Elevate: First Nations Storytelling and Literature Fund
Key dates
Applications close: Tuesday 15 September 2026 (3PM AEST)
Notifications: December 2026
Activities commencing from: 1 February 2027
Amount
A set funding amount of $10,000
Please note: To apply, you must be registered in our application management system a minimum of two business days before the closing date. To create an account, please click on the Apply now link above.
Application support
First Nations Arts and Culture Team:
FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au
Access and Inclusion
National Relay Service
The National Relay Service is an Australia-wide telephone access service available to anyone who is Deaf or has a hearing or speech impairment.
Creative Australia uses the National Relay Service to increase access to our programs and services for people who are Deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment.
Visit the National Relay Service website to find out more information and register to use the National Relay Service.
Voice Relay number: 1300 555 727
TTY number: 133 677
Email: helpdesk@relayservice.com.au
Auslan Interpreter Service
Creative Australia can provide an Auslan Interpreter Service for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. If you require this service for a meeting with the Project Manager to discuss your project idea, and ask questions about the guidelines and application, please email FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au with a request to book an interpreter at a suitable date and time for you.
The Interpreter Service is available throughout Australia, including in regional areas.
Please note: To ensure an interpreter is available, we will need to receive your request at least one week before the application closing date.
About the opportunity
The Elevate: First Nations Storytelling and Literature Fund is a set $10,000 AUD career development grant open to First Nations individuals and groups who are writers, poets, editors, illustrators, journalists, arts workers, and groups in the literature sector.
Elevate is designed to support and develop career pathways and opportunities which may include capacity building, networking, mentoring, residencies, and audience development for their work. Projects can take place nationally, internationally, online, or in a combination of in-person and online capacities. Elevate is for projects beginning on or after 1 February 2027.
Supported activities must last no longer than 12 months from the proposed start date.
Eligibility
Who can apply?
You can apply for this grant if you are an Australian First Nations:
- writer, poet, editor, illustrator, journalist, arts worker, or group in the literature sector.
Please note: You can submit only one application for this funding round.
Who can’t apply?
You can’t apply for this grant if you:
- are not a First Nations practitioner
- you are a recipient of this program in the last year
- are a First Nations organisation
- are not an Australian First Nations practicing artist, group or organisation
- are the manager or agent of a First Nations artist or group
- are based outside of Australia
- are requesting additional funds to top up an active project or activity
- are requesting funding for educational purposes to pay TAFE or university fees
- are requesting funding to purchase large capital equipment
- have already received funding for the same project from Creative Australia
- have an overdue grant report with Creative Australia
- owe money to Creative Australia for not fulfilling a grant requirement.
What types of projects can I apply for?
Projects can include, but are not limited to:
- creation of new work
- professional development in mentoring and/or residencies
- publishing and promotion
- book launch
- community Elders Oral History Recordings
- presenting at or attending local, state, national, and international events and conferences.
What can the funding be used for?
Funding can be used for but are not limited to:
- artist’s fees
- editing and/or Publishing costs
- travel and accommodation
- residency fees
- short course fees
- masterclass workshops
- access costs
- Elders' consultations, advice, and guidance protocol fees
- Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) fees
- material related to delivering your project
- small creative capital costs related to your project.
Access Costs
We encourage applicants to ensure that their projects are accessible for everyone. Access costs are a legitimate cost and may include but are not limited to:
- translation to other languages
- using Auslan interpreters
- captioning
- audio description
- temporary building adjustments
- materials in other formats
- specific technical equipment
- carer, or support worker assistance.
- sensory spaces for events and festivals.
Arts Access Organisations in Australia
Below is a list of arts and disability organisations in Australia for you to reach out too regarding access costs:
- New South Wales: Accessible Arts
- Northern Territory: Incite Arts
- Queensland: Access Arts
- South Australia: Access 2 Arts
- Victoria: Arts Access Victoria
- Western Australia: DADAA
Protocols
Your application must comply with the following protocols (if applicable). We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, a special condition is required as part of your funding contract.
Protocols for Using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts
It is recommended to follow these protocols if your project involves working/collaborating/consulting with other First Nations artists, arts and culture workers, organisations, communities, or subject matter.
Resources:
- Protocols for using First Nations cultural and intellectual property in the arts.
- Animation on how First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property Protocols are used in assessments.
Commonwealth Child Safe Framework
All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian laws relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations that 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.
How to apply
Are you registering to Creative Australia’s Application Management System for the first time? Make sure you register well before the closing date. It may take up to two business days to process your registration.
Once you have logged in, follow the next steps:
- select ‘Apply for a Grant’ from the left grey panel menu
- from the list of opportunities select 'Elevate: First Nations Storytelling and Literature Fund’, this will create an application for you
- click on ‘Edit’ in the top right-hand corner and start filling out the application form
- make sure to select ‘Save’ as you work through the application
- if you are not ready to submit your application, you can return to it at a later date by logging in again and going to the in the left panel menu and finding your application in the ‘Your Draft Applications’
- when complete, select ‘Submit’.
Assessment criteria
The First Nations Industry Advisory Panel will identify as First Nations artists and arts and culture workers, who may represent each state, territory, and areas of artistic and cultural expression, including literature, and community arts and cultural development.
The First Nations Industry Advisory Panel will review and score eligible applications against the assessment criteria (Quality, Impact and Viability), attend an assessment meeting to discuss the applications, resulting in the recommendation of the top applications to be funded. The recommendations will be provided to the Executive Director of First Nations Arts and Culture for approval.
Application responses
Your answers to the Project Quality and Project Impact questions can be submitted as:
- written responses
- video responses
- audio responses.
Your answers to the questions do not need to respond to every bullet point mentioned below; please speak only to the points that are relevant to your project.
Project Quality
The Industry Advisors may assess your application on the following:
- a clear project vision, process and outcome
- the capacity to deliver the proposed activities
- the evidence of previous works that support the applicant's artistic and cultural practice and career development
- the skills and abilities of creatives, arts professionals, collaborators, or partners involved, in relevance to the project
- the evidence of considered pre-consultation engagement with Elders, other creatives, organisations, and communities involved (if applicable).
Project Impact
The Industry Advisors may assess your application on the following:
- why the project is important and relevant to you
- why the project is timely to pursue now
- the benefits of what the project will have for the artist’s/group’s artistic and/or cultural practice and career development
- how the project will strengthen the skills of the artist/group and/or everyone involved
- the potential to develop new markets, relationships or meet existing market demand
- the extent to which the activity contributes to a sector that is accessible, inclusive and equitable
- how the project will benefit cultural expression (if applicable).
Project Viability
The Industry Advisors may assess your application on the following:
- a detailed, realistic, and achievable timeline, which may include:
- contingency and safety plans.
- a realistic and achievable budget with a detailed breakdown that may include:
- Artist Standard Rates fees/payments for the applicant artist, key creatives and collaborators, participants, or Elders and/or Cultural Consultants. Please see NAVA Code of Practice – Payment Standards
- access costs (if applicable)
- other income such as in-kind support, (optional)
- travel and accommodation.
- relevant letters of support and/or confirmation from Elders and/or Cultural Consultants, creative team, organisations, mentors, and communities
- where relevant to the project, evidence that the Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to evidence of appropriate consultation with participants, audiences, or communities.
Application form
The application will include the following questions:
- About you: Please provide a brief description of your artistic practice in no more than 2,400 characters.
- Project Title: Please record the title of your project in no more than 100 characters.
- Please provide a summary of your professional/career development opportunity (800 characters or less).
Project Quality
About your Activity: Tell us about your career development opportunity, outlining what you want to do, the creative rationale and the activity involved in no more than 5,600 characters.
Project Impact
Tell us about this project's significant impact on your artistic practice, skills, and career development.
Project Viability
- Are you working with other artists or creatives?
- Activity details.
- Your budget.
- Support material.
Support material
Support material may include:
- examples of your artistic and or cultural work, past and current
- short biographies of artist/s and creative team
- letters of support/confirmation, such as:
- creatives to confirm their support and/or collaboration in the project
- partnerships to confirm their support and/or collaboration in the project
- communities confirm their support and/or collaboration in the project
- First Nations Elders to confirm their support and/or collaboration in the project
- organisations to confirm their support and/or collaboration in the project.
There are four types of support material you may submit:
- Artistic support material
This should include relevant, recent examples of your artistic or cultural work:
- images of previous works
- scripts
- video
- audio.
Please note: Where possible, please ensure support material can be made accessible, such as:
- closed captioning
- audio description
- image descriptions for visual material.
- Biographies and CVs
You can include a brief bio and/or Curriculum Vitae (CV) of:
- you as the artist or organisation
- key artists/creatives involved in your project
Please note: Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document no longer than two A4 pages in total.
- Support Letters
- individuals, groups, or organisations can write letters in support of your project on how the project or activity will benefit you, other artists or key creatives, personnel, and other collaborators involved, participants, or the broader community
- if relevant to your activity, letters of support may also provide evidence of appropriate cultural protocols, permissions or outline the support of key project partners
- you can include up to five letters of support.
- Letters of confirmation
- if your application involves an invitation to a residency, to present your work, or to attend a conference, either nationally or internationally, you must evidence this by providing letters of confirmation
- letters of support/confirmation can come from creatives involved in your project; this can also include their fees
- You can include up to five letters of confirmation.
Ways of providing your support material
- 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 project activity. 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.
Please note:
- 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.
- We do not accept Google Drive URL Files; please upload these files separately in your application form.
Other accepted file formats:
If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:
- video (MP4, QuickTime, and Windows Media)
- audio (MP3 and Windows Media)
- images (JPEG and PowerPoint)
- written material (Word and PDF).
Please note: 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:
First Nations Arts and Culture Team at:
FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au.
After you apply
- Once you submit your application, we will send you an email acknowledging that we have received your application.
- After we receive your application, we first check that it meets the eligibility criteria for the grant or opportunity to which you are applying.
- Applications to our grant programs are assessed by arts practice peer panels using the published assessment criteria for the relevant grant program.
- We aim to notify you of the outcome of your application no later than 13 weeks after the published closing date for the grant round.
Successful applications
- 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 a funding agreement. This outlines the conditions of funding, how you will be paid, and your grant reporting requirements.
Unsuccessful applications
- If your application is unsuccessful and you would like to request feedback, please contact the Project Manager at FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au.
Frequently asked questions (Eligibility)
Is this grant right for me?
The Elevate: First Nations Storytelling and Literature Fund is designed to support the First Nations literature sector’s emerging and mid-career artists and groups who are writers, poets, editors, illustrators, and journalists to seek skills and professional development, publishing opportunities, mentorships, and residencies that will enhance their artistic development and careers.
Projects can include, but are not limited to:
- creation of new work
- professional development in mentoring and/or residencies
- publishing and promotion
- book launch
- community Elders Oral History Recordings
- presenting at or attending local, state, national, and international events and conferences.
Funding can be used for but are not limited to:
- artist’s fees
- editing and/or Publishing costs
- travel and accommodation
- residency fees
- short course fees
- masterclass workshops
- access costs
- Elders' consultations, advice, and guidance protocol fees
- Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) fees
- material related to delivering your project
- small creative capital costs related to your project.
If you would like to talk through your project idea to see if it fits this funding round, please contact the First Nations Arts and Culture Team:
FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au
Do you fund creative research and development?
Yes. Creative research and development are a key component of the creative process and can be funded through this initiative.
Do you fund academic studies?
Applications that focus solely on academic studies are unlikely to be successful with assessment panels due to the focus is on the costs of academic fees or courses.
If you wish to apply for study costs, explain to the panel how your project extends or supplements the course’s standard curriculum requirements. Also, bear in mind that your project will be assessed on the artistic merit of the work.
If you are applying for an art project grant for funding to enrol in a professional development training program, Masterclass course, or artistic workshops, please explain how doing so will positively impact your career or practice.
How many times can I apply in this funding round?
You can only submit one application per closing date to funding rounds that you are eligible for, this could include: First Nations Arts and Culture rounds, Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups, Fellowships and Arts Projects for Organisations.
To see what other rounds are on offer please click on this link - Investment and development - Creative Australia.
What if my project starts before the required starting project date in the Guidelines?
You will be deemed ineligible. Creative Australia does not fund activities retrospectively. You may work on your project before then, but make it clear in your application that you are not seeking funding support for any stage of the project occurring before 1 February 2027.
You must adhere to the Guidelines project start date commencement date of on or after 1 February 2027 and must be completed within 1 year from your proposed start date.
For example: Start date – 1 February 2027. End date – 1 December 2027.
Can I send an application by post?
We do not accept applications submitted via post. Any material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your application online, please contact FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au to see if there is a way we can support you in applying.
If I have an overdue grant report (acquittal), can I still apply?
You will still have time to complete and submit your grant report before the closing date of the round.
If you have an overdue grant report at the time of the pre-eligibility check, shortly after the closing date, you will not be eligible to apply for any further grants at Creative Australia until the grant report is submitted.
Do I need an ABN to apply for a grant?
An individual grant applicant must be based in Australia must have an active Australian Business Number (ABN). Individual applicants without an ABN may have their grant administered by an individual or organisation with an ABN.
The name of the applicant must match the name of the ABN and the name of the bank account the grant will be paid into. There are no exceptions to this rule. If you cannot provide an ABN and bank account that are in the same name as the applicant, you will need to nominate an administrator for your grant.
Can I submit my application after the closing date and time?
No, you must submit your application on the closing date stated in the Guidelines – Tuesday 15 September 2026 at 3pm AEST.
Administrative and technical support is only available during office hours (Monday-Friday) 9am to 5 pm AEDT. Late applications will not be accepted.
Please contact FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au before the closing date and time if you are having difficulty submitting your application.
Frequently asked questions (Application)
Where do I apply?
The Apply Now button is on the Elevate: First Nations Storytelling and Literature Guidelines webpage, alternatively you can use Creative Australia’s Application Management System to log in or register for an Fluxx account.
How do I use your Application Management System?
Download our FAQs for using the Application Management System.
How can I get assistance with my application?
We have created an Application Help Guide that will help you navigate the application.
If you prefer to speak to someone, please contact FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au.
Our team is available to assist you in understanding the purpose of the grant, application requirements, and submitting your application. We can assist over email, phone and using Team video calls.
Please note: We cannot review application drafts.
Can I submit my application in an accessible format?
Yes, you can submit your application in a way that is accessible to you. Other formats include Auslan, audio, video, printed, dictated, electronic and handwritten format.
Please contact FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au.
Does my application for a group need an administrator?
If you are applying as an unincorporated entity, unincorporated association, or partnership you do not need to have an administrator for your grant. However, you must be able to provide an ABN and bank account that are in the group’s name. If you cannot do this, you must nominate an administrator.
Can I have my grant auspiced or administered?
Yes, you can request to have your grant 'auspiced' or 'administered' by nominating another person or entity to receive the grant funds on your behalf. This question will be asked in the application.
If your application is successful and you change your mind, please contact: FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au.
Please note: You do not need to provide a letter of confirmation from the individual/organisation that you have nominated to administer the grant on your behalf.
How do I make my application competitive?
Read and understand the guidelines and assessment criteria and respond with as much information as possible.
Consider the following:
- who – the creative team who will be delivering this project with you (if applicable)
- why – why are you wanting to do this project now? What is your motivation? Why do you think this funding round fits your project idea?
- when – when will this project be occurring, e.g. It will be delivered in a 3-6 period or 6-12 period
- where – where will most of the project be delivered, is there a venue, residency, or studio involved, or will this happen at home?
- what – what is the process of your project? Is this stage/phase 1? What needs to happen to deliver the project successfully? Think about key milestones
- how – how will your project be delivered? What are your creative team roles and responsibilities (if applicable)?
Should I disclose information about my lived experience?
The information you choose to share about yourself in your application is entirely up to you. When outlining your project and your professional development activity, some applicants may choose to share information about their lived experience and how this informs their practice, access requirements, or needs and plans for professional development. There is no obligation to disclose anything other than information you feel comfortable sharing to enable the panel to assess your application.
Should I include information about the environmental impact of my project?
Yes, if relevant. If your project has an environmental impact, you should provide evidence of an environmental impact plan which may include cost-benefits. Arts On Tour’s Green Touring Toolkit provides detailed information and resources for artists and arts organisations on how to mount a sustainable tour.
Do I need to have confirmed venues or partners?
No. However, applications involving venues and partners are likely to be more competitive if their involvement is confirmed and evidenced with a support/confirmation letter.
Do I have to confirm creatives, partnerships, in-kind support, and venues?
It is best to confirm creative artists or collaborations, partnerships, sources of cash or in-kind, or venue at the time that you apply.
If there are too many unconfirmed elements of your proposal, the assessors may question its viability.
How do I provide support material with my online application?
The online application has a Support Material section, which allows you to directly upload files and provide URL links. Please make sure the URL links are accessible, and if requiring a password, please provide this information so the Industry Advisors can access this content.
Can I submit my application after the closing date and time?
No, you must submit your application on the closing date – 2 September 2025 at 3pm AEST stated in the Guidelines.
Please note: Administrative and technical support is only available during office hours (Monday-Friday) 9am to 5 pm AEST. Late applications will not be accepted.
Please contact the team before the closing date and time if you are having difficulty submitting your application at: FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au.
What happens to my online application after I have submitted it?
You will receive an 'Acknowledgement of submission' email from us acknowledging our receipt of your online application. You should keep a copy of this email as proof of your submission.
There will be no further communication from us until a decision has been made on your application.
Can my application be updated once it has been submitted?
We do not amend, correct, update, or change any part of your application once it has been submitted. You can decide to create another application and ask for the previous application to be withdrawn. Please contact FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au.
Can I provide support material after the round has closed?
If you receive additional confirmation letters from artists and/or organisations after the closing date, and would like to provide as late support material, please email FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au with your name, Application ID, with attached support material to . We will provide updates on late support material to the First Nations Industry Advisors panel to consider at the assessment meeting.
Can I withdraw my online application after it has been submitted?
Yes, you can request that your application be withdrawn at any time up to the start of the assessment meeting. Please email your request to FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au with your name, Application ID.
Who will be assessing my application?
Applications will be assessed by a First Nations Industry Advisory panel who have experience and expertise in specific genres of Literature from across states and territories.
The panel will assess your application on their Assessment Criteria of Project Quality, Project Impact, and Project Viability.
Industry advice is a process where industry advisors (artists, arts workers, and industry professionals involved in the arts sector) assess funding opportunities based on their knowledge, experience, practice expertise and advise on the most competitive applications against the published assessment criteria.
You can read more about how applications are assessed by Industry Advisors here.
When will I be notified about the outcome of my application?
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately 12 weeks after the closing date.
If my application was unsuccessful, can I request feedback?
Yes, if you have been notified that your application was unsuccessful, you can request feedback on your application. Please contact the team to schedule a suitable time for feedback at FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au.
Frequently asked questions (Budget)
How do I enter my grant request?
The application form calculates your grant request as the difference between your total cash income, and your total cash expenditure. The gap between these two numbers is the grant request. In-kind contributions are not included in this calculation.
(Total cash expenditure) – (total cash income) = grant request.
For example:
($15,000 cash costs) – ($5,000 cash income) = $10,000 grant request.
Do I need to add a lot of detail to my activity timeline and budget income, and expenses?
The activities timeline and budget are an opportunity to show how well you've planned your project. Complete these as thoroughly as you can to show the assessors that your project is organised, well-planned, and viable.
Timeline
Show each major project stage and milestone in your Project Timetable. This allows assessors to see how you plan to work and evaluate how achievable your objectives are.
Budget
Break your budget down so that assessors can evaluate how realistic your budgeting is. Present large budget items in multiple lines and talk about the description next to each dollar ($) amount item.
What costs can I include in my budget?
Any costs that can be directly related to the project you are proposing are eligible. They may include artist fees, venue hire, travel and accommodation costs, consultation fees, childcare costs, and costs associated with providing access for people with disability can all be included if they are directly related to your project.
Can I include in-kind support for the project in my budget?
Yes. In-kind support refers to resources, goods, and services (for example, use of a venue, materials, and people’s time) provided by yourself or others either free of charge, or below market value. Detailing in-kind costs in the budget is important as it gives peers a full understanding of the viability of your project and levels of support you are receiving. In-kind costs are also an expense so, when you save your application, any in-kind income you included will auto-populate to the expenses side of the budget.
Should I include GST in my budget?
If you are GST-registered when you receive a grant, Creative Australia will pay the grant amount plus GST. The budget provided in your application should be exclusive of GST.
Can I pay myself as an artist?
Creative Australia expects to see artists paid for their work. There is no need to cut back on these expenses or forgo your fees.
You could visit the Rates of Pay - Australian Society of Authors to calculate your costs, or you could let us know your negotiated fee and how you have calculated those figures.
Can I include disability access costs in my budget?
Yes. Access costs are viewed as legitimate expenses and may be included in an applicant’s budget.
We recognise that funding may be required for access costs incurred for applicants with disability, or for costs associated with working with artists with disability who have access needs (e.g., use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, or support worker/carer assistance).
Can I include childcare costs in my budget?
Yes. Childcare is a legitimate expense to include in your budget.
Can I include volunteer costs in my budget?
Yes. Volunteer out-of-pocket expenses, such as telephone calls or petrol for travel, are recognised as legitimate expenses and may be included in an applicant’s budget.
Will the higher cost of some activities in regional places affect my application?
No. We encourage applicants whose projects will take place in regional and remote locations to budget accurately and realistically, we recognise that costs may differ between regions and major cities.
Additional FAQs
How competitive are your grants rounds?
As a national arts funding body, all our grant rounds are competitive. Success rates are usually between 15% and 30%.
Do you offer quick response grants?
No, we do not offer quick response grants. Outside of our regular grants program, we do offer other grants and opportunities.
To see what other rounds are on offer please click on this link: Investment and development .
If I am successful, when will I receive the grant payment?
You will receive your grant payment within two weeks of accepting your funding agreement. Please note we pay our grants in the financial year which they are approved.
If I am successful, will this funding impact my Centrelink payment?
Grants may be considered part of your income in a financial year and may be subject to tax. You must determine your taxation liabilities. We suggest you consult your financial adviser or contact the Australian Taxation Office.
Grants can be considered income by Centrelink. The amount is generally assessed as a lump sum and could affect your Centrelink payment for the financial year. Artists who are running a business (even on a small scale) may have their grant treated differently. It is possible to have your grant paid to an administering body if you wish.
Applicants should contact Centrelink on 13 28 50 for advice. Additionally, Centrelink’s Financial Information Service (FIS) is an education and information service available to everyone in the community and may be of benefit to applicants who also receive assistance through the social security system. To contact FIS phone 13 23 00.
If I receive a grant, will my tax be affected?
Grants may be considered part of your income in a financial year and may be subject to tax. You must determine your own taxation liabilities. We suggest you consult your financial adviser or contact the Australian Taxation Office.
Can I be considered in the talent pool for First Nations Industry Advisors?
If you would like to express an interest (EOI) in becoming an Industry Advisor or Assessor for other funding rounds, please speak to the team: FirstNationsArts@creative.gov.au.
Definitions
What is the definition of an emerging artist?
An emerging artist (0-5 years) is an artist who is yet to establish a reputation for themselves and usually do not have a considerable body of work.
What is the definition of a midcareer artist?
A midcareer artist is an artist who has been actively creating, presenting their work, and building a larger body of work for at least 7 or more years. They may have earned various awards or grants.
What is the definition of an established artist?
An established artist is an artist who has an extensive body of work, national and international acclaimed and their career achievements, have contributed significantly to the field of the arts, that has sustained their reputation.
What is mentoring?
Mentoring is any supportive relationship that encourages the sharing of knowledge, skills, and experience. Mentoring can be structured or informal and can include peer-to-peer mentoring. Peer-to-peer mentoring assumes an even playing field and exchange of knowledge in the relationship, where everyone involved contributes and learns from different perspectives and experience. For the purposes of this initiative, mentoring is interpreted very broadly and is informed by the needs and priorities of the applicant.
What is the difference between a ‘group’ and an ‘organisation’?
We define a ‘group’ as two or more individuals who do not form a legally constituted organisation. This can include co-collaborators, creatives, and collectives.
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.
Meet the recipients 2025/26
Amanda-Lea Bell (WA)
Marie Ellis (NT)
Lionel Fogarty (QLD)
Shannon Jensen (QLD)
Yasmin Johnson (QLD)
Gayle Kennedy (NSW)
Raelene Nixon (QLD)
Liam Padmore (TAS)
Troy Russell (NSW)
Nunami Sculthorpe-Green (TAS)
Barrina South (NSW)
Rebecca Shepherd (NSW)
Alexis West (SA)
Jaru West (SA)
Traci Williams
Meet the recipients 2024/25
Tahnee Carter (WA)
Vivienne Cleven (NSW)
Skye Cusack (VIC)
Kirrilly Dawn (NSW)
Alison & Bernadette Duncan (NSW)
Charlie King (NT)
Lay Maloney (NSW)
Bebe Oliver (VIC)
Lystra Rose (QLD)
Desirai Saunders (QLD)
Adam Thompson (TAS)
Ellen van Neervan (QLD)
