The first principle of the Victorian Government’s Creative State 25 strategy is ‘First Peoples first’, and Creative Victoria is committed to strengthening the participation of First Peoples across Victoria’s creative industries.
To ensure First Peoples creativity is better reflected across Victoria’s cultural sector, every grant program led by Creative Victoria has a dedicated First Peoples stream. This stream is open to Traditional Owners of Victoria, and all other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who reside in the state.
Whether you’re a musician, dancer, designer, writer, digital games maker or anything and everything in between, there’s a Creative Victoria stream of funding right to help you develop your practice. If you’re looking to apply for a grant program and would like to talk to someone about your eligibility, or how to make sure your grant application stands out from the pack, you can email Creative Victoria’s officer responsible for First People Grants. You may also like to check out Creative Victoria’s Information for all applicants (link to Information for all applicants page) for more general advice when preparing your grant application.
Once you’ve submitted your application, all applications from First Peoples-led entities or creatives will be led by Creative Victoria’s First People Directions Circle. Designed to embed Aboriginal self-determination into the assessment process, the First People Directions Circle will work with other external First Peoples creative industry peers working in your field throughout the review process.