NOFO: Contemporary Music Fund Short Notice Activity Program 2025 – Australia

The Contemporary Music Fund grant program is designed to complement existing Culture and the Arts grant programs.

Objectives

• To capitalize on available opportunities for the contemporary music sector.
• Contribute to the development of markets for WA music locally, nationally and internationally.
• To ensure a strong representation of musicians and music professionals from Aboriginal, regional, and cultural and gender diverse backgrounds.
• To accelerate the recovery of the WA contemporary music sector following the effects of COVID-19.

Funding Information

• Up to $5000 for professional development opportunities.
• Up to $10,000 for national and regional touring/showcasing opportunities.
• Up to $15,000 for international touring/showcasing opportunities.

Eligible Activities

• Eligible activities may include, but are not limited to:
  • Performances, festivals and events regionally, nationally and internationally
  • Support slots for larger touring bands
  • Performance at industry showcases and events
  • Professional development opportunities via invitation only.

Ineligible Activities

• Projects or activities that do not involve or benefit Western Australian practicing musicians or arts professionals
• Purchase of capital equipment including instruments, equipment, software, computers and/or uniforms
• Capital works such as construction or purchasing of studios, workspaces or gallery spaces
• Activities already funded by the department through any of our funding programs
• Activity relating to radio broadcasting
• Display, restoration or conservation of cultural and/or historical material
• Costs of manufacturing and/or producing prototypes or samples
• Activities relating to podcasts and audiobooks that do not involve creative arts practitioners
• Fundraising, competitions, prizes and trophies
• The work of State Government or Federal Government departments
• Activity that will be academically assessed or any school curriculum-based activity
• Facsimiles, genealogical works and histories of local governments, clubs, districts and organisations
• Activities related to an individual’s membership in a national organisation
• Ongoing staffing costs
• Digital games development activities
• Film and television activities such as:
  • The development or production of narrative shorts or features, pilots for television series, web series, mainstream animation for example conventional character-based narrative cartoons
  • Documentaries, including documentaries on the arts
  • Screenwriting activities or script development for film and television
  • Stand-alone documentation activities
  • education activities, or activities where members of the public take part, where the main or only art form being used is film or digital, unless it’s in support of an artist’s work
  • Film festivals, unless they support works created by practicing artists.

Eligibility Criteria

• Individuals and groups are welcome to apply however:
  • Individuals must have Australian citizenship or permanent resident status
  • Groups including unincorporated bodies, partnerships and individuals informally collaborating on an activity must be based in Australia
  • If you are considering submitting an administered/auspiced grant you must contact the department before commencing your application
  • If you are applying on behalf of Aboriginal people, you must provide evidence of significant Aboriginal involvement in the conception, development of and participation in the activity
  • Although WA residency is not a requirement to apply for a grant, if you are applying from outside WA you will need to show the benefits to WA artists, creatives, arts or cultural workers in your application.

Ineligibility Criteria

• You will make your application ineligible if you:
  • have already applied to this program twice in this financial year
  • have not provided evidence of the short notice opportunity to attend or deliver the activity
  • will not complete your activity within 12 weeks of the activity start date
  • do not provide the mandatory support material
  • start the activity before the eligible start date
  • submit an application late
  • have any key personnel with an overdue acquittal report
  • are a staff member of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (staff of portfolio organisations may apply subject to meeting the code of conduct and secondary employment policy)
  • request funding that exceeds the funding cap of the program
  • apply for activity that is delivered as part of an educational institution’s curriculum or will be academically assessed
  • are a portfolio organisation of DLGSC
  • are an Arts Organisation Investment Program funded organisation or Major Performing Arts company.

For more information, visit DLGSCI.