assess the quality of the artistic and/or cultural presentation activities proposed in your EOI.

Advisors may consider:

  • the quality and vision of the concept, story or work
  • the calibre and track record of your organisation, partners, and collaborators
  • who the proposed work will be made for, and how they may engage with it
  • contribution to a diverse cultural expression in the context of the wider Australian arts sector.

  1. Viability

Industry advisors will assess the viability of your application, including your capacity to successfully complete

Advisors may consider:

  • your capacity to realise this new work
  • the role of partners or collaborators
  • whether your plan and use of resources is realistic and achievable, including contingencies and risk management
  • the timeliness and relevance of the work for your organisation and collaborators
  • the diversity and scale of income and co-funding, including earned income, grants, sponsorship, philanthropy, in-kind contributions
  • how you aim to evaluate the impact of this work.

  1. Impact

Industry advisors will assess the expected impact this presentation will have on your organisation, your collaborators and those engaging with the proposed work.

Advisors may consider:

  • new partnerships and collaborations established or deepened through the activity
  • how the delivery or presentation of your work will build the capacity and skills of you and your collaborators to work in new ways with new mediums, art forms or audiences
  • the level of innovation, ambition, experimentation or risk-taking within this work, organisation and wider sector
  • how the work will reach and engage with new people in new ways, and evidence that there is demand for this
  • the potential for new revenue streams or markets for your work
  • the potential benefit and impact on careers, artistic or cultural practice in the wider sector.

Moderation

Final decisions on which applicants to invest in will be moderated and approved by Creative Australia staff to ensure a diverse investment portfolio across both investment streams, activities, art forms, geography, representation, audiences and risk.

Creative Australia will also determine the investment level that will be made, along with any special conditions and deliverables. Where appropriate, we make seek specialist advice from industry professionals.

Decisions will be approved by the Creative Australia Executive team.

Your full application must be submitted via Creative Australia’s Application Management System.

Creative Australia staff will create a draft application for you and advise you when it is ready to access via the grantee portal.

Please note the industry advisors who will assess your application will include some advisors from Stage 1 as well as new advisors. Please consider this when preparing your application. Do not assume all industry advisors will be familiar with the information provided in your EOI.

The application form contains the following questions:

  • Tell us about your organisation as relevant to this application focusing on key people, highlights and achievements, in no more than 2,400 characters.
  • Tell us about the Australian story you want to tell and the work that you plan to deliver/present and how it differs from your usual practice. Describe the artistic vision, the process you will undertake, and the intended outcomes of the delivery/presentation, in no more than 5,600 characters.
  • Explain who owns or will own the work you will be delivering/presenting. Where relevant, describe the intellectual property and any agreements that you have in place, in no more than 3,200 characters.
  • Tell us who you are planning to reach or engage with through this new work, how you plan to do this, and how this may extend your usual practice, in no more than 3,200 characters.
  • Explain what role your partners will play in the delivery/presentation of the new work. Where relevant, describe any new connections or partners you will work with from the public, commercial and private sectors, in no more than 2,400 characters.
  • Tell us what impact this delivery/presentation will have on your organisation, your collaborators and partners, and those engaging with the new work, in no more than 5,600 characters.
  • Provide details on up to three (3) Key Performance Indicators (KPI) or goals you aim to achieve through the delivery of this work, in no more than 2,400 characters.
    (Please note that any KPIs or goals may be included in your funding agreement if successful. They may be subject to further negotiation between your organisation and Creative Australia.)
  • Detailed information on key personnel and collaborators, including their confirmed involvement.
  • A detailed list of activities and a timeline including milestones and key deliverables.
  • A detailed budget for the duration of your project.
    • Income includes in-kind support, cash contributions and other leveraged income.
    • Expenditure including all activities associated with presentation/delivery costs. Your budget should also include further details on how royalties and other income will be distributed (if applicable).
    • Financial information on your organisations latest forecasted operating results. If you are a calendar year-end organisation, please include a total of actual results for 9 months to 30 September 2024 and forecasted results for 3 months to 31 December 2024. If you are a financial year-end organisation, please provide actual results for the year ended 30 June 2024.

You must submit support material with your full application. The Industry Advisors will review this material to help them assess your proposed activity.

We strongly recommend you curate the support material you provide to make it 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.

Creative Australia will not view any URLs that require log in or to 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 include a maximum of:

  • 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording, and/or
  • 10 images, and/or
  • 15 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of writing, scripts and letters of support/confirmation).

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 creativefuturesfund@creative.gov.au.

You must provide the following essential support material.

  1. Artistic support material

Please provide up to 3 URLs (weblinks) that best demonstrate your organisation’s artistic works for presentation/delivery. These URLs may include video, audio, images and written material. The Artistic support material you include should provide clear evidence of the artistic and cultural quality of your proposed activities.

  1. Letters of support/confirmation

You must provide letters to evidence your organisation’s engagement with communities or key partners that are named in your application – these may be included as one of your 3 URLs or uploaded as support material.

If you are working with a targeted group or community to develop your work, please upload a community engagement plan as a part of your support material, see point 7.

  1. Bios/CVs of the key personnel

You must provide bios/CVs of key personnel to indicate the skills/expertise and relevance of your key artists and creative workers involved in your development presentation/delivery.

  1. Risk and management

Applicants are required to submit a risk management plan for the duration of the project.

Your plan does not need to follow a specific proforma however you may wish to use this template. The document should not exceed 3 pages.

You may want to consider the following details:

  • Identify Risks: Engage key stakeholders, including staff, board members, and volunteers, to brainstorm and identify potential risks relevant to the activities or events of the organisation.
  • Description and Likelihood: For each identified risk, provide a clear and concise description of the risk, including its potential causes and consequences. Assess the likelihood of each risk occurring on a scale e.g. low, medium, high.
  • Potential Impact: Evaluate the potential impact of each risk. Consider impacts on the organisation’s objectives, finances, reputation, and stakeholders etc. Assess the impact on a scale, e.g. low, medium, high.
  • Ownership and Responsibility: Assign ownership of each risk to the appropriate individual (i.e. board, program lead, producer, production manager or operations team etc.) responsible for managing and monitoring the risk.

  1. Marketing and communications plan

Please provide a high-level marketing and communications plan outlining your key selling points and strategies for marketing/engagement. The purpose of this document is to explain how you will effectively engage with your audience for the delivery /presentation of the new work. Your plan does not need to follow a specific proforma however you may want to include the following details:

  • Outline the key selling points for the work
  • Describe your target audience/community and how you intend to reach them.
  • The anticipated timelines for carrying out your marketing / communications strategies
  • Identify resources required to deliver the strategy
  • Personnel responsible for implementation

The document should not exceed 2 pages.

  1. Evaluation approach

Applicants are required to submit a document outlining your approach to evaluating your presentation/delivery. Your 3 KPIs or goals should be clear and measurable. Applicants may want to consider goals including audience targets, new partnerships and new income sources.

Your plan does not need to follow a specific proforma however you may wish to include the following details,

  • The KPIs or goals as noted in your application. There should be no more than 3
  • The anticipated timeline of when these will be completed
  • Personnel responsible for implementation
  • Indicators of success, e.g. how will you know you have achieved your goal

The document should not exceed 1 page. Please note that any KPI targets included may be subject to further negotiation when funding agreements are finalised.

  1. Community engagement plan

If you are working with a targeted group or community for the development of your work, you must upload a Community Engagement Plan. The purpose of this document is to explain how you will effectively engage with your community to develop your work. The document should not exceed 2 pages.

Your plan does not need to follow a specific proforma however you may wish to include the following details:

  • List and identify community organisations and representatives to be invited and involved, e.g. Traditional Owners or Elders, LGA representatives, key community members, representatives of targeted groups.
  • Identify the aims or goals for engaging with the community representatives.
  • Identify when/how the community engagement will occur, eg modes of communications and timelines.
  • Identify how decisions will be made and who owns these decisions/content produced
  • Identify any resources required.

We may request additional support material specific to your application, as recommended by the Industry Advisors and staff who reviewed your EOI.

Recipients of the fund will be notified in late February 2025 and announced in March.

If your application is successful, we will give you a draft investment agreement that specifies the amount of investment we will provide, the proposed payment schedule, milestones, deliverables, and any other conditions of investment. For commercial projects, this may include financial recoupment. We will negotiate the final version of this agreement with you.

We will pay you once you have accepted your investment agreement and any reports or deliverables you must provide us with have been approved.

You may be asked to participate in evaluation activities with Creative Australia staff and external evaluators at various times throughout your project. These may include working with Creative Australia’s delivery partners, (eg Climate Action Services).

Watch our information session here and below.

Key dates

Stage 1: Expressions of Interest (EOI)

Stage 1 EOIs closed.

Stage 2: Full Applications (invitation only)

Closing date for full applications: Tuesday 3 December 2024, 3pm AEDT.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application within 12 weeks after the closing date.

Contact

If you want advice about your Stage 2 full application, contact:

Wendy Martin 
Director, Creative Futures Fund
Phone: 02 9215 9000
Toll-free: 1800 226 912
NRS: 1800 555 677 | Visit the NRS
Email: creativefuturesfund@creative.gov.au

Frequently asked questions for Stage 2 applications

  • Applications will be reviewed by Industry advisors who will make recommendations for Creative Australia to consider when making the final investment decisions. The panel of advisors are selected based on their differing arts practice knowledge and experience.
  • Some Industry advisors are participating in both EOI and Stage 2 reviews. We will endeavour to engage a portion of Industry advisors to review across both stages, however this information will not be made public.
  • The full list of Industry advisors will be published on our website following notification of the outcomes of Stage 2.

Only the most competitive organisations have been invited to submit a full application.

28 applicants across both the Development and Delivery streams (10%) have been invited to submit a full application in Stage 2. The success rate will be higher at this stage than at EOI stage.

You may request the same amount as you asked for in your EOI. The final amount of investment and any deliverables will be negotiated directly with successful applicants. The investment may vary (higher or lower) from the amount requested.

The questions and support material requirements are outlined in the guidelines for each stream. You may replicate or update information provided in your EOI, including financial information.

You will need to submit budget details including all income and expenditure for the duration of your project. with explanation of the main assumptions underlining key budget estimates. Partners and their income contributions should also be included in the budget.

You will also need to provide financial information on your organisations latest forecasted operating results. If you are a calendar year-end organisation, please include a total of actual results for 9 months to 30 September 2024 and forecasted results for 3 months to 31 December 2024. If you are a financial year-end organisation, please provide actual results for the year ended 30 June 2024.

Support material requirements are included in the guidelines. Please consider submitting materials to demonstrate confirmed partnerships and collaborations alongside artistic examples of your work.

Ensure you abide by the support material limits. Industry advisors are not required to read/view any material that exceeds the limits.

You can include a maximum of:

  • 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording, and/or
  • 10 images, and/or
  • 15 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of writing, scripts and letters of support/confirmation).

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 creativefuturesfund@creative.gov.au

The only support material we will accept after the Stage 2 closing date is audited accounts for the 2023/24 financial year.

If you need to submit these accounts after the closing date, please send them to creativefuturesfund@creative.gov.au. Be sure to include your application reference number in the email.

Please note, late support material is not distributed to Industry advisors with your application. We make a note of it on file and bring it to the attention of Industry advisors at our discretion.

CREATIVE FUTURES FUND

Development Investment

About the program

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

Creative Futures Fund: Development Investment can support the creation and testing of new ideas and works, the establishment of new partnerships, collaborations and skills to lay the foundations for future delivery. This stream is also suitable for applicants who are testing their work in the market.

We are seeking great ideas that are ambitious, unexpected and innovative. This includes new works and projects that may leverage existing intellectual property. The innovation could be in the story, the artforms or mediums used, the partners and artists you work with, or the way you will present or share the work.

The investment available is significant. We want to know what that investment may help you do that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Funding ‘business as usual’ activity is not a priority.

The fund will only support Australian stories. The intellectual property must be majority owned by Australian creatives, be an Australian concept, and have subject matter that is relevant to contemporary Australia.

Investment of between $50,000 and $250,000 will be negotiated with successful recipients.

Applications will be accepted and assessed in two stages:

  • Stage 1: an initial Expression of Interest (EOI) where you propose the story or work you want to develop or adapt, and the level of investment you are seeking. (Now closed)
  • Stage 2: a small number of organisations will be invited to develop their EOI into a full application, which will detail the development process, partners, budget, milestones and risk management.

The final amount of investment and any deliverables will be negotiated directly with successful applicants. The investment may vary (higher or lower) from the amount requested at Stage 2.

Supported activity can commence from March 2025 onwards and must be completed within two years.

Further background on this fund can be found here.

Stage 1 EOIs closed.

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

Feedback on Stage 1 Expression of Interest

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.

Who can apply

  • Australian organisations working in the arts and culture sector who are carrying on business in Australia and have their central management and control in Australia.
  • Organisations in receipt of Multi-Year Investment from Creative Australia can apply, however they must demonstrate the development activity is not already supported by their existing funding.
  • Organisations can only submit one application to the Development Investment stream to this closing date.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply to this fund if:

  • you are an individual or group
  • your organisation is based outside of Australia
  • your organisation does not work in the arts and culture sector
  • you have already applied to this closing date of Development Investment
  • you have an overdue report for another Creative Australia grant
  • you owe money to Creative Australia.

What can be applied for

We will support the creation or leveraging of intellectual property that is owned by Australian citizens/permanent residents and/or an Australian company. This includes a wide range of development activities such as:

  • research and development
  • creative development and experimentation
  • adapting existing Australian work and intellectual property into new formats and mediums
  • work in progress showings, prototypes, pilots and other forms of market testing and evaluation
  • professional skills development and capacity building
  • establishing new partnerships, collaborations, investors, or income streams
  • community engagement and consultation
  • market and audience development
  • a reasonable contribution to staffing or operational costs in support of this activity.

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

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. development 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 apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Please contact Artist Services to discuss your specific needs.

What can’t be applied for

You can’t apply for:

  • activities that create or leverage intellectual property that is majority owned by international individuals or entities
  • activities that do not have a clearly defined artistic, creative or cultural component
  • activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists, arts professionals or audiences
  • activities that could be considered a part of ‘business as usual’ for your organisation, and do not demonstrate innovation
  • activities that have already taken place
  • the same activities that have already been funded by Creative Australia (for example, through your multi-year investment)
  • activities that develop, produce, promote and distribute Australian narrative (drama) and documentary screen content
  • activities that could be supported by Screen Australia and its allied state and territory equivalents
  • activities that could be supported by Games Investment steams in the same jurisdictions
  • activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to our 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.

Industry advisors with diverse and relevant experience assessed the EOIs against the assessment criteria listed below and advised Creative Australia on which applicants to prioritise.

Assessment Criteria

EOIs were assessed against two assessment criteria. The bullet points underneath each criterion indicate what Industry Advisors considered if relevant.

  1. Quality

Industry advisors assessed the quality of the artistic and/or cultural development proposed in your EOI.

Advisors considered:

  • the quality and vision of the concept, story or work
  • the calibre and track record of your organisation, partners, and collaborators
  • who the proposed work will be made for, and how they may engage with it
  • the impact the development activity may have for your organisation
  • where relevant, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to.

  1. Alignment

Industry advisors assessed the extent to which your EOI aligned with the priorities of the fund – the telling of Australian stories, and innovation.

Advisors considered:

  • who holds or will hold the intellectual property and rights to your story
  • the relevance of your story to contemporary Australia
  • the innovation demonstrated through your partners, the mediums or art forms you will work with, who will engage with the work and the experience they may have
  • how this development extends the usual practice of your organisation and collaborators
  • whether this development represents innovation for the Australian creative and cultural sector.

Moderation

Final decisions on which applicants to invite to submit a full application in Stage 2 were moderated and approved by Creative Australia staff to ensure a diverse investment portfolio across both investment streams, activities, art forms, geography, representation, audiences and risk.

Creative Australia has also determined the investment level that organisations can apply for in Stage 2 and provided those organisations with specific feedback on issues to address, or support material to provide.

The closing date for full applications is Tuesday 3 December 2024, 3pm AEDT.

Please note that Stage 2 is by invitation only.

Who can apply

Only organisations with a successful EOI at Stage 1 will be invited to submit a full application.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply to Stage 2 if:

  • your EOI was unsuccessful in Stage 1
  • you have an overdue report for another Creative Australia grant
  • You owe money to Creative Australia.

What can be applied for

We will support the creation or leveraging of intellectual property that is owned by Australian citizens/permanent residents and/or an Australian company. This includes a wide range of development activities such as:

  • research and development
  • creative development and experimentation
  • adapting existing Australian work and intellectual property into new formats and mediums
  • work in progress showings, prototypes, pilots and other forms of market testing and evaluation
  • professional skills development and capacity building
  • establishing new partnerships, collaborations, investors, or income streams
  • community engagement and consultation
  • market and audience development
  • a reasonable contribution to staffing or operational costs in support of this activity (for organisations not receiving multi-year investment from Creative Australia).

What can’t be applied for

You can’t apply for:

  • activities where all the costs are funded through this investment; you must demonstrate other sources of income will be leveraged or contributed
  • activities that create or leverage intellectual property that is majority owned by international individuals or entities
  • activities that do not have a clearly defined artistic, creative or cultural component
  • activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists, creative workers or audiences
  • activities that could be considered a part of ‘business as usual’ for your organisation, and do not demonstrate innovation
  • activities that develop, produce, promote and distribute Australian narrative (drama) and documentary screen content
  • activities that could be supported by Screen Australia and its allied state and territory equivalents
  • activities that could be supported by Games Investment steams in the same jurisdictions
  • activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to our 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.

Industry advisors with diverse and relevant experience will assess your Stage 2 application against the assessment criteria listed below and advise Creative Australia on which applicants to prioritise.

Please note the industry advisors who will assess your application will include some advisors from Stage 1 as well as new advisors. Please consider this when preparing your application. Do not assume all industry advisors will be familiar with the information provided in your EOI.

Assessment Criteria

Your application will be assessed against three assessment criteria. The bullet points underneath each criterion indicate what industry advisors may consider if relevant. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

  1. Quality

Industry advisors will assess the quality of the artistic and/or cultural development proposed in your EOI.

Advisors may consider:

  • the quality and vision of the concept, story or work
  • the calibre and track record of your organisation, partners, and collaborators
  • how the work will be developed, and where appropriate, how communities or targeted groups have been consulted/engaged.
  • who the proposed work will be made for, and how they may engage with it
  • relevance and the importance of the proposed Australian story and its contribution to diverse cultural expression in the context of the wider Australian arts sector.

  1. Viability

Industry advisors will assess the viability of your application, including your capacity to successfully complete the activities proposed.

Advisors may consider:

  • your capacity to undertake this development, including your organisational stability
  • the role of partners or collaborators
  • whether your plan and use of resources is realistic and achievable, including contingencies and risk management
  • the diversity and scale of income and co-funding, including earned income, grants, sponsorship, philanthropy, in-kind contributions
  • how you aim to reflect on, respond to and potentially evaluate this work
  • where relevant, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to.

  1. Impact

Industry advisors will assess the expected impact this development will have on your organisation, your collaborators and those engaging with the proposed work.

Advisors may consider:

  • new partnerships and collaborations established or deepened through the activity
  • how the development will build the capacity and skills of you and your collaborators to work in new ways with new mediums, art forms or audiences
  • the level of innovation, ambition, experimentation or risk-taking within this work, organisation and wider sector
  • the timeliness and relevance of this development for your organisation and collaborators
  • how the work will reach and engage with new people in new ways, and evidence that there is demand for this
  • the potential for new revenue streams or markets for your work
  • the potential benefit and impact on careers, artistic or cultural practice in the wider sector.

Moderation

Final decisions on which applicants to invest in will be moderated and approved by Creative Australia staff to ensure a diverse investment portfolio across both investment streams, activities, art forms, geography, representation, audiences and risk.

Creative Australia will also determine the investment level that will be made, along with any special conditions and deliverables. Where appropriate, we make seek specialist advice from industry professionals.

Decisions will be approved by the Creative Australia Executive team.

Your full application must be submitted via Creative Australia’s Application Management System.

Creative Australia staff will create a draft application for you and advise you when it is ready to access via the grantee portal.

Please note the industry advisors who will assess your application will include some advisors from Stage 1 as well as new advisors. Please consider this when preparing your application. Do not assume all industry advisors will be familiar with the information provided in your EOI.

The application form contains the following questions:

  • Tell us about your organisation as relevant to this application focusing on key people, highlights and achievements, in no more than 2,400 characters.
  • Tell us about the Australian story you want to tell and the work that you plan to develop and how it differs from your usual practice. Describe the artistic vision, the process you will undertake, and the intended outcomes of the development, in no more than 5,600 characters.
  • Explain who owns or will own the work you will be developing. Where relevant, describe the intellectual property and any agreements that you have in place, in no more than 3,200 characters.
  • Tell us who you are planning to reach or engage with through this new work, how you plan to do this, and how this may extend your usual practice, in no more than 3,200 characters.
  • Explain what role your partners will play in the development of the new work. Where relevant, describe any new connections or partners you will work with from the public, commercial and private sectors, in no more than 2,400 characters.
  • Tell us what impact this development will have on your organisation, your collaborators and partners, and those engaging with the new work, in no more than 5,600 characters.
  • Tell us how you intend to evaluate the impact of the new work you are developing, in no more than 2,400 characters.
  • Detailed information on key personnel and collaborators, indicating their confirmed involvement.
  • A detailed list of activities and a timeline including milestones and key deliverables.
  • A detailed budget for the duration of your project.
    • Income includes in-kind support, cash contributions and other leveraged income.
    • Expenditure including all aspects of the development.
    • Financial information on your organisations latest forecasted operating results. If you are a calendar year-end organisation, please include a total of actual results for 9 months to 30 September 2024 and forecasted results for 3 months to 31 December 2024. If you are a financial year-end organisation, please provide actual results for the year ended 30 June 2024.

You must submit support material with your full application. The Industry Advisors will review this material to help them assess your proposed activity.

We strongly recommend you curate the support material you provide to make it 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.

Industry advisors will not view any URLs that require log in or to 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 include a maximum of:

  • 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording, and/or
  • 10 images, and/or
  • 15 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of writing, scripts and letters of support/confirmation).

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 creativefuturesfund@creative.gov.au.

You must provide the following essential support material.

  1. Artistic support material

Please provide up to 3 URLs (weblinks) that best demonstrate your organisation’s artistic works for development. These URLs may include video, audio, images and written material. The artistic support material you include should provide clear evidence of the artistic and cultural quality of your proposed activities.

  1. Letters of support/confirmation

You must provide letters for your application to evidence your organisation’s engagement with communities or key partners that are named in the application  – these may be included as one of your 3 URLs or uploaded as a file.

If you are working with a targeted group or community to develop your work, you must upload a community engagement plan as a part of your support material. See point 5.

  1. Bios/CVs of the key personnel

You must provide bios/CVs of key personnel to indicate the skills/expertise and relevance of your key artists and creative workers involved in your development.

  1. Risk and management

Applicants are required to submit a risk management plan for the duration of the project.

Your plan does not need to follow a specific proforma however you may wish to use this template. The document should not exceed 2 pages.

You may want to consider the following details:

  • Identify Risks: Engage key stakeholders, including staff, board members, and volunteers, to brainstorm and identify potential risks relevant to the activities or events of the organization.
  • Description and Likelihood: For each identified risk, provide a clear and concise description of the risk, including its potential causes and consequences. Assess the likelihood of each risk occurring on a scale e.g. low, medium, high.
  • Potential Impact: Evaluate the potential impact of each risk. Consider impacts on the organisation’s objectives, finances, reputation, and stakeholders etc. Assess the impact on a scale, e.g. low, medium, high.
  • Ownership and Responsibility: Assign ownership of each risk to the appropriate individual (i.e. board, program lead, producer, production manager or operations team etc.) responsible for managing and monitoring the risk.

  1. Community engagement plan

If you are working with a targeted group or community for the development of your work, you must upload a Community Engagement Plan. The purpose of this document is to explain how you will effectively engage with your community to develop your work. The document should not exceed 2 pages.

Your plan does not need to follow a specific proforma however you may wish to include the following details:

  • List and identify community organisations and representatives to be invited and involved, e.g. Traditional Owners or Elders, LGA representatives, key community members, representatives of targeted groups.
  • Identify the aims or goals for engaging with the community representatives.
  • Identify when/how the community engagement will occur, e.g. modes of communications, events and timelines.
  • Identify how decisions will be made and who owns these decisions/content produced
  • Identify any resources required.

We may request additional support material specific to your application, as recommended by the Industry Advisors and staff who reviewed your EOI.

Recipients of the fund will be notified in late February 2025 and announced in March.

If your application is successful, we will give you a draft investment agreement that specifies the amount of investment we will provide, the proposed payment schedule, milestones, deliverables, and any other conditions of investment. We will negotiate the final version of this agreement with you.

We will pay you once you have accepted your investment agreement and any reports or deliverables you must provide us with have been approved.

You may be asked to participate in evaluation activities with Creative Australia staff and external evaluators at various times throughout your project. These may include working with Creative Australia’s delivery partners, (e.g. Climate Action Services).

Watch our information session here and below.

Key dates

Stage 1: Expressions of Interest (EOI)

Stage 1 EOIs closed.

Stage 2: Full Applications (invitation only)

Closing date for full applications: Tuesday 3 December 2024, 3pm AEDT.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application within 12 weeks after the closing date.

Contact

If you want advice about your Stage 2 full application, contact:

Wendy Martin 
Director, Creative Futures Fund
Phone: 02 9215 9000
Toll-free: 1800 226 912
NRS: 1800 555 677 | Visit the NRS
Email: creativefuturesfund@creative.gov.au

Frequently asked questions for Stage 2 applications

  • Applications will be reviewed by Industry advisors who will make recommendations for Creative Australia to consider when making the final investment decisions. The panel of advisors are selected based on their differing arts practice knowledge and experience.
  • Some Industry advisors are participating in both EOI and Stage 2 reviews. We will endeavour to engage a portion of Industry advisors to review across both stages, however this information will not be made public.
  • The full list of Industry advisors will be published on our website following notification of the outcomes of Stage 2.

Only the most competitive organisations have been invited to submit a full application.

In total 28 applicants across both the Development and Delivery streams (10%) have been invited to submit a full application in Stage 2. The success rate will be higher at this stage than at EOI stage.

You may request the same amount as you asked for in your EOI. The final amount of investment and any deliverables will be negotiated directly with successful applicants. The investment may vary (higher or lower) from the amount requested.

The questions and support material requirements are outlined in the guidelines for each stream. You may replicate or update information provided in your EOI, including financial information.

You will need to submit budget details including all income and expenditure for the duration of your project with explanation of the main assumptions underlying key budget estimates. Partners and their income contributions should also be included in the budget.

You will also need to provide financial information on your organisations latest forecasted operating results. If you are a calendar year-end organisation, please include a total of actual results for 9 months to 30 September 2024 and forecasted results for 3 months to 31 December 2024. If you are a financial year-end organisation, please provide actual results for the year ended 30 June 2024.

Support material requirements are included in the guidelines. Please consider submitting materials to demonstrate confirmed partnerships and collaborations alongside artistic examples of your work.

Ensure you abide by the support material limits. Industry advisors are not required to read/view any material that exceeds the limits.

You can include a maximum of:

  • 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording, and/or
  • 10 images, and/or
  • 15 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of writing, scripts and letters of support/confirmation).

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 creativefuturesfund@creative.gov.au

The only support material we will accept after the Stage 2 closing date is the year end operating results.

If you need to submit these accounts after the closing date, please send them to creativefuturesfund@creative.gov.au. Be sure to include your application reference number in the email.

Please note, late support material is not distributed to Industry advisors with your application. We make a note of it on file and bring it to the attention of Industry advisors at our discretion.

Uplift: Digital Skills Program

Supporting First Nations led digital capability and training initiatives.

Patrina Munuŋgurr, The Mulka Project, Warwuyun Gurra Wäŋawu (Sorrow For Home), 2020

 

About the program

Uplift provides grants of up to $50,000 to support professional development, training and mentoring to build digital capability for First Nations artists and creative workers. 

This opportunity is open to First Nations led organisations and businesses to deliver activities within local communities. Funding can support a range of digital development opportunities identified as priority areas for building capacity. 

Applicants will need to provide a detailed proposal outlining planned activities, timeline and intended outcomes. Activities must take place between July 1 2024 – June 30 2025. 

  • e-commerce training and development to support First Nations businesses in the digital economy  
  • formal training and hands on experience in the use of digital platforms for video, sound or game engines, e.g. Final Cut Pro, Touch Designer, Blendr, Pro Tools, Abelton Live, Unity, Unreal Engine, Premiere Pro (for VR) 
  • purchase of specialist equipment and accompanying workshops to support training, e.g. filming and post-production on 360 degree video 
  • mentorships between emerging and established digital artists  
  • workshops with First Nations digital entrepreneurs to support business development and viability for digital enterprises  
  • LAB models supporting practical experimentation and skills exchange in VR, AR, Immersive or interactive video  
  • placements, secondments or attachments to support emerging digital practitioners  
  • networking and delegation opportunities to attend technology and digital conferences 
  • training and mentoring for artists in game development   
  • on-the-job training for staff within an organisation to digitally upskill 
  • digital marketing and audience engagement coaching and strategy development.

This opportunity is only open to: 

  • First Nations organisations and businesses 

You cannot apply if: 

  • you are not a First Nations organisation or business
  • you are an individual or a group
  • you received a grant from Creative Australia in the past and that grant has not been satisfactorily acquitted
  • you owe money to Creative Australia. 

You can only submit one application. 

Information sessions  

Question and answer sessions 

We will host a question and answer session where you can anonymously submit questions about the fund, and we will answer them live. 

This session will be Auslan interpreted and live captioned. A recording of the session will be posted here after the event.  

Applications will be reviewed by Creative Australia staff and industry advisors. Your application will be assessed based on how well it addresses the selection criteria.  

The selection criteria are:  

Quality: The quality of the proposed activities to support the proposed area of digital skills development     

Viability: The viability of the proposed activities; planning; access; protocols; evaluation; budget  

Impact: The expected impact or outcome of the proposed activities for the targeted participants/audience.  

In the application form we ask you some questions to help you respond to these criteria.  

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, and 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. 

Click on the ‘Apply Now’ button at the top of this page to go to Fluxx, our system for managing applications.  

You will need an account to use Fluxx. It can take up to 2 business days for a new account to be approved. If you have an account already you can log in.  

Select ‘Apply for a Grant’ from the left panel menu. From the list of opportunities select “Uplift”. 

The application form will require you to fill in some details about your organisation, select from some options, respond to questions and submit support material. 

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

  • title for your project 
  • biography of your organisation or business 
  • description and detailed outline of the planned activity and how it will address an area need in digital skills development 
  • project start and end dates 
  • a projected budget which details the expenses, income and in-kind support of the project 
  • support material/letters of support. 

Support material required:  

1. Letters of Support 

You must include one (1) and no more than three (3)  letters of support for your project, with each letter no longer than one A4 page. Where possible, combine your letters into a single document or link. 

Individuals, groups or organisations can write letters of support for your activity. These letters should explain: 

  • how the activity will benefit digital skills development for the intended participants 
  • how appropriate cultural protocols will be observed and relevant permissions obtained. 

 2. Evidence of your organisations experience in delivering professional development activities  

Provide recent examples of your work that is relevant to the activity. This could include, but is not limited to: 

  • a link to examples  of your work that may include video, audio, images or written material 
  • a link to examples of your proposed activity  that may include video, audio, images, written material or  links to websites and related social media sites. 

Our preferred way of receiving support material is via URLs (web links). You can submit up to three URLs, which may include your website, or links to video, audio, images, scanned documents and written material. 

If you cannot provide URLs, you  can  attach up to two documents to your application in either PDF or Word. 

We strongly recommend you link to existing, accessible examples of your work – there is no need to create new content for this application. 

We do not accept support material submitted via post. 

Please contact Georgia Mokak, Manager First Nations Development Programs via digital@creative.gov.au if:  

  • you would like these guidelines in another format. 
  • you want to submit your application in a language other than English. You can also read more on our Languages Other Than English page.  
  • you want to submit your application in a different format including video, audio, Auslan or other form. You can also read more about accessible application formats on our Accessibility page. 

We will not assess the quality of your chosen format, just what you tell us.  

We are available to assist you in understanding the program, application requirements and submitting your application. We do not review application drafts.  

If you need help to speak or listen use the National Relay Service.

Digital

Key dates

Applications closed

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


Contact

Please direct your enquiries to:
digital@creative.gov.au

Related Links

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This opportunity is for First Nations organisations and businesses who are committed to supporting digital development for First Nations artists and creative workers. Applicants will need to demonstrate impact of proposed activities in meeting specific skills need for the intended participants. 

Yes, provided the funding from Creative Australia is supporting activities to scale or increase access. This would need to be addressed specifically in your application. 

Yes, providing the business is First Nations led and activities are supporting First Nations artists and creative workers. 

Once you submit your application, we will send you an email acknowledging that we have received your application. 

You will be notified about the outcome of your application by email in late June 2024.  

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.

Arts leadership

Key dates

Applications closed

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. 


For any questions or further information about the Digital Culture Program please email digital@creative.gov.au or call 02 9215 9036.

Related Links

Digital Skills Program – Workshop

A workshop designed for practitioners seeking technical support, wanting to brainstorm lingering ideas or looking to explore new possibilities.

Image credit: Rémi Chauvin

About the workshop

The Australia Council is pleased to announce the Digital Skills Program Digital Arts Workshop on Tuesday 23 May. 

The Digital Skills Program is a series of workshops, seminars and intensives that focus on using digital and emerging technologies to develop creative practice. 

As part of this program we’re offering 25-30 artists and digital practitioners the opportunity to engage with digital producers and technologists. This intimate workshop will allow for a focused discussion on specific challenges and projects amongst peers.  

This workshop is designed for practitioners who may be seeking technical support, wanting to brainstorm lingering ideas, or looking to explore new possibilities. It is designed to energise, inspire and encourage a digital mindset in artists and organisations. 

We invite you to submit your questions and digital dilemmas for the panel to brainstorm with you.  

Susie Anderson’s professional career spans 10 years and arts organisations in both Melbourne, Sydney and London and includes Sydney Opera House, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Etsy Australia and RMIT University. She is based in Naarm and currently works within the Museums & Collections department of The University of Melbourne, creating digital experiences and strategy for Buxton Contemporary, Science Gallery Melbourne, The Ian Potter Museum of Art and Grainger Museum.

Akil Ahamat is a Sri Lankan Malay artist, filmmaker and arts worker currently based on Ngunnawal & Ngambri land. Akil’s work across video, sound, performance and installation considers the physical and social isolation of online experience and its effects in configuring contemporary subjectivity. Among their research influences, they draw especially on the use of ASMR in online spaces as a self-administered therapeutic tool, translating its restorative effects into intimate audio experiences.

Akil has most recently exhibited physically at Melbourne’s Living Museum of the West, Monash University Museum of Art, Institute of Modern Art and Artspace and produced online works for 4a Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Parramatta Artist’s Studios and Sydney Review of Books.

Cara Stewart is a Creative Producer with over a decade of experience in digital storytelling, large-scale installations, and performance at leading cultural organisations such as MoMA PS1, Performa, Red Bull Music Academy, Guggenheim, Brooklyn Museum, Sydney Biennale and the Powerhouse Museum. 

Arts leadership

Key dates

Expressions of interest close: Tuesday 16 May, 2023 at 3pm AEST.

Workshop date: Tuesday 23 May, 12–1:30pm (AEST) on Zoom.


For any questions or further information about the Digital Culture Program please email digital@creative.gov.au or call 02 9215 9036.

Related Links

Digital Specialist-in-Residence

This program provides arts organisations with access to a specialist to help them develop their digital capacity and pilot a new digitally led project.

Danny Brookes, Cityguide.

Online Information Sessions

Watch our regionally-focused online Information Session to find out more about the program and how it can help your organisation.

Focus on Western Australia

Watch here or below.

Focus on regional, remote and Tasmania

Watch here or below.

 

About the program

This program evolves and replaces the Digital Strategist-in-Residence initiative, embedding learnings from our program evaluations over the last two years to incorporate new elements and include an additional piloting phase.

The Digital Specialist-in-Residence program provides arts organisations with access to a specialist who will help them develop their digital capacity and pilot a new digitally led project. The program also provides $3000 seed funding to assist in prototyping or piloting your digitally led project (granted after a successful pitch of your project).

Over a period of fourteen weeks, the specialist will work with your organisation to:

  • review your current digital capabilities
  • identify areas for digital improvement
  • interview and engage with key internal stakeholders
  • explore new opportunities to expand digital activities
  • develop a digital project tailored to the values, people and context of your organisation
  • pilot program and evaluate learnings

 

The program is delivered in four phases. Your organisation will work with the specialist to complete the following:

  1. Assess: the specialist will guide you through a process to identify the organisation’s current level of digital maturity.
  2. Ideate: a process of ideation and investigation to identify digital challenges and opportunities for your organisation.
  3. Develop: Develop your flagship project, model program or prototype product.
  4. Pilot & Refine: Launch project, evaluate early learnings, present findings.

The Digital Specialist-in-Residence will connect and collaborate with key members of your team. The program will involve facilitated sessions and self-directed tasks.

There is a one week pre-program period of onboarding and program orientation, after which the specialist will be available for one day a week over fourteen weeks. There is a small seed grant for each organisation to go towards piloting their project.

Each organisation must nominate a minimum of two team members (one in a leadership position) who will work closely with the digital specialist over the fourteen weeks, and continue the work on completion of the residency.

The commitment of both time and staff members to lead on this work is essential to make the residency a success.  Organisations should ensure their digital champions can dedicate one day each week for the length of the program.

There will also be five compulsory online sessions with the cohort of participating organisations to provide an opportunity to connect and share experiences and knowledge and hear from industry experts.

This program provides $3000 seed funding to assist in prototyping or piloting your digitally led project (granted after a successful pitch of your project). Your Digital Specialist will provide support in ideating your digitally led project.

You will be required to complete an acquittal report at the conclusion of the program.

The Digital Specialist-in-Residence program is open to Australian arts organisations.

The program invites a diverse range of organisations to apply, and the opportunity is open to applicants from any:

  • art form or area of practice
  • scale or size of organisation
  • location in Australia, however organisations in regional or remote locations are particularly encouraged to apply
  • main activity, including performing, producing, service or collecting
  • existing level of digital readiness or capability.

Your organisation will be matched with an appropriate specialist from our group of creative technologists based on your needs and opportunities.

You are eligible to apply whether or not your organisation currently receives funding from the Creative Australia.

Please note this program requires a commitment of eight hours a week over the fourteen-week period.

Applicants who submitted in an earlier round are invited to apply again.

Organisations who have participated in the Digital Strategist-in-Residence program are ineligible.  

This program has identified positions for two First Nations organisations.

Please read our FAQs before commencing your application.

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 Creative Australia’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. 

Selection Criteria:

  • timeliness and relevance of the program to your organisation
  • drive and motivation of team members to collaborate and experiment with diverse ways of learning and innovation
  • commitment to exploring and implementing digital solutions for the arts sector.
  • Shortlisted applicants may be invited for an interview following submission of an application.

Shortlisted applicants may be invited for an interview following submission of an application.

Read about how your application will be assessed here.

Creative Australia 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. We encourage applicants to contact us via phone or email to discuss this further. 

Arts leadership

Key dates

Applications closed

Residency dates: Monday 4 March – Friday 14 June 2024 (with one date-flexible break week for Easter)

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 in early January 2024.


For any questions or further information about the Digital Culture Program please email digital@creative.gov.au or call 02 9215 9036.

This program provides arts organisations with access to a specialist to help them develop their digital capacity and pilot a new digitally led project.

Related Links

Additional information

Once you submit your application, we will send you an email acknowledging receipt of your application.

After you submit your application, we first check it meets the eligibility criteria for the grant or opportunity to which you are applying.

You will be notified of the outcome of your application in early January 2024.

For FAQs relating to the grants model, please click here.

Please contact the Artists Services team.

Once all applications have been assessed, you will be contacted about the outcome of your application. If you have been successful, you will also be sent an agreement.

Frequently asked questions

Phase 1: Program onboarding and introduction

  • Introduction to your Digital Specialist
  • Providing your specialist with information about your organisation
  • Introduction to program and program materials

Program Overview’ Cohort workshop (120 minutes online, date TBC)

 

Phase 2: Assess

Your specialist will guide you through a process to identify the organisation’s current digital capacity.

‘Ideate’ Cohort workshop (120 minutes online, date TBC)

 

Phase 3: Ideate

A process of ideation and investigation to identify digital challenges and opportunities for your organisation. This will include workshops with internal and external stakeholders.

‘How to Pitch’ Cohort workshop (120 minutes online, date TBC)

 

Phase 4: Develop

Identify, test and develop your flagship project, model program or prototype product. Seed funding is released. ‘Organisations Pitch Projects’ Cohort workshop (120 minutes online, date TBC)

 

Phase 5: Pilot & Refine  

Launch project, evaluate early learnings, present findings. Put in place tracking and evaluation frameworks. 

‘Organisations Present Learnings’ Cohort workshop (120 minutes online, date TBC)  

Our digital specialists are a diverse group of creative technologists and digital consultants with a broad range of experience across digital technologies, capacities and roles. Specialists will be located across Australia and are selected based on their:

  • knowledge of the arts and creative industry
  • experience with digital transformation
  • commitment to digital inclusion, cultural competency and accessibility.

Organisations will be matched with specialists based on the individual needs and priority areas.

The Digital Specialist will be available for one day each week across the fourteen-week residency. This will include some mutual contact hours each week (as well as the Specialist’s research and planning time for your organisation).

There will be a combination of contact and non-contact hours with your organisation for between two to four team members. Other team members should also be invited to discrete activities and kept informed by the organisation as to the project progress and timing.

There will also be five compulsory online sessions with the cohort of participating organisations to provide an opportunity to connect and share experiences and knowledge and hear from industry experts.

This residency is designed to be delivered online with potential for hybrid delivery, involving a combination of in-person and online sessions with your specialist via negotiation.

Individuals can apply via our online application system. If you have access requirements, please get in touch so we can assist you.

  • timeliness and relevance of the program to your organisation
  • drive and motivation of team members to collaborate and experiment with diverse ways of learning and innovation
  • commitment to exploring and implementing digital solutions for the arts sector.
  • Please respond to the selection criteria.
  • Introduce your organisation and why you do what you do.
  • How has your organisation explored digital so far?
  • What are some digital projects you would like to explore during the residence?
  • How has your organisation explored and managed digital so far?
  • What does digital leadership in the sector look like to you?
  • What tools and processes do you have in place to facilitate collaboration between your team members?
  • Please list your organisation’s two Digital Champions, who would participate in the program, if successful.

This opportunity is open 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.

Your application will be assessed as per the selection criteria. The program is designed to bring together a diverse range of applicants from organisations around the country and we work to ensure a balance between geographic locations and artforms. This will be considered in the assessment process.

The program requires you to identify a minimum of two Digital Champions (one in a leadership position) from your organisation to lead the residency. Consider staff who have the ability to lead your team and enact the recommendations or opportunities that may arise. It is important to get buy-in across your organisation, so consider representatives from different teams.

This program provides $3000 seed funding to assist in prototyping or piloting your digitally led project. These funds will be granted after a successful pitch of your project, during the course of the program. Successful applicants will be given detailed instructions on this process.

The application form asks: “What are some digital projects you would like to explore during the residence?” If successful, your Digital Specialist will provide support in ideating your digitally led project, so suggested ideas are sufficient for the application.

You do not need to supply a budget with your application.

You will be required to complete an acquittal report at the conclusion of the program.

Please send an email to digital@creative.gov.au if you would like to discuss your eligibility or application.

Digital Transformation for the Creative Industries

A six-week, online short course providing insight into digital strategy and new technologies.

Image: tuylupaby pakana kanaplila and Soma Lumia. Presented by Tasdance and Mona Foma, in collaboration with Theatre Royal. Credit: Jillian Mundy

About the program

Digital Transformation for the Creative Industries is an online short course designed specifically for artists and arts and creative workers it is best suited for those with a beginner or intermediate understanding of the digital space as it relates to the creative industries.

Developed and delivered in collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), this six-week course will give you an insight into key digital concepts, modes of digital practice, emergent technologies and also introduce ideas around digital strategy and business model innovation.

As a leading Australian university and a top-ranked university in Australia, UTS is home to industry-connected educators and researchers who are leaders in their creative fields, and passionate about organisational and individual skills development and uplift.

Curated by arts and cultural practitioners, Digital Transformation for the Creative Industries is specifically designed for artists and creative practitioners, arts administrators, managers, and directors working, whether independent, or from organisations large or small who want to begin to understand digital practice and strategy.

You will join a cohort of industry peers and colleagues working in different artforms across Australia to understand, explore and shape your thinking around digital. Key topics include:

  • Understanding key digital concepts
  • Digital practices for the arts
  • Digital transformation strategy
  • Digital leadership
  • Digital business models
  • Demystifying emerging technologies.

This six-week course requires a commitment of up to four hours a week, and is a combination of facilitated sessions, online group learning and self-directed activities that can be directly applied to your existing work and practice.

In collaboration with:

This course is for artists and creative practitioners, arts administrators, managers, and directors working in organisations or independently in the arts and creative industry. Participants will work in a range of artforms around Australia.

  • Participants must be over 18 years of age.
  • Participants must be based within Australia to partake in the first round. Positions will be open to international artists and arts workers from the second round onwards.

The Australia Council 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.

This course is digitally accessible and follows the AAA standards. Please get in touch if you have any specific access requirements.

Applications for subsidised positions in the first three cohorts closed on Tuesday 2 August.

Applications for subsidised positions in the first three cohorts closed on  Tuesday 7 February, 3pm (AEST).

The course will run for six weeks, beginning with an introductory session the week prior to commencement. Five cohorts of participants will be accepted in the March – June 2023 sessions:

  • 13 March – 21 April 2023
  • 8 May – 16 June 2023

Positions in the first three rounds of the Digital Transformation for the Creative Industries course are subsidised as part of the Digital Culture Program.

Tiered subsidies are available to support access for a diversity of participants:

  • Independent artists/practitioner – A $600 subsidy is available. Participants will be required to pay $75
  • Small to medium arts organisations – $300 subsidy available for representatives from. Participants will be required to pay $375
  • Large organisations/institutions – The overall course fee of $675 (ex GST) applies

If your subsidy application is unsuccessful, you can choose to pay the course fee in full. The overall course fee is $675 (ex GST).

Subsidised positions are limited. Subsidy applications will be assessed to ensure an equitable spread of participants across artform, location and priority areas.

If your application is successful, we will contact you with payment and onboarding information.

Arts leadership

Key dates

Applications closed


For any questions or further information about the Digital Culture Program please email digital@creative.gov.au or call 02 9215 9036.

Related Links

Frequently asked questions

This course is designed to support arts and creative practitioners to embrace a digital mindset and to enable digital innovation within the sector.

The course is delivered in partnership with University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and will draw on expert knowledge and experience to build the digital literacy and capacity of the creative industries.

Through the ‘Digital Transformation for Creative Industries’ course, participants will:

  • Gain the knowledge and ability to assess the digital strengths and priorities of their practice or organisation.
  • Identify and implement digital practices, workflows and platforms to gain efficiencies and digital workflows.
  • Be able to develop, mobilise and implement a relevant and customised organisation-wide digital strategy.
  • Be able to apply adaptive architecture principles to enable digital innovation and transformation.

The course will be facilitated by leading creatives and academics from the UTS team, with a range of guest speakers and facilitators from across artforms and across Australia.

This course is for artists and creative practitioners, arts administrators, managers, and directors working in organisations or independently in the arts and creative industry. Participants will work in a range of artforms around Australia.

best suited for those with a beginner or intermediate understanding of the digital space as it relates to the creative industries. There is not a requirement for an existing high-level of technological skills or understanding to undertake the course. The course will focus on digital mindsets, literacy and strategic development.

The course is six weeks and requires up to four hours of your time each week.

The course includes self-directed reading, activities and online content as well as one hour of group learning and discussion with a facilitator every week.

The course is delivered on UTS online learning platform Canvas. Details of how to access, use and navigate the platform will be provided on enrolment.

For any questions or further information about the Digital Culture Program please email digitalarts@creative.gov.au or call 02 9215 9036.

ProtoX Arts Digital Accelerator Program

A 12-week mentoring program for artists, groups and organisations to develop new digital business ideas.

 
Register for our information session on Wednesday 25 January, 12.30-1.30pm AEDT.
 

 

About the opportunity

Australia Council for the Arts is collaborating with INCUBATE, the University of Sydney’s Flagship Startup Program, to deliver ProtoX Arts – a national 12-week Digital Accelerator Program for individual artists, groups and arts organisations. Through 1:1 mentoring, industry connections and weekly goal-setting, ProtoX Arts provides the subject matter expertise to empower members of the arts community to pursue their digitally centred ideas into businesses.

This program supports emerging creative founders and the broader ecosystem by teaching key foundational business frameworks and enabling connections into the startup community. Additionally, hands-on customer testing, prototyping, and iterating are encouraged to build founders and businesses that service the arts and creative sectors.

Taking part in this Accelerator Program will equip you with the knowledge, skills and confidence to pursue your startup idea.

This program is designed to support digitally centred business and product ideas such as plug-ins, media players, immersive VR/AR experiences, apps, platforms and programs, that originated out of, or support the creative industries.

Image credit: Amrita Hepi, Open Poses (detail), 2022. Installation view, Primavera 2022: YoungAustralian Artists, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2022. Datasetfor pose recognition, custom software, webcam, monitors, decal, lamps, paintedwall, sound. Image courtesy the artist and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, ©the artist. Photograph: Anna Kučera

Arts leadership

Key dates

Applications close: Tuesday 7 February 2023, 3pm AEDT.

Information session: Wendesday 25 January, 12.30pm AEDT. Click here to register.

Please note: 

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

Over the 12 weeks, participants will be required to participate in weekly, 2-hour online sessions (Wednesday 5pm-7pm) and are able to access 2 additional hours per week to work with mentors and Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.


For any questions or further information please email digital@creative.gov.au

This opportunity is open for arts-aligned/creative industries organisations and individuals.

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 Australia Council’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

  1. Timeliness and relevance of the training opportunity to your professional development
  2. The impact the proposed activity will have on your career
  3. Viability of the proposed project

You will be asked to provide your biography and most up to date CV.

Frequently asked questions

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

  • What problem are you solving and why is it worth solving?
  • Can you share a time in your career (either as a freelancer or an employee) where you experienced this (or a similar) problem and how you fixed this problem?
  • Why do you think now is the time to test this idea? Do you have a unique insight into the market?

A problem can be a time-consuming task, a breakdown in process or an expensive way of doing something simple. If you’ve ever thought “there has to be a simpler or better way” you’ve identified a problem.

This residency is designed to be delivered online. Over 12 weekly 2 hour sessions, (Wednesday 5pm-7pm) and with access to 2 additional hours per week to work with mentors and Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.

This program is for arts-aligned/creative industries individuals and organisations who have an idea for a digital product, have found a solution to a problem or see a gap in the market that they can fill. Product ideas may include as plug-ins, media players, immersive VR/AR experiences, apps, platforms and programs, that originated out of, or support the creative industries.

Not all participants in the program may end up taking their product to market after exploring the viability of the project through the program, however all participants will leave the program with new skills in product development, entrepreneurship and business, which they can take to their next project.

This program will be delivered online.

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

Digital Skills Program × Melbourne International Games Week

5-7 October 2022

About this opportunity

The Australia Council is pleased to announce the Digital Skills Program × Melbourne International Games Week.

The Digital Skills Program is a series of workshops, seminars and intensives that focus on using digital and emerging technologies to develop creative practice.

As part of this program we’re offering 6 artists and digital practitioners the chance to experience a selection of the Melbourne International Games week program over three days. The program includes flights to Melbourne, 2 nights accommodation, a per diem and tickets to industry events.

This opportunity is designed for artists and creative practitioners who are already creating work in the digital space or related fields and would like to expand their knowledge of the gaming sector and technologies.

Read more about Melbourne International Games Week here.

This opportunity is designed for artists and creative practitioners who are already creating work in the digital space including but not limited to animators, story board artists, illustrators, composers and sound designers.

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 Australia Council’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

You will need to answer the following questions:

  • Tell us about your creative practice and how you work with digital technologies?
  • Why is this opportunity right for you at this time?
  • Are you available on the 5-7 of October?

Click on the ‘Apply now’ button, or on this link.

Please indicate on the application form if you have any accessibility requirements.

Key dates

Applications close: Tuesday 20 September 2022, 3pm AEDT.

Melbourne International Games Week: 5–7 October 2022.

Successful applicants will be notified Friday 23 September.

The program includes:

  • flights to Melbourne
  • 2 nights accommodation
  • a per diem
  • tickets to industry events.

Apply now

Opportunity for musicians

The Australia Council has partnered with APRA to deliver the High Score Scholarships program. This program provides support to attend the High Score: Composition and Sound Art for Games.

Learn more and submit an EOI.

Call for Digital Strategists

Request for proposal

in(ner) vision(s). Credit: Rémi Chauvin

About the opportunity

We are currently seeking proposals from digital strategists and creative technologists to consult with arts organisations on digital strategy and transformation.

The Digital Strategist-in-Residence program assigns consultants to eligible and selected organisations to increase the digital capacity and potential of the organisation, and to uncover new opportunities for transformation.

Consultants are required to provide advice, guidance, mentorship, and support to arts organisations in the development and advancement of their digital strategy and capabilities.

The goal of this residency program is to embed expert knowledge and skills within existing organisations to enable digital transformation and build digital capacity and strategic thinking. The program will provide a digital strategy and foundation for the organisation to continue, self-directed, on completion of the residency.

Find out more and submit your proposal.

Arts organisation should apply for the Digital Strategist-in-Residence program to be paired with a consultant.

Proposals will be reviewed against the following criteria:

  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience of organisational digital capability, strategy and transformation.
  • Demonstrated ability to deliver the project and achieve proposed outcomes required, including ability to facilitate within organisations.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and commitment to digital inclusion and accessibility, community engagement and cultural safety.
  • Demonstrated experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders, especially in the arts and creative industry.

We encourage 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. We encourage applicants to contact us via phone or email to discuss this further.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview week commencing 15 August 2022. All applicants will be notified week commencing 22 August 2022.

Arts leadership

Key dates

Request for proposals close: Friday 5 August 2022, 2:00pm AEST

Residencies commence: Monday 19 September 2022

Online information session: 27 July 20222 – email digital@creative.gov.au for more information


Have a question? Email: digitalarts@creative.gov.au

Related Links

Frequently asked questions

Over a three month period, the program is delivered in three phases. Your organisation will work with the strategist to complete the following:

  • Assess: the strategist will take the organisation through the Digital Culture Compass, an online tool that will help identify the organisation’s current level of digital maturity.
  • Develop: a process of ideation and investigation to identify digital challenges and opportunities for your organisation. This phase involves feasibility research to refine and resolve potential initiatives.
  • Draft: collate your work into a digital strategy (and/or implementation plan) document that aligns with your existing strategic/business plan.

Our digital strategists are a diverse group of creative technologists and digital consultants with a broad range of experience across digital technologies, capacities and roles. Strategists will be located across Australia and are selected based on their:

  • experience with digital transformation
  • knowledge of the arts and creative industry
  • commitment to digital inclusion, cultural competency and accessibility.

Organisations will be matched with strategists based on the individual needs and priority areas.

This residency is designed to be delivered online with potential for hybrid delivery, involving a combination of in-person and online sessions with your strategist via negotiation.

Proposal documents should include the following:

  • A written response outlining how the individual, company or organisation proposes to meet the requirement of the project (no more than two pages).
  • A breakdown of your quote, including availability and capacity to deliver the requirements within the budget requirements of this document (refer part B6). Your quote must include and note GST where applicable.
  • Individual, company or organisation information such as corporate status, registered place of business, size, number of staff and insurance policies.
  • Qualifications of the staff to be designated to the project.
  • Two referees to whom the Australia Council may address enquiries concerning previous experience in this area.
  • A declaration of any partial or non-compliance with any provisions of this RFP. This includes not agreeing to any of the draft conditions of contract stating reasons and alternatives where appropriate.

Digital Fellowship Program

Explore and develop digital practice across six months of mentoring, workshops and collaboration, with $10,000 funding.

Image: Whakapapa/Algorithms by Jamie Berry of Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Rongowhakaata, Ngati Porou, Ngāpuhi iwi.

This Fellowship Program brings practitioners based in Australia and New Zealand together to co-develop their digital practice and set directions for the future of the arts in our region.

The six-month program prioritises collaborative learning, as well as individual practice development, through a series of curated online gathering sessions, an in-person residential and mentoring. Investment is also offered to enable participants to realise new ideas, innovate and set the course of their future work. The program includes:

  • In-person gathering – three day curated in person gathering including collaboration, learning, engagement, skills exchange and facilitated activities for all participants
  • Online gathering sessions – two curated one-day sessions of learning, skills exchange and facilitated activities for all participants.
  • Mentoring – participants are matched with a digital mentor to develop skills and practice through a 1-1 model.
  • Investment – funding of $10,000 is provided for each participant to collaborate, develop or present their digital practice.

Five Australian participants will join five New Zealand participants, with identified positions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Pasifika applicants.

The program will build the skills, networks and leadership of participants, and aims to enhance the confidence of artists to embrace digital technologies and extend their digital practice. The program will strengthen the connections between Australia and New Zealand practitioners and organisations. 

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

This program is developed and delivered in partnership with Creative New Zealand.

Key dates

Applications closed

The program runs from January – June 2024, with one in-person residential (Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 February 2024 in Australia), two online gathering sessions (Thursday 11 April 2024 and Thursday 6 June 2024), 1-1 mentoring sessions and self-directed research, learning and development.

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

If you have a question, or need help with your application, please call or email Artists Services.

For more information about this opportunity please email digital@creative.gov.au.

New Zealand applicants can also contact Paul Lisi at Creative New Zealand: Paul.Lisi@creativenz.govt.nz.

Applications open on Tuesday 29 August 2023 and close on Tuesday 10 October 2023 at 3pm AEDT.

The program runs from January – June 2024, with one in-person residential, two online gathering sessions, 1-1 mentoring sessions and self-directed research, learning and development.

The in-person residential will take place over three days from 8-10 February 2024 in Australia. This is a compulsory program activity. All travel and meals will be covered as part of the program.

The online gathering sessions will be delivered online on Thursday 11 April 2024 and Thursday 6 June 2024. These are compulsory program activities.

Artists working across any artform (community engaged practice, dance, digital arts, film and radio, literature, music, multi arts, theatre and visual arts) are eligible to apply.

The program is designed for artists within their first five years of digital practice.

There is no cost for selected participants to join the program.

It is a condition of the program that participants must be available to attend the in-person residential, both online gathering sessions, and mentoring sessions.

Participants are also required to provide an acquittal of funding on completion of the program.

Applications will be assessed by internal assessors and industry advisors, in both Australia and New Zealand.

Selection criteria:

  • Timeliness and relevance of the program to the applicant’s development.
  • An active and open approach to creative digital practice
  • Ability to engage with diverse ways of learning and connecting with others.
  • Alignment to the strategic priorities identified in our Digital Culture Strategy 2021-2024 and Creative New Zealand’s Pacific Arts Strategy 2018-2023.

Applicants may be invited to an online interview following the submission of an application.

Individuals can apply via our online application system. If you have access requirements, please get in touch so we can assist you.

Written response questions

  1. Introduce yourself and why are you interested in participating in this program 

Provide a brief introduction to yourself and your work, and why this program is relevant to you at this time. What has led you to apply for this program? What is your motivation for participating? How can the program support you to advance your practice towards an exciting future?

In this question we want to know how this program connects to your creative practice development.

You can choose to upload a 3-minute video in response to this question or answer in writing.

  1. Tell us about your digital practice. What motivates and interests you?

We use the term ‘digital’ broadly. Digital includes both online platforms and technologies that extend or impact on the creation, presentation and distribution of creative content. Importantly, we refer to digital as a way of doing things and a way of thinking: a digital mindset.

We think of digital as an:

  • Enabler
  • Practice
  • Mindset
  • Platform
  • Industry

For Pacific arts, we think of digital as it relates to:

  • Va – the space in between.  Meaningful spaces between people, places, cultures, time and dimensions, tangible and intangible.  A space that connects rather than separates.
  • Digital Moana – meaningful connections across Aotearoa, Oceania, and globally, to ensure arts are further enriched through new tools and technologies.
  • Moana, Te Moana-nui-a-Kiva, the ocean homeland of Pasifika peoples that is the fluid bridge between Aotearoa New Zealand, other lands and opportunities.

In this question we are interested in understanding your approach to digital practice.

  1. Tell us about a time that you worked collectively with others.

Our programs bring together artists and practitioners from a diversity of artforms, cultural backgrounds and geographical locations. We create safe spaces to encourage open, generous, and collaborative approaches to learning, experimentation and digital creativity.

In this question, share your experience of a relationship or exchange that has been an important moment for you in your creative digital practice.

 

Elsie is a Fijian (Navala, Nakoroboya, Ba) / Pākeha digital artist and illustrator based in Whangārei, Aotearoa/New Zealand. Her works are rooted in her Pacific heritage, with a focus on exploring themes of identity, natural heritage and more recently impacts of climate change to these regions. Her creative practice is informed by current events locally and globally, as well as having a keen interest in myths and legends, and science fiction.

Elsie is the inhouse illustrator and graphic designer for Studio Kiin, an indigenous-led creative studio and collective where story, sovereignty, kinship and healing is priority.

She has been commissioned by the World Bank, IFC, Talanoa, Witness Performance and Huia Publishers, and exhibited in both New Zealand and Australia with Studio Kiin.

Elsie also works in the insurance broking industry, where she facilitates in providing solutions for local commercial and rural clients. This in turn gives her first hand insight into the increasingly frequent and sometimes devastating damage caused by weather events, and what the future holds for risk assessment and management against what feels like an unpredictable climate.

 

Hana Pera Aoake (Ngāti Hinerangi, Ngāti Mahuta, Tainui/Waikato) is a artist and writer from Aotearoa. Hana works across many mediums including textiles, ceramics, performance, film, and writing. Hana has published widely and sometimes organises exhibitions, readings, education programmes and conversations.

Currently they work with Morgan Godfery on Kei te pai press, a publishing, art and education project. They also work as a teacher at Te whare wānanga o Waitaha Canterbury university and, the curator of the Kawerau museum. Hana published their first book, A bathful of kawakawa and hot water with Compound Press in 2020.

Recent exhibitions include Folded Memory with Taarn Scott, curated by Susan Ballard and Sophie Thorn, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery(2023); I saw the mountain erupt, Masons Screen, Commissioned by WCC and Circuit Moving Image (2023); Ngā hau o Tāwhirimātea with Taarn Scott and Riki Gooch, Enjoy Contemporary Art Gallery (2023).


Moorina Bonini is a proud descendant of the Yorta Yorta Dhulunyagen family clan of Ulupna  and the Yorta Yorta, Wurundjeri and Wiradjuri Briggs/McCrae family. Moorina is an artist whose works are informed by her experiences as an Aboriginal and Italian woman. Her practice attempts to disrupt and critique the eurocentric foundations that centralise Indigenous categorisation within western institutions. By unsettling the narrative placed upon Aboriginal people as a result of colonisation of Aboriginal Australia, Moorina’s practice is based within Indigenous Knowledge systems and brings this to the fore.  

Her work has been exhibited in various shows across Australia and also internationally. Galleries and Institutions include ACMI, The Shed (NY), Sydney Festival, Blak Dot Gallery, Centre for Contemporary Photography and the Koorie Heritage Trust. Most recent major commissions include Primavera: Young Australian Artists (2023) and her PhD exhibition across Bunjilaka Aboriginal Culture Centre, Melbourne Museum and MADA Gallery (2023). 

 

Max is an artist working on Kaurna land, specialising in real-time visual arts, interactive programming, and artistic integration with multimedia systems. Max graduated with a BA in Photography from Charles Sturt University in 2012 and built their technical skills by working at art festivals including the Edinburgh Fringe, Sydney Festival and Adelaide Fringe and was creative producer at The Lab (Adelaide) until 2022.

Max is a member of The Bait Fridge arts collective and is currently based at Washdog Studios. From a lifelong interest in digital technology, Max has developed a creative practice that blends technical knowledge and multimedia arts, centred around collaboration and experimental process. Installation works include In The Belly Of The Beast (2023), a participatory experimental performance, and Computer Vision (2021) an early AI synthesized video installation.

Notable collaborations include ROCKAMORA by Kaspar Shmidt Mumm at ACE Adelaide(2023), Trippin Up (2023) music video by The Jungle Giants created with volumetric 3D data, and ATM-001 (2023), an AI powered talking vending machine by Dave Court. With a diverse range of skills including photography, music and sonic arts, interactive programming, performance art, and lighting design, Max’s experience allows them to connect and create using technology across disciplines.


Image: Laura du Ve

Kate ten Buuren is a Taungurung artist and curator interested in contemporary visual art, film and stories. Her practice is grounded in self-determination, self-representation and collectivism.

Kate is a member of First Nations arts collective this mob. She is Senior Curator, First Nations at MAP Co and has held previous curatorial positions at ACMI and Koorie Heritage Trust. Recently, Kate curated Now You’re Speakin’ My Language – a program of experimental moving image works presented by NOWNESS Asia and the Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane. In 2022, Kate curated How I See It: Blak Art and Film at ACMI. Collective Movements, an exhibition of First Nations collectives, collaborations and creative practices from across Victoria, which Kate co-curated, is currently on a state-wide tour.

Kate has exhibited at galleries including the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art and C3 Contemporary Art Space, and her writing can be found in publications by Un Magazine, Museum of Contemporary Art, ACMI and more.

 

Kasey is a multi-disciplinary artist creating experiences that bridge performance, digital media and audio. An award-winning theatre-maker, writer and performer, Kasey is interested in creating site-specific works that explore the link between place and oppressed and marginalised voices. Kasey creates intimate works for small audiences exploring misogyny and gender-based inequality, with a focus on verbatim text.

Kasey’s work, The Maze, a single-audience site-specific walk allowing participants to witness first-hand the fear of a woman walking alone at night, won Melbourne Fringe NSW Tour Ready & Summerhall Awards, as well as the Adelaide Fringe John Chataway Innovation Award. Kasey has been an Aphid’s Supermassive Studio Artist, completed a secondment with UK performance makers Coney on digital work, How We Save The World, and has produced HTML game, Lockdown 6.0.

Most recently, Kasey developed The Hotline with City of Melbourne’s Test Sites program. A public artwork satirising anti-choice pregnancy helplines, The Hotline has appeared at Melbourne Fringe, Counihan Gallery’s A Climate For Change, QVWC’s Women* Now exhibition, and is a recipient of the Adelaide Fringe Artist’s Fund.

 

Jayden, a rising artist from Aukilani, Aotearoa, brilliantly diverged from an athletic legacy to embrace his true calling in the arts. Sixth in a family of seven, he draws inspiration from his Pacifica dancer grandparents and great-grandparents, esteemed sketch and paint artists. Jayden’s journey unfolded at Wintec and Te Auaha in Wellington, where he nurtured a profound passion for the arts.

Currently, Jayden’s artistry converges on indigenous sustainability, seamlessly blending cultural celebration and contemporary creativity. Armed with cutting-edge technology, particularly laser cutting, he transforms concepts into tangible art, championing sustainability in every piece. His work serves as a powerful testament to Polynesian pride, placing storytelling and the preservation of cultural design at its core.

As a proud Polynesian artist, Jayden’s dynamic quest extends beyond conventional boundaries, uniting heritage with modern expression through creativity and technology.

 

Natasha Ratuva (she/her) is a Fiji (Kadavu vasu i Bua) born and raised multi-disciplinary creative based in Wairarapa, Aotearoa, NZ. Natasha applies the mediums of photography, digital art, poetry, gardening and Taukei traditional practices to ground her learnings and observations as Pasifika diaspora in New Zealand, Aotearoa. Often colour and the human anatomy is harnessed within her digital practice as tools of archiving memory, each hue and form embodying a story or cultural principle.

Recently, Natasha has brought masi (indigenous Fijian barkcloth) to the forefront of her creative practice. Using natural pigments and dyes to carefully hand paint traditional patterns and contemporary compositions onto masi, Natasha reimagines and expands expressions of her Taukei identity and culture.

 

Sze Tsang (they/them) is a published researcher, performer, photographer, and audio-visual artist residing in Boorloo/Perth, Western Australia. Sze’s practice and research focuses on the relationships between self and place through audio-visual works, and their experience as a practitioner-researcher. Their practice involves incorporating audio and visual elements of place into compositions, as a form of emotional catharsis.

Sze has presented at international and national conferences and published academic writings on soundscape composition. Sze’s PhD thesis completed in 2023, The cartographies of place: Approaches to audio-visual composition incorporating aspects of place, based on how the ephemerality of sound reflects the ephemerality of being, and the fragility inherent in any relationship with place, was awarded the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) School Research Medal.

Sze performs and has exhibited works nationally and internationally as samarobryn. Some of Sze’s commissions include Tura New Music, the Difficult Listening Project, You Are Here festival, and the State Library of Western Australia. Sze has also performed at various festivals including JOLT, WAMFest, Fringeworld and Strange Festival, and worked as a sound designer for Michelle Hall’s The Dirty Mother, Daisy Sander’s Night Dancing, and Georgi Iver’s You’re So Brave.

 

Mere Taito (Rotuma (Fiji): Malha’a and Noa’tau) is a poet, flash fiction, and short story writer based in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton in Aotearoa New Zealand. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Otago exploring the impacts of reading Rotuman archival multilingual texts on the writing of multilingual poetry.

Using digital and online authoring tools such as Canva, Camtasia, and Articulate Storyline, her study positions digitally-authored multilingual poetry as an effective language-learning resource for Rotuman language regeneration in Aotearoa.

Her creative work has been published widely in anthologies and journals such as Dreadlocks, A Fine Line, Landfall, Manifesto, Bonsai, and Best New Zealand Poems. She is the author of the chapbook of poems The Light and Dark in our Stuff (2017) and co-editor of the upcoming anthology Katūīvei: Contemporary Pasifika Poetry from Aotearoa New Zealand (2024).

 

Kamarra Bell-Wykes (Yagera/Butchulla) is a playwright, director, dramaturge, devisor, facilitator, performer, creative curator, community developer and education consultant. Kamarra served as ILBIJERRI Theatre’s Education Manager and Creative Director from 2014-2019 and Malthouse Resident Artist 2020-2022. Some of Kamarra’s writing/directing credits include Because the Night (MALTHOUSE), The Score, Scar Trees, Viral, North West of Nowhere, Body Armour, Chopped Liver, Shrunken Iris (ILBIJERRI), Crying Shame (NEXT WAVE) and Mother’s Tongue (YIRRA YAAKIN) and in 2021 Kamarra was awarded the Patrick White Award for her work Whose Gonna Love ‘Em? I am that i AM (FCAC/ ILBIJERRI).

In 2012 Kamarra graduated from the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education with a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning and was awarded honours in Recognising and Responding to Diversity in the Classroom before working as a teacher and youth worker across the Northern Territory. Over the last decade Kamarra has been exploring the intersection between First Nations social theatre and dialogue processes developing ILBIJERRI’s participatory social impact program The Score.  In 2020 Kamarra joined forces with Carly Sheppard as Co-Artistic Directors of A DAYLIGHT CONNECTION, a motley crew of independent theatre-makers dedicated to smashing performance binaries whose credits include CHASE (Malthouse/Hot House) and A Nightime Travesty (Yirramboi).

Image: Papa Clothing x Emily Parr

Pelenakeke Brown is an interdisciplinary artist, writer and facilitator. Her practice explores the intersections between disability theory and Sāmoan concepts across technology, writing, poetry, and performance. Working between Aotearoa and New York City, she has created projects with The Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY), The Sophiensaele Theater (Germany), The New York Library for the Performing Arts (NY), Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland (OH), and other institutions, globally.

Selected residencies include Eyebeam (NY), Kampnagel (Germany), Denniston Hill (NY) and the Vermont Studio Center (VT). Her work has been featured in Art in America and The New York Times. She was recognised in 2020 with a Creative New Zealand Pacific Toa award. She is co-founder of Rotations, a digital platform and collaborative movement practice for and with disabled artists. Currently, she is a 2023-24 BricLAB, Artist in Residence in Brooklyn, NY.

  • James Albert, Australia
  • Mi-kaisha Masella, Australia
  • April Phillips, Australia
  • Victoria Chiu, Australia
  • Roshelle Fong, Australia
  • Emele Ugavule, Australia
  • Vidya Rajan, Australia
  • Sophie Dumaresq, Australia
  • Raelke Grimmer, Australia
  • Kathryn Gledhill-Tucker, Australia
  • Gabi Briggs, Australia
  • Michel Mulipola, New Zealand
  • Sione Faletau, New Zealand
  • George Turner, New Zealand
  • Rosanna Raymond, New Zealand
  • Jamie Berry, New Zealand
  • Katrina Iosia, New Zealand
  • Tanu Gago, New Zealand
  • Sandy May Wakefield, New Zealand
  • Pelenakeke Brown, New Zealand
  • Joshua Faleatua, New Zealand
  • Ahilapalapa Rands, New Zealand

Frequently asked questions

The Fellowship Program involves a three day in-person residential, two single day online gathering sessions, regular 1-1 mentoring sessions and a financial investment in the development, creation and/or presentation of new digital work.

In person residential

The in-person residential will allow the group, facilitators and guest speakers to come together and connect on Country and exchange knowledge and support.

The residential will take place over three days at a location to be announced shortly. This cross-country opportunity enable participants to experience local culture and digital work, engage in workshops with guest speakers, exchange ideas, create community within the group and network with the wider sector.

Online gathering sessions

​The two online sessions are an opportunity for group learning and knowledge sharing, supported by core facilitators who remain with the fellows for the duration of the program. The online sessions feature inspiring experts in the field to present as guest speakers. 

​These online gatherings provide time and space for participants to interact with each other and the guest speakers, develop skills, knowledge, and broaden networks of digital practitioners in a thriving arts and cultural industry. The gatherings are a space for peer learning, and curated expert led sessions with industry leaders. 

​Topics and themes covered in the online gatherings may include: 

  • Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property in the digital space
  • New platforms and technologies for artists and creative organisations
  • Experimentation, collaboration and digital engagement
  • Accessibility in the digital space
  • Decolonisation of digital futures

Mentoring

Each participant will be matched with a mentor, and have six 1-1 sessions throughout the program.  The mentor will provide support and guidance with the development and creation of new work and project proposals in line with the participants’ practice. Participants may be matched with a mentor based in Australia or New Zealand.

Investment

Participants will receive a grant of $10,000 (AUD) to support the development and creation of new work throughout the fellowship program. The funding must be directed towards new work, collaborations and/or presentations developed over the course of the program. Mentors may support the development of this work. Participants will receive the funding on commencement of the program in January 2023.

There will be two lead facilitators for the fellowship program, one based in Australia and one in New Zealand. There will also be a range of guest speakers, case studies and experts who will join throughout the program.

We will develop a pool of mentors in collaboration with Creative New Zealand, and participants will be matched with a suitable mentor based on their goals and objectives. Participants may be matched with a mentor in either Australia or New Zealand.

Participants must be available for the in-person residential, online gathering sessions and mentoring sessions over the six-month program. These are compulsory activities as part of the Fellowship.

It is encouraged that participants dedicate time and space to the development of new work and ideas throughout the program.

This program will be delivered in-person, online, and involve hybrid programming where possible.

For any questions or further information about the Digital Fellowship please email digital@creative.gov.au.

New Zealand applicants can also contact Paul Lisi at Creative New Zealand at: Paul.Lisi@creativenz.govt.nz.