Submit Applications for Audience Development Fund – Australia

It encourages galleries to create new, innovative programs, events and activities that engage targeted audiences and connect them with artists and visual arts practice. The fund is designed to support galleries to develop and trial models for developing and engaging new audiences that will increase immediate and future attendance, access, and participation.

Funding Information

• Grant amount: up to $9,000 for each grant (no minimum).
• Duration: The project must commence after 1 December 2025 and before 31 December 2026 (but can continue after this date).

Eligible Costs

• Costs can include:
  • Fees and travel costs for artists, educators, or other professionals to deliver new programs;
  • Purchase of equipment required to deliver a public or education program or similar;
  • Research costs incurred in developing a new program including travel, per diems and accommodation;
  • Travel costs for audience outreach;
  • Startup costs for new initiatives such as makers’ markets, workshops, symposia, conferences, or similar programs relating to the gallery’s artistic program which may also generate funds or an additional income stream for the gallery.

Eligibility Criteria

• Grants are available to publicly funded galleries, visual arts and craft organisations based in New South Wales.
• To be eligible to make an application, a gallery must be a legally constituted entity and be one of the following:
  • a not-for-profit incorporated body
  • a co-operative or trust
  • a local government authority.
• Individual business units and entities of local government authorities (such as art galleries or performing arts centers) are eligible to submit applications on their own behalf if they have their own ABN (Australian Business Number).
• Applications that create new or extend existing partnerships within regions are strongly encouraged.
• Applicants are also encouraged to target audiences from the following priority areas; people living and/or working in regional NSW, people living and/or working in Western Sydney, NSW Aboriginal people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability or who are d/Deaf.

Assessment Criteria

• Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
  • The project is well planned with appropriate strategies in place for developing new audiences for the visual arts and maintaining them into the future;
  • The project targets one or more of the following priority areas; NSW Aboriginal people; people with disability or who are d/Deaf; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; young people (under 26); people living and/or working in regional NSW or people living and/or working in Western Sydney.
  • The project employs creative strategies for audience development and encourages adventurous cultural programming.

Application Requirements

• Applicants must submit the following support material (written material can be submitted in PDF):
  • Current abridged CV or biography for key artists, staff or other professionals involved in the proposed project (max 200 words per person)
  • Examples or documentation of previous projects undertaken by the gallery including images if available (no more than 5, A4 pages of documentation and 10 images in total)
  • Up to 3 letters of support from relevant collaborative artists, professionals, or organisations.
• In addition, applicants may submit the following support material:
  • Media articles, public program coverage or examples of publicity achieved from previous projects (no more than 3, A4 pages).
  • Video footage of work, hosted on YouTube/Vimeo/DropBox – please provide URL and passwords to view video on external website.

For more information, visit Museums & Galleries of NSW.