Flourish III:
First Nations Textile Design & Fashion Innovation Fund

Who can apply

• First Nations individuals, groups, businesses and organisations
• activities must be between 1 February 2024 to 31 January 2025.

Who cannot apply?

You can’t apply for Flourish III if:

• you have an overdue grant report
• you owe money to Creative Australia

• protection and development of First Nations art, culture and community, including licensing and protection of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)
• business development support, best practice standards and philanthropic engagement
• difficulties in connecting with industry networks and resources, including supply chain, distribution, promotion and market opportunities
• access to industry education and skills development, particularly for emerging creatives and entrepreneurs
• digital platforms and access
• increasing business visibility domestically and globally
• audience and marketing development and capacity building
• retail and wholesale engagement.

• engaging expertise to interpret artwork into fabric design
• collaborating with a designer to create a new clothing collection
• professional development for individuals, groups and or businesses
• marketing and capacity building activities
• activities to expand your creative practice and or business
• partner with small to medium First Nations businesses to build expertise
• First Nations lead partnering and mentoring opportunities
• seed funding.

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

• a title for your project
• brief description of your artistic and/or professional practice
• describe how the planned activity will strengthen and develop your creative practice and/or your professional 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.

Applications are assessed by First Nations Industry Advisors, with the final decision on their recommended recipients approved by the Creative Australia Executive team.

Assessment Criteria:

1. Potential of the creative/group/organisation.

The assessment panel will assess the potential of the individual, group and/or business at the centre of the proposal.

They may consider the following:

• merit of proposal
• quality of work previously produced
• public or peer response to work previously produced
• demonstrated ability, skills and creative thinking.

2. Viability

The assessment panel will assess the budget and viability of the proposal.

They may consider the following:

• skills and artistic ability of the people involved, and their relevance to the proposed activity
• demonstrated effective use of resources and funds with realistic and achievable planning
• level of confirmation of proposed activities and partners’ adherence to relevant cultural protocols
• evidence of considered consultation and engagement with participants, audiences and communities
• costed project budget activities.

3. Impact on career

The assessment panel will assess the impact of the proposed activity on career and business development and how these exercises will strengthen skills in the identified areas of practice and work.

They may consider the following:

• activity is relevant to the identified areas of practice and career development
• capacity to strengthen skills and abilities of designers/business
• potential to discover and develop new markets, or meet existing market demand
• relevance and timeliness of activity.

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.

1. Evidence of your practice

Provide recent examples of your artistic and or professional work that are 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 or written material links to websites and related social media sites.

2. Letters of support

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

• how the activity will benefit your practice or professional development
• how appropriate cultural protocols have been observed and permissions obtained.

Artists can include up to three (3) letters of support for their projects, with each letter no longer than one A4 page. Where possible, combine your letters into a single document or link.

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.