Request for Proposals: Emerging Artist Grants Program (Australia)

Professional development opportunities allow emerging artists to gain experience, develop networks and learn skills from the world’s best. The Trust’s Emerging Artist Grants program funds nationally and supports individual artists practising across the spectrum of the arts, from visual arts to community radio, design to literature, conservation of cultural heritage to circus arts.

The Trust primarily supports structured professional development and networking opportunities such as residencies, internships, mentorships, workshops, and conferences.

Funding Information

• The Ian Potter Cultural Trust runs funding rounds through which individual artists can apply for grants of up to $15,000.

Eligible Projects

• Residencies
• Mentorships
• Study tours that have a clear skills development focus
• Masterclasses and private lessons
• Internships
• Conferences and workshops
• Postgraduate study with a focus on professional development and artistic practice where no equivalent exists in Australia.

Ineligible Projects

• 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.
• Undergraduate degree courses.
• Postgraduate study being undertaken through an Australian institution.
• Projects that are already underway or will commence before the date indicated in our funding rounds; the Trust does not fund retrospectively.
• Applications that the Trust has previously declined. Applicants may re-apply if seeking funding for a different project.

Eligibility Criteria

• Be a minimum of 18 years old by the project start date.
• Be an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident of Australia.
• Make a reasonable personal financial contribution to their project.
• Demonstrate exceptional talent, initiative, and passion for their work.
• Classify as an emerging or early-career artist.
• As a general guide, the Trust considers emerging and early-career artists to be within 10 years of attaining their first formal arts qualification in their area of practice (such as an undergraduate degree or equivalent).
• This does not mean applicants need to have attained formal qualifications in their area of practice to be considered for a grant. Where an applicant does not have formal training, the beginning of their practice is commonly marked by a significant recognition of the artist’s work and the artist’s vocational commitment to ongoing practice.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Individuals who have received or acquitted a grant from the Trust within the last two years.
• Artistic groups such as a string quartet or comedy duo cannot submit a single application on behalf of multiple individuals. For artists seeking funding for a collaborative development project, each artist must submit an individual online application.

Assessment Criteria

• They support applicants who can demonstrate initiative, exceptional talent, and the ability to realise their ambitions.
  • Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:
    • Applicant’s talent and demonstrated commitment to their practice.
    • Relevance and benefits of the development experience to the applicant’s career development.
    • Viability of the proposed project.
    • Alignment of the proposed project with the Trust’s funding principles.

For more information, visit The Ian Potter Cultural Trust.