Creators Fund Program – Australia

Deadline: 22-Feb-23

The Creators Fund Program invites you to concentrate on initial exploratory stages and research of new ideas and concepts.

This could include testing, deep research, development or experimentation. The program does not require full concept realisation, presentation or audience engagement – it is primarily for the initial stages of a creative pursuit.

The Creators Fund (‘the program’) helps independent creatives to take their practice and their careers to the next level, by providing them with one of the most important and scarce creative resources – time. The program supports creatives to undertake a sustained period of intensive research and development or experimentation of new ideas and concepts.

The program’s focus is not on supporting full concept realisation and presentation, or on audience engagement activities. Instead, it allows creatives to focus on the initial exploratory stages of new ideas that includes testing, deep research and development, and experimentation. It’s open to individual creative practitioners and collectives across all disciplines, and at all career stages. The program provides financial support for up to six months for creative practitioners to delve into new ideas and ways of working that will provide career advancement and innovation within the creative industries.

Aims and Priorities

• The Creators Fund aims to:
  • Encourage deep research and experimentation to support creative practitioners in achieving innovation, and advancement in their careers.
  • Afford practitioners with an opportunity to take creative risks.
  • Support creative practitioners to broaden, deepen or diversify their creative practice.
  • Promote original and expansive thinking.
  • Encourage cross-disciplinary and cross-industry collaborations.
  • Engage with independent artists, creatives and collectives that reflect the diversity of the Victorian community, including individuals and collectives from across metro, outer suburban and regional Victoria.
• The Creators Fund program is guided by the principles and priorities set out in the Victorian Government’s Creative State 2025 strategy.
  • First Peoples first – place First Peoples knowledge, practice, protocols and cultural authority front-and-centre and forge stronger and enduring partnerships with First Peoples creative communities. 
  • For every Victorian – regardless of cultural background, age, gender identity, income or ability every Victorian can take up their right to participation in the cultural and creative life of the state.
  • Whole of state – people in remote, regional, and outer-metropolitan areas have improved and more equitable access to cultural experiences, creative expression and creative careers.
  • Health and wellbeing – foster healthy, safe and respectful working environments.
  • Environmental impact – the creative industries reduce environmental impact in everything they make, share, present, tour and consume.
• This program will encourage and prioritise support to applications from:
  • First Peoples creatives
  • Deaf and Disabled creatives
  • Culturally and linguistically diverse creatives
  • Under-represented cohorts (such as LGBTIQ+ creatives)
  • Regionally based creatives
  • Young people (aged 25 years and below).

Areas of Support

• Creators Fund provides financial support for up to six months for creative practitioners to undertake the following activities that will enable career advancement and innovation within the creative industries:
  • Intensive creative research and development of new ideas/concepts
  • Practice-based experimentation.
• Applications can be for solo activity or activity undertaken by creative collectives / collaborations.
• Applications are encouraged from a wide range of creative disciplines from across the sector, including but not limited to screen, fashion, design, digital games, visual arts, literature, dance, circus, cabaret, music, theatre, physical performance, sound art, craft, multi-disciplinary, experimental work, and cross-industry collaborations.
• The primary focus of the proposal must include Victorian-based individual professional creative practitioners (emerging to established) and/or Victorian-based professional collectives AND a creative idea or activity that meets the program’s aims.

Streams

This program has three streams:

• First Peoples creatives stream – Applications led by Victorian First Peoples creatives will be assessed in alignment with Aboriginal self-determination by an assessment panel of First Peoples creative industries peers
• Deaf and Disabled creatives stream – Applications led by Victorian Deaf and Disabled creatives can choose to be assessed by an assessment panel of creative industries peers with lived experience of deafness and disability, the First Peoples assessment panel or by specific creative industries peers depending on the creative discipline assessment panel chosen
• General Stream – All other applications will be assessed by specific creative industries peers depending on the creative discipline assessment panel chosen

Funding Information

• The program will provide grants of between $20,000 and $50,000 for a period of up to six months of activity.

What won’t be funded?

Program funding can’t be used for:

• screen-related activities that can be or have been supported through Film Victoria’s funding programs (e.g. development, production or release/distribution support, industry placements)
• activities that breach government public health directions
• competitions, prizes, eisteddfods, awards, or fundraising activities
• activity that does not follow correct protocols when working with First Peoples’ artists, activity and/or communities.
• activities that do not pay creatives/artists at an industry standard rate
• Program funding can’t be used towards the following expenses:
• conferences, business/meetings, and costs not directly associated with the creative activity
• private tuition, training, study, or course work, including work that will be used for the purposes of academic assessment
• business start-up costs, capital purchases or recurrent administrative, infrastructure and other organisational costs not directly associated with the activity
• discrete business development opportunities
• non-Victorian creative practitioners or collectives
• reimbursement for expenses already incurred, or other retrospective funding.
• equipment purchases or hire costs that aren’t directly related to the applicant’s funded activity, and which don’t address the program’s aims and priorities. Any equipment costs included in budgets must be justified in your supporting documentation
• grant writing fees

Eligibility Criteria

• Unless otherwise specified, you’re eligible for Creative Victoria funding as an individual if you’re:
  • an Australian citizen currently residing in Victoria; or
  • a Permanent Resident (holding an appropriate visa) who has resided in Victoria for at least two years immediately prior to the date of your application
  • under 18 years of age and applying through an auspicing body.
• To be eligible to receive Creative Victoria funding, your organisation must be legally constituted*. If you organisation isn’t legally constituted, you can apply for some funding programs through an auspicing body
• Groups of individuals who join informally to collaborate to, develop or present their work can apply for some funding programs. However, you must nominate either an individual or an auspicing body to sign the funding agreement and take legal and financial responsibility for the grant.
• * Legally constituted is an organisation that has been created by law (for example, university or government statutory authority) or registered under law (for example, incorporated association, company limited by guarantee, Pty Ltd company or Aboriginal Corporation). Organisations may range in size from large arts companies to small community bodies.
• The Betrayal of Trust Report found that survivors of institutional child abuse were sometimes unable to identify an appropriate legal entity to sue. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended that governments consider requiring organisations they fund to be insured against child abuse
• From 1 July 2019, where Victorian Government funding will support the care, education, services or activities for children (under 18 years), it’s a whole of government requirement that the funding recipient is:
  • a separate legal entity that can be sued in its own right in child abuse proceedings; and
  • appropriately insured against child abuse.
  • You are eligible to apply if you’re an individual or collective who:

• meets Creative Victoria’s general eligibility
  • has an active Australian Business Number (ABN). If you do not have an active ABN, you can apply for an ABN online or apply for the grant through an auspice body with an ABN.
    • groups of individuals who join as a collective must be legally constituted or nominate either an individual or an auspicing body to apply, and to take legal and financial responsibility for the grant should one be awarded.
    • unincorporated associations will need to either apply under auspice, or have an individual apply on behalf of the group.
  • has no overdue Creative Victoria (or former Arts Victoria) acquittals
  • has not received a Creators Fund grant previously
  • is not currently in receipt of funding from Australian based like-minded programs (e.g. Fellowships etc).

Ineligible

• You are not eligible if you:
  • don’t meet the eligibility criteria above
  • submit more than one application (including as part of a collective or under auspice)
• Please note, you are not a priority to receive Creators Fund if you are:
  • employed by State-owned cultural agencies, National Performing Arts Partnership organisations and organisations receiving funding through Creative Victoria’s Organisations Investment, Creative Enterprises and Creative Ventures Programs or Regional Partnerships Programs
  • undertaking full-time or part-time study at the point of commencing the proposed activity
  • applying to Creators Fund when your project/activity is better suited, or eligible for another Creative Victoria funding program

For more information, visit Creative Victoria.