Arts and Cultural Funding for Next Steps Professional Development (Australia)

Objectives

• In response to Creative Communities, the NSW arts, culture and creative industries policy, the purpose of this funding is to strengthen communities though equitable access to vibrant arts and cultural experiences.
• This funding will:
  • enable career development for artists and arts and cultural workers
  • support opportunities that develop cultural leadership capacities, skills and knowledge
  • promote professional networking and collaboration
  • encourage personal wellbeing and resilience.

Funding Information

• Grant amount: Up to $2,000 to $10,000.

Eligible Costs

• Costs you need to cover to make sure your project is a success including:
  • Renting or hiring of space for workshops, rehearsals, shows, exhibitions or presentations
  • Travel and accommodation costs related to your professional development activity
  • Fees for development opportunities, mentorships, workshops, and courses
  • Costs of attending creative sector conferences and networking events
  • Costs to support aboriginal protocols
  • Costs to support accessibility

Ineligible Costs

• Projects or activities that directly support the delivery or course requirements of an educational institution’s program or course
• Projects or activities that are led by people who aren’t professional artists, arts and cultural workers, or creatives
• Paying back money for items you’ve already bought
• Buying equipment that isn’t directly used in your project
• Capital Works (infrastructure/building works).
• Fundraising and donations
• Awards, prizes, competitions, or prize money
• Paying back loans

Eligible Activities

• The project must be a clearly defined arts and cultural activity. It must benefit individual NSW artists or arts and cultural workers. It must provide professional and/or skills development opportunities to advance their careers.
• These activities might include:
  • Research, training, coaching, or mentoring
  • Attending workshops, conferences, nationally or internationally.

Eligible Projects

• Some examples of what may be funded under this grant are but not limited to:
  • An emerging or established artist participating in a residency program
  • A Western Sydney based artist undertaking a mentorship with an institution
  • A mid-career artist to attend a conference for networking and knowledge development in New York
  • A Frist Nations artist to attend a significant cultural event in the Northern Territory

Eligibility Criteria

• Individuals are eligible to apply:
  • Applicants must be 18 years or above
  • Located in NSW for the last 12 months.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Individuals who:
  • Have received funding before from Create NSW or Sound NSW for the same part of their project
  • Have already started their project
  • Will start or finish the project before the funding period starts
  • Want funding for professional development related to films, TV shows, or film festivals.
  • Want funding for professional development related to contemporary music.
  • Are employed by Create NSW or were employed in the last 12 months.
• Organisations
• Groups

Application Requirements

• Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria. Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department’s discretion. This includes:
  • The project must start after 7 April 2025 and be completed by 30 June 2026.

For more information, visit NWS.