Creative Workers Fund

The Creative Workers Fund is a grants program that aims to:

• Support professional independent creatives, collectives and micro/small creative organisations/businesses across all disciplines of the creative industries (except for Contemporary Music Industry activity, which will be supported through the Music Works program) at all career stages.
• Support projects that reflect the diversity of Victorian creative industries.
• Support projects that provide paid work for Victorian creative practitioners and workers.
• Increase the availability and accessibility of creative products and content to the Victorian public.
• Achieve a state-wide reach through a broad distribution of State Government funds to maximise the benefit for the Victorian community.

Applications are encouraged from a wide range of creative disciplines from across the sector, including but not limited to screen and digital games, fashion, design, visual arts/craft, literature, contemporary dance/physical performance, community creative practice, circus, cabaret, music, sound art, theatre, multidisciplinary and experimental work.

This state-wide program encourages applications from First Peoples*, Deaf and Disabled creatives* LGBTIQ+ applicants, Young applicants (aged 25 years and below), Regional applicants and applicants from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Applications opened on Monday 25 January 2021 and close at 5pm on Thursday 18 February 2021. Activity can commence 1 July 2021.

The Creative Workers Fund supports projects led by Victorian professional creatives, which can include projects collaborating with creative and non-creative personnel (such as technicians, publicists etc).

The types of activities that may be supported include:

• Development of creative works, content/IP, products and/or services.
• Presentation of works, productions, exhibitions, publications or curated programs/festivals delivered in a COVIDSafe manner.
• Professional creatives collaborating with Victorian communities.
• Professional or skills development that positively impact the careers of Victorian creatives.
• Audience engagement and market development activity in a COVIDSafe manner.

Applications will be accepted for requests between:

• $4,000 to $20,000 for individuals, sole traders and freelancers to undertake discrete solo projects (i.e. one creative working on a solo project) plus access costs (see below)
• $4,000 to $40,000 for collectives, groups, organisations and businesses to undertake discrete projects or a suite of public programming outcomes plus access costs (see below)

Additional requirements apply for recipients that receive $40,000 and above. Please see the program guidelines for further details.

The program will provide additional funding of up to $10,000 to help remove barriers for Deaf and Disabled creatives, artists, arts workers involved in an activity.

All applicants can apply for up to $10,000 in additional funding to make their activity accessible to a wider audience (e.g. Auslan, captioning, audio description, materials in other formats).

Please contact program staff to discuss how to include these costs in your application and budget as they will vary depending on the applicant and size/scope of activity.

We acknowledge there is still uncertainty as to exactly what restrictions will be in place in July. We therefore encourage applicants to consider flexible delivery models and activity that can be adapted swiftly to comply with changing restrictions (i.e. plans for pivoting to digital delivery if the in-person event is not able to take place) and to state their contingency plan or flexible model as part of their application.

The Creative Workers Fund accepts applications from Victorian individual creative practitioners, collectives, groups, businesses or organisations that meet Creative Victoria’s general eligibility.

Applications are encouraged from a wide range of creative disciplines from across the sector, including but not limited to screen and digital games, fashion, design, visual arts/craft, literature, contemporary dance/physical performance, community creative practice, circus, cabaret, music, sound art, theatre, multidisciplinary and experimental work.

If you apply to the Creative Workers Fund, you are not eligible to also apply to Creators Fund or Music Works in January/February 2021. You must choose the most relevant program rather than submit multiple applications.

Recipients of the VicArts September 2020 round or the Victorian Music Industry Recovery Program are ineligible to apply to The Creative Workers Fund.

Previous Creative Victoria grant recipients are eligible to apply to this program, provided they:

• meet the eligibility criteria of the Creative Workers Fund program; and
• are for activities as set out in the program guidelines.

Only one application per applicant or organisation will be accepted. One individual is not able to act as the primary contact for two separate applications. This applies to both individual and group activity.

Creative Victoria will not consider funding for activity prior to 1 July. You should not enter into any arrangements or make any payments on the assumption you will receive support for activity prior to this date.

As Creative Victoria grants use public money, the allocation of funds through our grants programs requires significant scrutiny and applicants cannot be funded until this process has been completed.

Creative Workers Fund does not support the reimbursement of expenses already incurred, or other retrospective funding.

If you don’t have an ABN or you are not sure that you will have the ability to manage the paperwork or requirements associated with a Creative Victoria grant, an organisation or business can submit the application on your behalf. If your application is successful, this party will receive the funding and will be responsible for managing the funds and reporting to Creative Victoria on your behalf. An auspice organisation can apply to this program on behalf of multiple people/projects.

Yes, see our general eligibility information and information on Auspiced Applications.

Only one application can be submitted per individual or organisation/business. Auspicing organisations can submit multiple applications on behalf of others.

All eligible applications will be considered by an external panel of peers with appropriate creative industries expertise. Applicants can choose to have their application reviewed by a relevant panel depending on their circumstances or creative discipline.

For example, First Peoples’ applications will have a First Peoples-led assessment process and Deaf and Disabled applicants will be assessed Deaf and Disabled peers and people with lived experience of disability. Other applicants will be assessed by a panel depending on the creative discipline they choose.

All applicants will be advised of the outcome approximately twelve weeks from the closing date. We are working as fast as possible to assess programs at this time.

After applications close, they are checked for eligibility and then allocated to external assessors. Assessors are given a period of time to review the applications and then they meet virtually to discuss recommendations. Recommendations are compiled and provided to the Minister for Creative Industries for final approval.

We are working as fast as possible to assess programs at this time. All applicants will be advised on the outcome of their application approximately twelve weeks from the closing date.

We acknowledge that in getting funding right, we need to make sure there is diversity in the process from inception to delivery.

Creative Victoria is working with industry representatives to ensure there is diverse representation on assessment panels for this program.

We will also be reaching out to a broad range of organisations to promote the program and to encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds including applicants who are First Peoples, Deaf and Disabled, women, LGBTI and from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

All applicants will be advised of the outcome approximately twelve weeks from the closing date. If successful you will receive a notification email which details any special requirements you may need to meet and what you need to do in order to receive the funds. Payments will then be processed as quickly as possible.

This program includes a dedicated assessment process for First Peoples applicants.

Applications by First Peoples creatives will be assessed through a First People-led assessment process including members of Creative Victoria’s First Peoples Partnerships Group and other First Peoples industry experts.

For further details please consult the program guidelines or call program staff.

This program includes a dedicated assessment process for Deaf and Disabled applicants. Applications by Deaf and Disabled creatives will be assessed by Deaf and Disabled creatives and peers with lived experience of disability.

In addition to the grant funding of between $20,000 and $50,000 for general activity costs, Deaf and Disabled applicants can receive up to $10,000 to cover any specific access costs that will help remove barriers for the creatives/arts workers involved in the activity.

Further, all applicants can apply for additional funding of $10,000 to make their project or activity accessible to a wider audience (e.g. Auslan, captioning, audio description, materials in other formats).

Arts Access Victoria can also provide application advice and auspice services for Deaf and Disabled creatives.

The Victorian Government’s creative industries strategy for 2021-2025 will be released in the coming months. The strategy will guide the projects, initiatives and programs that will be on offer up ahead.