City of Geelong and Creative Australia
17 October 2024
For arts groups and organisations

Supported by The City of Greater Geelong, Creative Australia will deliver this session to equip artists and arts organisations with the skills to garner non-government or private sector financial support. 

Building on and re-iterating the Fundamentals of Arts Fundraising workshop presented in 2023 this workshop is designed to further provide you with knowledge, expertise and the confidence to seek financial support from individual donors, Trusts and Foundations and corporate partners. 

The Push
Closes 18 October
For musicians and live-music producers

The All-Ages Grants program provides a subsidy to live music venues, booking agents, artists, promoters and community organisations looking to stage all-ages music events across Victoria.

Funding through the All-Ages Grants program can be used to cover costs associated with staging all-ages events in existing live music venues, including artist fees, production costs, marketing and promotion or venue hire fees.

$5,000 grants will be available to cover any costs associated with staging all-ages music events in an existing live music venue. This may include artist fees, production costs, marketing and promotion or venue hire fees. 

Bayside City Council
Closes 20 October 2024
For artists and creatives

Council is now seeking high quality applications from people active in the arts sector, including artists, writers, composers, filmmakers, sculptors, performers, designers etc. to apply for the Billilla Artists Studio Program.

The Program offers free studio space to artists from Victoria and Bayside. The program supports artists from diverse practices and across career stages.

Located on the grounds of the historic Billilla Gardens in Brighton, the program provides an opportunity for artists to connect with the Bayside community through public programs as well as develop their practice without the financial pressure of paying studio rent.

Faber Writing Scholarships
Close 20 October 2024, midnight
For all writers

Each year the Faber Writing Academy at Allen & Unwin awards scholarship places for our prestigious Writing a Novel program.

Faber Writing Scholarships are open to anyone, and offer successful applicants the chance to study for free.

One scholarship will be awarded for a recipient to undertake Writing a Novel in each location – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Online.

Gertrude
Closes 21 October
For contemporary artists

Gertrude is now accepting applications for the Gertrude Studio Program 2025 intake.

Respected nationally and internationally, Gertrude’s unique studio-exhibition model supports outstanding artists at pivotal moments in their careers. The two-year Gertrude Studio Program has been at the core of the organisation since its founding four decades ago.

Gertrude has sixteen highly-subsidised artist studios located at Gertrude Contemporary, 21-31 High Street, Preston South. Designed by Collingwood-based architectural practice Edition Office, Gertrude Contemporary houses two exhibition spaces, sixteen studios, shared communal spaces, workshop facilities and the organisation’s offices.

Arts House
Closes 23 October
For independent artists, collectives, and small-medium organisations

CultureLAB is one of the pathways through which Arts House commissions work for presentation seasons. 

Working with mid-career and/or established artists from across a range of disciplines – music, theatre, performance, dance, visual art, digital art, experimental practice, relational projects, and anything between or beyond these mediums.

Projects can be at any stage of development, and we can support in-person, hybrid, and digital proposals. 

Arts House
Closes 23 October
For Deaf and Disability led projects

The Warehouse Residency centres and celebrates the development of new creative work led by Deaf and Disabled artists. Two projects will be commissioned for development at Arts House in a supported residency model between 2025 – 2026. 

Arts House support the intersectionality of lived experiences and strongly encourage Deaf and Disabled people who belong to additional marginalised communities such as First Nations, Black, People of Colour, and LGBTQIA+ to apply.   

The commission includes up to $47,000, itemised into the following: $30,000 residency and creative fees, $10,000 producing and production fees, $5,000 access budget and $2,000 towards artistic peer support.

Screen Australia
Closes 24 October 5PM
For screen producers

The program is designed to support innovative, distinctive and engaging documentaries with a strong creative vision in the context of today’s evolving media and distribution landscape and the commercial realities of increasingly fragmented sources of finance.

It supports one-off documentaries and series intended for broadcast, festival, theatrical, online and XR platforms. Minimum budget is $125,000 per hour.

The Writing Prize
Closes 25 October
For writers under age 40

The Writing Prize will be awarded for the best writing on the question:

• What should be the roles and responsibilities of Australian media in reporting on and responding to the real-life impacts of climate change?

The Writing Prize is for Australians forty years and under. The winner will receive $10,000 and their writing featured on www.writing.org.au.

Entries can be from an individual or groups of two, three or four people.

Music Australia and NATSIMO
Closes 25 October
For music creators and producers

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office (NATSIMO), with funding from Music Australia, has announced the first series of LIFECYCLE Marketing Grants, which will provide 15 grants of $10,000 towards the marketing and promotion of recordings of original works or a tour.

The grants support and facilitate access to professional content creation, marketing and promotional activities for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander music creators, supporting growth and fostering a vibrant, visible and inclusive music landscape.

Science Gallery Melbourne
Closes 27 October
For artists, creatives and producers

Science Gallery Melbourne is inviting proposals for projects to be included in our 2026 show EMERGENCE(Y).

EMERGENCE(Y) springs forth in response to a rapidly changing world. As we enter a future defined by climate crisis, humans and non-humans must adapt in order to survive.

Subthemes/perspectives/ideas to be explored include (but are not limited to): climate crisis, sustainable energy, First Nations knowledge and culture, urban environments and cities, place/habitat, evolution, species survival, non-human adaptation, agriculture, food production, fashion design and adaptation, hope/perseverance/community, consumption, resilience...etc

Nillumbik Shire Council
Closes 30 October
For contemporary artists working in any medium

Entries are now open for the Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Art (NPCA) to artists across Australia, working in any medium.

This biennial competition includes four monetary prizes:

Open Prize: $20,000
Local Prize: $10,000
Mayor's Award: $500
People’s Choice Award: $500

The Open and Local Prize are acquisitive. This means that the winning artworks become part of the Nillumbik Shire Art Collection.

City of Whittlesea
Closes 17 November
For visual artists

Each year City of Whittlesea hosts an Art Exhibition to showcase and celebrate the work of artists who live, work or are connected to communities within the City of Whittlesea.

People of all ages and levels of experience are invited to apply and all art mediums, materials, processes, practices and interpretations are welcome.

This year, the theme is ‘Hope: Exploring the Spectrum of Possibility’. Artists are invited to reflect on hope, from feeling low to very positive, from personal wishes to collective or shared goals and all the moments in between.

City of Melbourne
Opens 29 October, closes 25 November
For public art producers/creatives

The Test Sites program helps Victorian artists develop and test their temporary public art ideas by providing project funding, practical advice and support to work creatively in public space.

In 2025, the Test Sites program will support up to five artists to develop and test a new public art idea over a longer duration, ensuring artists have more time to examine and test their project ideas. Successful applicants can apply for funding of between $10,000 and $20,000 towards costs associated with the development, production and delivery of their project tests and participating in the program.

City of Monash
Closes 9 May 2025
For incorporated community groups with not-for-profit status, auspiced by an eligible organisation or be an individual artist with an ABN

The General Quick Response Grant stream is designed to support local community groups and individual creative efforts to assist in strengthening community and building cohesion and whose project, program or issue may arise outside of the normal funding cycle of the Monash Community Grant Program.

Grants that address the following issues are encouraged; building community and cultural connections, loneliness, mental health, family violence, gender equality, health promotion (increasing healthy eating and physical activity, reducing alcohol consumption, gambling and smoking), community safety, early parenting, First Nations, LGTIQA+, initiatives promoting racial tolerance and inter-culturalism

VicHealth
Ongoing
For one-off events such as conferences, award nights and festivals.

VicHealth sponsorship funding is available for one-off events such as conferences, award nights and festivals. The application process is competitive and not all requests can be met.

Sponsorship funding is provided in exchange for a ‘sponsorship benefit’ for VicHealth - this might include naming rights or branding opportunities for your event.

Sponsorship applications are open all year, with applications assessed at the end of each month (except December - these applications are assessed at the end of January).

City of Greater Geelong
Ongoing

This grant supports established, professional artists and creatives to deliver a large-scale project within the City of Greater of Geelong. It empowers them to deliver inspiring new works that push the boundaries of traditional artistic expression.

Projects including music, dance, visual arts, fashion, writing/literature, performing arts, design, film/video, gaming and digital media are eligible to apply.

City of Melton
Ongoing

Community groups, clubs and organisations help make our city a vibrant, safe and thriving community where everyone belongs. It is with this recognition that Council offers a grant program that provides opportunities for not-for-profit community organisations to apply for funding for projects that benefit the Melton community. These groups seek financial support from Council to enable a better response to local needs.

Applicants must be not-for-profit community organisations located within the City of Melton

Unincorporated community organisations located within the City of Melton can apply through an auspice agreement with any Australian incorporated not-for-profit community organisation.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ongoing

The Direct Aid Program (DAP) is a small grants program funded from Australia's aid budget. It has the flexibility to work with local communities in developing countries on projects that reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development consistent with Australia's national interest.

It sits alongside Australia's longer-term country and multilateral development strategies and with its wide geographical reach plays an important role in supporting local community efforts towards poverty reduction across the globe.

EastWeb
Open four times a year
For organisations and groups

We make grants of between $2000 and $5000 four times a year.

In 2024, we will be trialling some proactive granting, providing unrestricted organisational funding to organisations and groups that work in our focus areas. Advisory Board members will be recommending and reviewing organisations to support.

We’re especially keen to support organisations that are First Nations led, or refugee and asylum seeker led, and organisations that are youth-led

First Draft
Ongoing
For early career Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander curators

The First Peoples Curators Program supports early career Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander curators with new skills, professional presentation and development opportunities, and access to key industry networks.

Successful applicants receive: $1500 curator fee per exhibition; $600 artist fee per artist capped at $3000; access to travel fund up to $1000 if regional or interstate based; a fully subsidised six-week exhibition and more.

Australian Children’s Television Foundation
Ongoing

We engage with Australian producers and writers at the earliest stages of development, investing small amounts across a broad range of projects. Projects are assessed for quality and potential.

Development Funding 2024

The ACTF accepts development funding applications at any time via the ACTF Funding Portal. Turnaround time for assessment and decisions will vary depending on volume of applications received, and whether the ACTF requires further documentation or information from you once your application has been submitted.

Support Act
Ongoing
For those working in all genres of music

Crisis Relief Grants and support are available to musicians, managers, crew and music workers across all genres experiencing financial hardship as the result of illness, injury, mental health, older age or another current crisis that is impacting their ability to work in music.

Grants are assessed for a current issue impacting ability to work in music and, if approved, will be provided through direct payment of bills or other personal expenses related to the crisis, rather than cash grants. Evidence of a current crisis will be required.

Creative Australia
Ongoing

The Australian Cultural Fund (ACF) is a fundraising platform for Australian artists. Through the ACF, artists upload their project, start their fundraising campaign and invite art lovers and supporters to donate with 100% of donations going directly towards artists’ creative projects. Through the ACF you can offer tax deductibility to your donors. The ACF has helped raise millions of dollars for Australian artists, enabling a wide range of projects to come to life and offering support to Australia’s cultural sector.

Screen Australia
Ongoing
Filmmakers, screen producers.

International Pitching Events and Talent Labs provides support to producers selected for competitive overseas pitching events in order for them to secure finance, production and marketplace partners for Australian projects, or for key creatives invited to attend premium overseas talent labs to enable professional development and to build international industry networks. $5000 to $20,000 funding available.

City of Greater Dandenong
Individuals and Organisations

The Community Response Grants Program allows individuals and non-profit community organisations to apply for small responsive grants to help them to achieve their goals and ambitions.

Individuals can apply for up to $500, and non-profit community organisations can apply for up to $2000.

Creative Australia
Ongoing
Entrepreneurs

Ignite Small Business Start-Ups offers free, personalised support to help you start or expand a thriving small business, providing expert guidance, creative marketing strategies, assistance with business basics and legal compliance, access to skilled volunteers, and flexible meeting options. This grant is ongoing (no closing date).

The Awesome Foundation
Ongoing
Creators and projects

The Foundation distributes $1,000 grants, no strings attached, to projects and their creators. At each fully autonomous chapter, the money is pooled together from the coffers of ten or so self-organizing “micro-trustees”.

You can apply to any chapter although sometimes preference is for projects in the chapter's local area. This grant is ongoing (no closing date).

Regional Arts Victoria
Ongoing
Artists and arts workers, small projects

Quick Response Grants are intended to assist regional artists, arts organisations and communities to take up professional or skills development or small project opportunities.

This program is for projects that fall outside the scope of other funding opportunities. It is open to applications on an ongoing basis throughout the year. The grants will fund professional development opportunities for artists and arts workers or small project opportunities.

VicScreen
Ongoing
Screen practitioners, filmmakers and crew

VicScreen's Industry Development program supports organisations to deliver professional skills development activities in Victoria, to promote and support gender equality, diversity and inclusion.

Grants of up to $50,000 per applicant are open to support activities of the successful applicants. Organisations must have screen industry experience. Applications can be received at any time.

City of Whittlesea
Ongoing
For outcomes that benefit the Whittlesea community.

The City of Whittlsea are offering grants for individuals monthly up to $1000 for small grants, medium grants of up to $20,000 monthly and large grants quarterly of up to $40,000 for social enterprises, not-for-profit community groups, organisations and businesses to undertake activities that have a broad community benefit.

The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation
Ongoing
Visual Artists

A Canadian philanthropic grant that supports early career visual artists between the ages of 18 and 41 years, in representational styles of drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture, for a work, project or course of study.

All nationalities may apply. First grant amount is $17,000 (Canadian). This grant is ongoing throughout the year (no closing date).

City of Port Phillip
Until funds are exhausted
Live music support scheme

Through this initiative, council will pay a contribution towards artist fees to encourage local venues, promoters, and event managers to plan live music events and engage local performers.

All applicants must be applying for musicians to perform at venues and events based in the City of Port Phillip.

The Pollack-Krasner Foundation
Ongoing
Visual Artists

For painters, sculptors and artists who work on paper, including printmaker. Up to $30,000 to create new work, acquire supplies, rent studio space, prepare for exhibitions, attend a residency and offset living expenses.

Grants are intended for a one-year period of time. The size of the grant is determined by the individual circumstances of the artist. Professional exhibition history will be taken into consideration. Artists must be actively exhibiting their current work in professional artistic venues, such as gallery and museum spaces.

AFTRS
Ongoing
Film, Television and Radio School

To inspire creativity and innovation, The Australian Film, Television, Radio School want to work with students from diverse backgrounds.

To achieve this, they offer a range of scholarships that recognise excellence and assist with the costs associated with higher education.

A variety of financial support options, which you may be able to access include AFTRS Scholarships.