A wide variety of Victorian and national cultural organisations offer funding sources, grants and programs.
To promote an annual program or opportunity that is available to support the work of Victorian creatives, please contact us at digital@creative.vic.gov.au
Peak bodies and government organisations
APRA AMCOS - runs programs for songwriters, composers and the music industry. https://www.apraamcos.com.au/about/supporting-the-industry
Arts Access Victoria offers grants and auspicing, as well as awards and scholarships. https://www.artsaccess.com.au/
Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program – supports projects that promote Australia’s creative sector https://www.dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/public-diplomacy/acdgp/australian-cultural-diplomacy-grants-program
Copyright Australia – the Cultural Fund offers grants to support new work by writers and artists. https://www.copyright.com.au/culturalfund/
Creative Australia The Federal Government body runs a range of grant programs open to artists and creative organisations across the country. https://creative.gov.au/
Festivals Australia – funds engaging arts projects that invite community participation in regional and remote Australia. https://www.arts.gov.au/funding-and-support/festivals-australia
Multicultural Arts Victoria - provides information on funding support for creative practitioners. https://www.mav.org.au/avenues-of-support
Music Victoria - runs grants programs and offers information on other funding opportunities for Victorian musicians. https://www.musicvictoria.com.au/resource/current-grants-opportunities/
Regional Arts Victoria - offers grants for creative projects based in regional Victoria. https://www.rav.net.au/funding-opportunities/
Theatre Network Australia – information on opportunities for performing arts practitioners including the circus and physical theatre sector. https://tna.org.au/
VicScreen – offers a range of funding opportunities including incentives, skill development and funding for screen events. https://vicscreen.vic.gov.au/funding/
Philanthropic organisations
Besen Family Foundation – has two open grant rounds each year for its Arts and Culture program. https://www.besenfoundation.org.au/how-to-apply
Ian Potter Foundation - offers funding for artistic institutions and organisations across Australia, and the Ian Potter Cultural Trust makes grants to talented early-career Australian artists. https://www.ianpotter.org.au/what-we-support/program-areas/arts/
Programs
Music
Australian Music Prize – peer-voted prize for Australian contemporary music. https://www.australianmusicprize.com.au/
Chamber Made – Orange by the Sea Residency for mid-career artists identifying as women or non-binary. https://chambermade.org/events/2024-orange-house-by-the-sea-residency/
Melbourne Prize – annual prize rewarding excellence in urban sculpture, literature and music (alternates between categories on a three-year cycle). https://www.melbourneprize.org/
Take Note – run by Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Take Note offers a cash bursary to support the development of new work by a female performer. https://www.melbournejazz.com/industry/take-note
Digital games
VicScreen – offers a range of grants, incentive programs and placements for the digital games industry. https://vicscreen.vic.gov.au/funding/games
Sculpture
Southern Way McClelland Commissions – opportunities for artists to apply for commission to create public art and contemporary sculpture. https://mcclelland.org.au/pages/public-sculpture-commissions
Melbourne Prize – annual prize rewarding excellence in urban sculpture, literature and music (alternates between categories on a three-year cycle). https://www.melbourneprize.org/
Literature
Emerging Writers Festival – Richell Prize for Emerging Writers offers $10,000 and one year’s mentoring with Hachette Australia. https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/the-richell-prize-for-emerging-writers/
Melbourne Prize – annual prize rewarding excellence in urban sculpture, literature and music (alternates between categories on a three-year cycle). https://www.melbourneprize.org/
State Library Victoria offers fellowships across a wide range of creative areas including writing, theatre performing arts and visual arts. https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/fellowships/
The Wheeler Centre offers Hot Desk Fellowships, providing emerging writers with a space to inspire their process. https://www.wheelercentre.com/hot-desk-fellowships/
Screen
MIFF Premiere Fund – co-financing to new Australian feature films. https://miff.com.au/premierefund
Ian Potter Moving Image Commission - $100,000 from The Ian Potter Cultural Trust to an Australian artist. https://www.acmi.net.au/collection-preservation/commissions/ian-potter-moving-image-commission/
VicScreen – offers a range of funding opportunities including incentives, skill development and funding for screen events. https://vicscreen.vic.gov.au/funding/
Open to all creative forms
American Australian Association – Arts Fund to support American and Australian emerging or early career artists to study or undertake artistic development in each other’s country. https://americanaustralian.org/scholarships/arts-fund/#:~:text=Arts%20Scholarships%20and%20Grants,the%20country%20of%20the%20other.
Australia Post Community Grants program – supports projects that connect people and improve mental wellbeing in local communities https://auspost.com.au/about-us/supporting-communities/grants/community-grants-program
Footscray Community Arts provides programs and residencies for creative practitioners https://footscrayarts.com/artist-opportunities/
Fringe Festival - the Fringe Fund helps emerging and independent artists https://melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-sector-leadership/fringe-fund/
Geelong Arts Centre Creative Engine – studio and co-working space https://geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/
Public Record Office Victoria’s Creative in Residence Program – paid opportunity for a creative practitioner to use the archives to feature in a new creative work. https://prov.vic.gov.au/whats/creative-residence-program
Public Record Office Victoria’s Local History Grants Program – encourages and fosters community activities that preserve, record and share the local, social and community history of Victoria and Victorians. https://prov.vic.gov.au/community/grants-and-awards/local-history-grants-program
William Fletcher Foundation – grants of $1000-$2000 for students of painting and drawing https://williamfletcherfoundation.org.au/grants/
Fellowships and Residencies
Churchill Fellowships offer the chance to travel overseas and learn about a topic or issue. https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/become-a-fellow/
Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship – provides tax free grants over two years to individual Australian artists, creatives and cultural leaders. https://www.myerfoundation.org.au/grant-opportunities-list/sidney-myer-creative-fellowships
State Library Victoria offers fellowships across a wide range of creative areas including writing, theatre performing arts and visual arts. https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/fellowships/
The Wheeler Centre offers Hot Desk Fellowships, providing emerging writers with a space to inspire their process. https://www.wheelercentre.com/hot-desk-fellowships/
Local Councils
Any councils who wish to add initiatives to this list should contact us at digital@creative.vic.gov.au
City of Port Phillip Rupert Bunny Visual Arts Fellowship - $30,000 to a recipient every two years, to support contemporary visual artists https://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/rupert-bunny-foundation-visual-arts-fellowship
City of Banyule – arts and culture project grants for up to $10,000 https://www.banyule.vic.gov.au/About-us/Grants-programs/Arts-and-culture-grants
City of Greater Bendigo – information on grants, opportunities and resources for creatives in the region https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/community-services/arts-and-creative-industries/opportunities-and-resources-creatives
City of Melbourne – annual arts grants and residences, grants of up to $20,000https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/arts-and-culture/strategies-support/funding/arts-grants/Pages/arts-grants.aspx
City of Stonnington – arts and culture grants, providing one year of funding or in-kind support for arts organisations, community groups emerging or established artists. https://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/Community/Grants/Arts-and-Culture-grants
Creative Ballarat - offers information on creative grants and employment opportunities https://www.creativeballarat.com.au/opportunities