Lord Mayor’s Creative Fellowships Program 2025 (Australia)

The Brisbane City Council with its Lord Mayor’s Creative Fellowships Program is committed to fostering a vibrant and creative city, by supporting the professional development of local artists, arts workers, cultural workers or creative producers wishing to develop and expand their careers in the arts and cultural sector.

Objectives

• The program aims to support individual talented emerging and early-career Brisbane-based creatives grow their skills and practice to build their creative careers with a structured career and professional development opportunity that may include:
  • skills development
  • masterclasses/workshops
  • residencies
  • conferences
  • short course training
  • defined mentorships
  • structured learning experiences.

Funding Information

• Grants of up to $10,000 per application are available.

Eligible Costs

• Grants can be used to cover costs such as:
  • artist fees providing the professional development experience (at industry rates)
  • accommodation
  • conference/workshop/masterclass fees
  • travel, living allowance
  • mentoring fees
  • materials (directly related to the development opportunity)
  • hire of studio, venue, equipment
  • short course fees.

Ineligible Costs

• The program will not fund proposed activities or projects that are:
  • an unstructured/self-directed study program
  • an opportunity with a limited professional development outcome
  • prizes, awards or competitions
  • fundraising events, including charitable events
  • school arts activities, summer/winter schools, including eisteddfods
  • conducted by a political organisation or have a political purpose
  • for purchase of capital items including computers, buildings, vehicles, art making equipment and musical instruments, however, hire of equipment and purchase of art-making consumables directly related to delivery of the project may be eligible
  • for the development, making or installation of public artwork or art murals
  • for the purposes of repayment of debt or loans
  • activities that are part of a certificate, degree or other study/training at university, government or private institutions
  • for projects for which the sole purpose is an exhibition, performance or making a work (such as a recording or publication). This includes performances at festivals
  • for projects that are seeking the majority of funding for travel, touring, accommodation or living expenses (per diems)
  • for activities that have or are proposed to commence before 1 May 2025.
• Further, the program will not fund and grant funds must not be used for:
  • contingency costs
  • earning the recipient an artist fee
  • projects that do not pay recommended industry award rates for those artists, arts workers and creative producers providing the professional development experience (in-kind rates must be calculated at industry standard)
  • general public liability or insurance costs for the individual applicant or proposed activity or project.

Eligible Activities

• Council will accept applications for proposed activities or projects that:
  • are for professional development opportunities between 1 May 2025 and 30 April 2026
  • can demonstrate the artistic, cultural, social and/or economic impacts that align with the objectives and intended outcomes of the program
  • do not exceed the Limitations on Funding of up to 50% of travel, accommodation and living expenses of the total project budget requested.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must:
  • be an individual professional artist, arts worker, cultural worker or creative producer
  • be 17 years of age or over at the time of submitting an application
  • if under the age of 18 years of age, have their application co-signed by their legal guardian, confirming they will take responsibility for managing any funding that may be offered to the applicant
  • be a resident of the Brisbane Local Government Area (Brisbane LGA)
  • be a permanent resident or Australian citizen
  • have an active Australian Business Number (ABN) in the name of the individual applicant or be auspiced by an Auspice Organisation that is based in the Brisbane LGA
  • demonstrate exceptional talent, initiative and passion for their work
  • classify as an emerging or early-career artist.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Applications will be deemed ineligible if:
  • the submission is incomplete
  • it does not comply with eligibility criteria
  • it is requesting 100% of project costs
  • activities have already taken place or are in progress before funding is approved
  • it does not have a clearly defined arts component
  • compulsory support material is not provided
  • the proposed activity or project cannot be completed within 12 months from the Notification Date
  • submitted after the closing date and time
  • the applicant is:
  • a Queensland or Australian Government department (including education institutions) or agencies, foundations or grant making bodies or projects which fall under the responsibility of another tier of government
  • seeking funding for international students wishing to travel to their city of origin
  • an employee of Council
  • an organisation of any kind
  • currently in receipt of creative funding from Council to the value of $10,000 or more in the same financial year that the grant round is open.

For more information, visit Brisbane City Council.