Eligible art forms

Who can apply

• eligible applicants include Australian artists, and creative workers who do not work in contemporary music (as defined above)
• individuals, groups and organisations (including small businesses) may apply to this category. If you are applying as an individual, you must be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident
• international organisations can apply for projects that benefit practicing Australian artists or creative workers, their work or Australian audiences.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply for this grant if:

• you have already applied to this closing date for the International Engagement Fund
• you have already applied to the 2 September 2025 closing date for the Arts Projects grant categories for the same activity
• you have an overdue grant report
• you owe money to Creative Australia
• you receive, or are working with an organisation that receives, investment through the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework
• you work in contemporary music (as defined above). 

If your project involves a partnership or collaboration with organisations in the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework you must discuss your application with us before applying.

What can be applied for

Eligible costs include but are not limited to:

• artist and creative worker fees. For more information, see our Payment of Artists page
• flights, accommodation, per diems, ground transport costs
• travel insurance
• visas
• freight or baggage costs
• production expenses
• marketing, promotion and project management costs
• childcare, carer and access costs
• costs associated with reducing the environmental impact of your activity.

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

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

What can’t be applied for

You can’t apply for:

• costs that you have already applied for in other current applications to Creative Australia
• projects or activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists or arts professionals
• projects or activities without confirmed international partners
• projects or activities that do not have a clearly defined arts component
• activities that have already taken place
• activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to Creative Australia First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols
• contemporary music activities. 

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

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

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

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework

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

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

Learn more about how we assess your application. 

Assessment Criteria

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

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

Viability

Industry Advisors will assess the viability of your proposal.

They may consider:

• capacity to deliver the proposed activities or services
• relevance and timeliness of proposed activities
• skills and ability of artists, arts professionals, collaborators, or participants involved, and relevance to activity
• realistic and achievable planning and resource use, including, where relevant, contingency and safety plans for activities involving public presentation, national or international travel
• appropriate payments to participating artists, arts professionals, collaborators, participants, or cultural consultants
• the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the project
• governance arrangements
• role of partners or collaborators, including confirmation of involvement
• diversity and scale of income and co-funding, including earned income, grants, sponsorship and in-kind contributions
• evidence of appropriate consultation and engagement with participants, audiences or communities
• where relevant to the project, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to
• where relevant, evidence that you have considered and addressed any access issues associated with your project
• where relevant, evidence of an environmental impact plan which may include cost-benefits.
• the extent to which this activity develops an international market or enhances international networks, relationships, audiences, and profile
• the contribution of the activity towards re-imagining the future for international engagement in the cultural and creative industries
• the extent to which the activity contributes to a sector that is accessible, inclusive and equitable.

Impact

Industry Advisors will consider the impact of your proposal.

They may consider:

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

Alignment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are three types of support material you may submit:

1. Artistic support material

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

Types of support material we accept

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

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

These URLs can include a total of:

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

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

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

Other accepted file formats

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

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

2. Biographies and CVs

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

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

3. Letters of support

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

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

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

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

An international organisation, group or individual who confirms in writing that they will participate in a project, as described in the application.

A collaboration where two or more parties work together on an artistic or cultural activity, process, or outcome.

The earlier stages of developing an artistic or cultural work, not the sharing of a final product.

The sharing of knowledge, skills and experience between people from different cultures, backgrounds or cultural contexts.

The sharing of information, resources, insights, or experiences between two or more parties.

A lab is a kind of workshop or learning opportunity that brings people together test and explore an idea, project, or artistic work. It may involve a structured or facilitated process.

A practice-exchange model is one where practices and/or processes are shared between two or more parties (including individual artists and organisations) from different artforms, cultures or backgrounds.

Individual residency applications seeking support for an Australian artist or arts worker to travel overseas are not competitive under this grant category. A residency exchange where an Australian artist or arts worker is travelling overseas and an international artist or arts worker is travelling to Australia would be more competitive. However, the application must demonstrate that there is genuine reciprocal exchange, where all parties participate, share in, and benefit from the activity.

Yes, but this will be at your own cost, and we will not be able to provide additional funds towards the extension. Any personal travel should not be included in your application budget.