What is the Creative Learning Partnerships program?
Creative Learning Partnerships (CLP) provides grants to Victorian schools to engage an individual creative professional, a creative collective or a creative organisation for a school residency project.
Residencies can be undertaken face to face or via virtual communication platforms, or a hybrid of both. It provides students, teachers and creative professionals with diverse and challenging learning experiences that support deep learning across the curriculum from Foundation to Year 10 plus VCE Vocational Major and VPC. In 2018 the Creative Learning Partnerships program replaced the former Artists in Schools program.
Who can apply?
You can apply if you’re a Victorian primary or secondary school, including government and non-government schools, and for students with special needs.
*To increase access and equity, schools that received Creative Learning Partnerships funding between 2021 and 2023 aren’t eligible to apply for the Creative Learning Partnerships 2024 round.
What's on offer?
The Creative Learning Partnerships program provides funding to schools to engage:
- Victorian creative professional/s - $10,000 for projects with an individual creative professional working with the school for approximately 20 days
OR
- a creative collective or organisation - $35,000 for projects with a creative collective or organisation working with the school for at least 20 days
What kind of project can we do?
Your project can cover any art form or creative discipline, including digital games development, fashion, filmmaking, performing arts, literature, visual arts, media arts, music and design, to name a few.
Your school will receive funding to engage a creative professional or organisation to collaborate with you on designing a tailored project that suits the needs of your school, with your students, teachers and school community.
I’m a creative professional/artist, can I make an application?
No. Schools must be the applicant.
However, once a school and creative have decided to apply together, you can work on the draft application and budget tools together. The school Project Coordinator must register on the DJSIR Grant Portal to open an account in the school’s name and then copy and paste the draft into the online form.
Why do projects have to commence on or after term two?
Projects must commence on or after term two because our experience with schools shows us that term one is very busy with student orientation, planning and establishing school routines. Starting in or after term two gives project teams more time to get organised.
Can my project start in term three or four? What about more intensive timelines, or should it be slow and steady?
You can apply to run your CLP to any timeline that suits your school and your creative partner. The only requirements are not before term two and approximately 20 days project duration.
My school did a Creative Learning Partnerships project last year. Can we re-apply in this current round?
Schools that received CLP funding in the last three years (2023, 2022 or 2021) are not eligible to re-apply to CLP 2024. This is to increase access and equity to all schools. Schools may re-apply after the expiry of the three-year term.
A list of ineligible schools for the 2024 round can be found on this webpage.
Can a creative professional/artist who has participated in a Creative Learning Partnerships project in the past three years be a partner with a different school this round?
Yes.
Do creative partners have to be Victorian?
Yes. This is Victorian Government funding to support Victorian schools and Victorian or cross border based creative professionals.
I’m a creative professional/collective/organisation, can I partner with multiple schools in multiple applications?
No. A creative professional, collective or organisation cannot be involved in more than one CLP project in a funding round.
I’m a teacher, can I apply for my school or does my Principal have to do it?
Teachers can draft and submit an application; however they must first obtain support to do so from the Principal and School Council.
A Declaration of support signed by the school Principal, the President of the school council or equivalent, the school Project Coordinator, and the creative partner must be submitted with your application.
How much should we budget for the creative professional’s salary?
The primary purpose of the CLP grant is to engage your creative partner/s so your budget should prioritise creative professional or organisation/s fees.
Ask your chosen partner/s what their rates are and negotiate to create a budget that everyone is comfortable with.
Don’t forget that the creatives are professionals, bringing specialised skills and knowledge into your school.
What happened to the Artists in Schools program?
In 2018 CLP was introduced, replacing the former Artists in Schools Program.
Can I apply for support to cover costs such as buses to attend creative events?
CLP provides grants to support a school to partner with a creative professional, collective or organisation to work together on a creative project. Your project budget must prioritise the fees for the creative professional, collective or organisation and funding can also cover costs directly related to the project.
CLP does not cover the costs of buses to creative events or excursions if they are not related to the funded partnership project.