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Major Festivals Initiative

The Major Festivals Initiative supports festivals that present the highest quality and most exciting and innovative contemporary arts from around the world.

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The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals

Creative Australia manages this initiative on behalf of the Australian Government. The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals selects projects for support and manages the development of the selected works and their presentation by member festivals.

Confederation members

Confederation members are:

  • Adelaide Festival
  • Brisbane Festival
  • Darwin Festival
  • Melbourne Festival
  • Perth Festival
  • Sydney Festival
  • Ten Days on the Island.

Associate members are:

  • New Zealand International Arts Festival
  • Auckland Festival.

About the Major Festivals Initiative

These festivals present the highest quality and most exciting and innovative contemporary arts from around the world. More importantly, they can nurture and encourage the presentation of exciting Australian arts and artists. Working together, the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals (CAIAF) provides a curatorial hothouse to nurture exceptional new artistic works.

The initiative also supports Commissioning Sites – a forum to profile new work-in-progress to member festivals and other potential presenters and partners.

Applications to the Major Festivals Initiative for co-investment are made by CAIAF Member Festivals for projects they wish to seed, develop or commission with their production partners. Opportunities exist for non-CAIAF members to invest as co-commissioners and present productions in the world premiere season.

For further information, please see The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals.

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Multi-year investment

Our multi-year investment programs support some of Australia’s most innovative and creative arts organisations, groups and individuals.

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Research

Creative Australia is dedicated to advancing the arts through rigorous research and analysis.

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We acknowledge the many Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and honour their Elders past and present.

We respect their deep enduring connection to their lands, waterways and surrounding clan groups since time immemorial. We cherish the richness of First Nations Peoples’ artistic and cultural expressions.

We are privileged to gather on this Country and through this website to share knowledge, culture and art now, and with future generations.

First Nations Peoples should be aware that this website may contain images or names of people who have died.

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We acknowledge the many Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and honour their Elders past and present.

We respect their deep enduring connection to their lands, waterways, and surrounding clan groups since time immemorial. We cherish the richness of First Nations peoples’ artistic and cultural expressions. We are privileged to gather on this Country and to share knowledge, culture and art, now and with future generations.

Art by Jordan Lovegrove