Brunswick East Entertainment Festival. Image credit: Theresa Harrison
The Building Audiences Fund provides support for new marketing projects which build, expand or re-establish audiences or customer bases for creative businesses. If you have an idea that explores different approaches to engaging audiences, building brand awareness and increasing income for your organisation, we want to hear from you.
Applications are sought from Victorian independent professional creatives and micro-to-small Victorian organisations (no more than 10 FTE staff). Applicants can apply for marketing projects operating between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023.
Applications must clearly identify the marketing challenge faced by your creative business and demonstrate how the new marketing activity will address or remedy the issue.
The program has two streams:
1. First Peoples stream
Applications by Victorian First Peoples creative practitioners or First Peoples-led micro-to-small organisations will be assessed by a First Peoples Assessment Panel to ensure Aboriginal self-determination.
2. General stream
All other applications will be assessed by a panel made up of a diverse range of marketing experts across the creative industries.
Funding available
Applications will be accepted for requests between $2,000 - $20,000. The total grant pool for this program is $100,000.
Who can apply
- Victorian independent professional creatives/artists and partnerships
- Victorian micro-to-small sized Victorian organisations spanning the creative industries (less than 10 FTE staff)
- Victorian regionally based creative Industries organisations owned and run by a Local Government Authority in Regional Victoria
Creative Victoria will only accept one application per applicant (including under auspice). Auspice bodies may apply on behalf of multiple applicants. Please speak to a program officer, listed below, to confirm your eligibility before applying.
The program will not support
Organisations/entities receiving Creative Victoria multiyear funding (i.e. Creative Enterprises Program, Creative Ventures Program, Regional Partnerships Program) during the activity period of 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023
- 2021 recipients of the Building Audiences Fund
- Business as usual or existing marketing activity
- The development or presentation of artworks or products
- Ideas that are principally focused on content or product creation
- Business start-up costs, capital purchases or recurrent administrative, infrastructure and other organisational costs not directly associated with the project/program.
- Equipment purchases
- Reimbursement for expenses already incurred, or other retrospective funding
- Amateur or hobby pursuits.
Please speak to a program officer or refer to the program guidelines for further detail.
Key dates
Round opens: 31 January 2022
Round closes: 3pm, 24 February 2022
Please note: It takes approximately 12 weeks from the closing date until funding results are available.
Following notification, all successful applicants will be required to provide a detailed project plan for the proposed activity. Proposed activity must take place between Friday, 1 July 2022 – Friday, 30 June 2023.
Applications Closed
Building Audiences 2022 applications are submitted via the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions Grants Portal.
General information on how to access the Grants Portal, including how to register and FAQ about the Portal, can be found here.
You will need to determine which stream you are applying to:
- First Peoples Stream: APPLICATIONS CLOSED
- General Stream: APPLICATIONS CLOSED
To open saved applications and drafts please click here to return to the Grants Portal.
Who to talk to
For more information contact Creative Victoria's Strategic Marketing team:
Laura Perini on 8683 3213 or email at laura.perini@creative.vic.gov.au
Katie White on 8683 3213 or by email at katie.white@creative.vic.gov.au
Cameron Swann on 86833211 or by email at cameron.swann@creative.vic.gov.au.
Links and downloads
Guidelines
- Building Audiences Funding Guidelines - Word version
- Building Audiences Funding Guidelines - Accessible version
- Building Audiences Funding Guidelines - PDF Version
- Building Audiences FAQ - Accessible version
Tools
Case Studies
Explore some of the projects that have received grants from this program.
Previous Recipients
Please note: Prior to 2021, this Program was called The Marketing Innovation Fund
Photo: Timothy Treasure, Artwork: The Social Studio
Linden New Art, St Kilda $6,000
To partner with international research agency Morris Hargreaves McIntyre (MHM) to apply MHM’s Culture Segments TagTool to Linden New Art’s database, website and social media channels. Once the TagTool is applied, Linden will be able to develop tailored communications for each audience segment. The project seeks to deepen audience engagement to retain audience members and attract new ones.
Lumi Interactive, South Melbourne $25,000
To collaborate with diverse Victorian artists to create four augmented reality 'selfie filters' for social media platforms Instagram and TikTok, to promote Lumi Interactive’s new body positivity game. The filters and game will be available worldwide on Apple and Android devices, through which the project has the potential to reach millions of people.
Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio Ltd, North Melbourne $10,500
To partner with Google to feature MESS collections and activities on the Google Arts and Culture website. The partnership will open-up new audiences around the world, positioning MESS alongside other leading institutions featured in the Cultural Institutions section of the site, plus other opportunities to be featured in curated collections sorted by theme.
Memo Review, $2,000
To grow interest from youth audience members and launch a subscription-based revenue stream via Patreon (a website that processes payments to creative practitioners from fans). The project will also include a re-invigoration of the Memo Review brand and partnerships with Monash University and University of Melbourne to showcase 2020 graduate art exhibitions.
Emma Ramsay – 10Tickles, $20,000
To partner with tourism and education institutions to create ‘True Crime’ online mini-games that can be played by visitors within their premises, helping to draw new audiences and revenue streams. Players will explore heritage sites where criminal events have taken place, along the way collecting clues and questioning witnesses to solve the crime. Development of the games can take place during coronavirus restrictions, readying the technology for release when venue restrictions are lifted.
Sandpit Media Pty Ltd, Southbank $29,910
To develop a new tool that will convey complex data through engaging, easy-to-understand imagery that can be distributed via digital and other communications channels. Over time, this data visualisation tool will be used across all of Sandpit’s exhibition projects, nationally and globally, helping to position them as a leader in the field.
Women’s Art Register, Richmond $4,425
To create an online, interactive map of historic sites of women’s art practice in Melbourne. The tool will act as a register, capturing crowd sourced information to complete the historical ‘picture’. The map will be complemented by a social media campaign highlighting significant stories and encouraging interaction with the map.
Castlemaine State Festival – $20,000
The festival’s ‘Friends Program’, will be relaunched with an online art auction. The auction will celebrate local artists and become a major fundraising activity and marketing tool, designed to attract younger members of the community to the festival.
By The Meadow – $17,643
The ‘Bambra (not so) Express VIP Transfer Experience' is a competition for a VIP travel experience that will give audiences an introduction to local artists and culture as they make their way to the boutique regional music festival, By The Meadow.
Arena Theatre Company – $16,900
The ‘Creative Leaders’ program has been designed to build a group of brand ambassadors through high-quality professional development opportunities for teachers within the Bendigo region.
Geelong Art Gallery – $12,000
Development of a marketing campaign to promote Muse, Geelong Art Gallery’s art critic avatar, which has been designed to interpret artworks making them easy to understand for children and people with a disability.
Festival of Jewish Arts and Music – $20,000
For a multi-channel re-branding of the Festival of Jewish Arts and Music challenging audiences' pre-existing ideas about what it may mean to be Jewish.
Mycelium Studios – $19,987
Emerging artists will be partnered with mentors to develop a large-scale public artwork on the façade of Mycelium Studios, to promote the creative co-working hub and consultancy based in Brunswick East.
Southern Buoy Studios – $3,680
A multi-channel marketing campaign encouraging locals and visitors to view the Mornington Peninsula through the eyes of a diverse range of artists represented by Southern Buoy Studios.
GOATi Entertainment - $16,333
To develop and host an E-sports series to support the launch of ‘22 Racing Series’, a real-time strategy racing game.
Arts Access Victoria – $20,000
To produce ‘Choose Film’, a marketing campaign aimed at the Deaf and Vision impaired communities to raise awareness for ‘The Other Film Festival’ in 2020.
Melbourne Jazz LTD – $20,000
To develop an audience insight generator allowing Melbourne International Jazz Festival to better understand and attract their target market.
Jolt Sonic Arts – $20,000
Let’s Get Strange
For a partnership with SBS which will create and promote a series of sound art videos featuring Strange James and other Jolt Sonic Arts artists. Combined with social media, radio and billboard advertising, Jolt's aim is to set the pace for sound art promotion across the music sector.
Kaiela Arts – $20,000
Yuri Wala Kaiela – Fresh Water River
For a unique launch event to introduce Kaiela Arts' new screen-printed Design Roots linen fabric range. The Yuri Wala Kaiela (Fresh Water River) event will combine physical theatre with multimedia for an an outdoor theatre event at a secret location on the banks of the Goulburn River. The audience will also be treated to contemporary Aboriginal cuisine as they view an exhibition of the fabrics and products that will be available for purchase and commission.
Melbourne Fringe Festival – $15,571
Fringr – Swipe. Match. Buy.
To create 'Fringr' a game designed to encourage Melbourne Fringe Festival customers to book tickets to events being performed by emerging artists. ‘Fringr’ takes the form of an online dating game and makes recommendations for shows based on the user’s personal tastes and preferences. The Festival will own the intellectual property of the game and will have the potential to on-sell the software to other festivals nationally and internationally.
Melbourne Youth Music (MYO) – $16,800
Visualising Classical Music and Building Young Audiences
To commission Melbourne creatives to create a set of visual listening guides for younger audiences that aim to enhance their enjoyment of four well-known symphonies. The guides will feature original illustrations and graphics outlining key musical markers and allow the listener to follow the symphonies in real-time. The guides will be housed on the MYO website, available for download prior to performances, and available at performance venues. MYO will also develop social media assets and work closely with partners to promote and launch the project.
The Nonsense Maker – $7629
The Nonsense Post
To stage a creative installation that will build awareness of The Nonsense Maker brand through a novelty post box. Illustrated by Emily May of The Nonsense Maker, The Nonsense Post will pop up three times annually at venues, events, or public spaces closely aligned with the brand's target audience. People will have the opportunity to write a message on a Nonsense Maker greeting card and ‘post’ it for free through The Nonsense Post. Email addresses will be collected to engage these new audience members on an ongoing basis.
Tin Man Games - $20,000
Table of Tales – Interactive Arbitrix Installation
To create an interactive digital installation to accompany the release of the upcoming Sony Playstation Virtual Reality (VR) game, Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown. The installation will focus on the game's major character, Arbitrix, a talking mechanical bird that will be controlled by an unseen operator and the viewer using digital puppeteering via VR technology. The installation will be used at future game exhibitions and conventions to magnify marketing activities.
Centre for Contemporary Photography, FITZROY: $10,000
To establish a national competition to find Australia’s best in travel photography. The competition will support the Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP) to raise its profile by providing tips to budding photographers and promoting CCP’s photography courses. CCP will also bring together leading photographers to judge the competition winners.
Outer Urban Projects, COBURG NORTH: $15,000
Outer Urban Projects makes work with young and emerging, culturally diverse artists from Melbourne’s northern suburbs. This project is a marketing campaign to ensure that the diversity of the company is reflected in the audience for its upcoming dance/theatre work Vessel when it is presented in Melbourne’s CBD. In addition to traditional marketing, the company will undertake promotional activities in its target communities including school visits, visiting neighbourhood houses and attending local forums. The company will also develop marketing materials and media in languages other than English.
Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio (MESS), NORTH MELBOURNE: $10,500
To create a series of marketing films called MESS RECIPES that will showcase the range of technologies and programs available at MESS’ electronic music studio. The project aims to increase awareness of the organisation and to encourage membership and increase bookings in MESS’ public access studio.
Next Wave Festival, NORTH MELBOURNE: $19,500
For a project that will create online content ranging from videos to podcasts and live online broadcasts that will allow creative practitioners based anywhere in the world to access Next Wave’s professional development programs.
The Listies, SOUTHBANK: $15,000
To create a series of short films which will be “written” by children and performed by The Listies. The films will be launched on social media and YouTube as part of a marketing strategy to promote the national tour of The Listies' live children’s theatre show Ickypedia. The campaign will also promote the corresponding book, Ickypedia: A dictionary of Disgusting New Words, published by Penguin.
Katharine Oliver, EAST GEELONG: $5,700
This project will support glass designer and maker Katharine Oliver to develop new markets for her work. Katharine will diversify her production methods, build the online presence of her business and strengthen her marketing to boost not only her local, but her national and international client base.
Auspicious Arts Projects on behalf of Sarah Ward, FOOTSCRAY: $6,300
To create an online campaign to promote Sarah Ward’s acclaimed cabaret character Yana Alana and her upcoming shows. The campaign, which will involve producing digital content which will give Yana a ‘life’ off the stage and invite fans to follow Yana’s activities and engage with her outside of the usual performance environment.
Melbourne Writers Festival, MELBOURNE: $18,000
In 2017 as part of Asia TOPA, the festival presented a pop up program of events from the Jaipur Literary Festival (JLF Melbourne). This attracted a new, culturally diverse audience. To build on this success, the festival will develop a Community Engagement Toolkit that will guide future activities and ensure that the festival’s marketing efforts continue to capture and engage new and diverse audiences.
Case Studies 2017
Outer Urban Projects
This project was an integrated marketing campaign in support of Outer Urban Project's new dance work ‘Vessel’. It targeted disengaged community audiences in Melbourne's outer northern suburbs, spanning across a 1100 km area. The marketing strategy included a plan for multilingual materials.
What Outer Urban Projects said about the Fund:
This Marketing Initiative grant allowed us to undertake work that exceeded our expectations across; community engagement, trialling new collateral, developing new and existing audiences, company profile and box office targets.
Melbourne Writers Festival
Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) presented a pop-up experience of the Jaipur Literary Festival (JLF Melbourne), as part of Asia TOPA, specifically targeting a new audience for the festival. Based on the learnings from this event MWF developed a Community Engagement Toolkit to provide alternative marketing pathways for people to attend the festival with a focus on specific segments.
What Melbourne Writers Festival said about the Fund:
This project has been invaluable to learn about real and perceived barriers to festival attendance and develop our skills create relevant communications for diverse audiences.
Fringe Festival
Fringr utilises individualised data - collected from ticket buyers during purchase and digital activity - to gamify the difficult Melbourne Fringe Festival event selection process. It takes the form of a dating profile and exists both online and in person. Fringr is designed to match Fringe Festival events with targeted purchasers based on the participant’s personal tastes and preferences. The purpose of the game is to encourage purchases to unknown emerging artists which is one of Melbourne Fringe’s key goals.
What Fringe Festival said about the Fund:
The Innovation in Marketing Fund is incredibly important in providing arts organisations with the space to take risks and find creative solutions to marketing challenges.