Deadline: 28-Sep-2025
The City of Melbourne is accepting grant applications to support Aboriginal creatives in sharing their stories and talents through various art forms such as performance art, dance, theatre, music, writing, and visual art. Grants of up to $20,000 are available for projects that will be presented to the public.
To be eligible for online presentation, applicants must have a strong connection to the City of Melbourne. This can be through living permanently within the city boundary, maintaining a creative practice such as a studio in the area, or developing a project that directly connects to a part of the city.
Projects are not eligible if they occur outside the City of Melbourne council boundaries, are already funded by another city program, or involve multiple applications for the same project. Other ineligible projects include those curated or presented by City Council programs like Arts House, ArtPlay, and Signal, or commissioned by the YIRRAMBOI Festival. Professional development activities, permanent murals, non-arts-specific podcasts, commercial ventures, ongoing workshops, accredited courses, fundraising events, and competitions are also excluded. Applications from political organizations, government departments, and City of Melbourne employees will not be considered. Any project or applicant that breaches anti-vilification laws or offends community standards will be rejected.
Applicants must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists or small to medium Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander-led arts organizations. Only one application per person or organization is allowed. Projects must be completed between 1 January and 31 December 2026 and presented within the City of Melbourne. Applicants must have no outstanding grant acquittals or debts to the City of Melbourne.
Applications will be assessed on three criteria: creative excellence, access and inclusion, and project viability. Creative excellence considers the artistic strength of the idea. Access, inclusion, and equity consider diversity in background, ability, gender, age, and culture; reaching underrepresented audiences; free or low-cost access; use of new or unexpected venues; and encouraging different forms of participation. Viability includes having an achievable timeline, realistic budget with artist fees, identification of key artists, strong support materials, and cultural permissions for using Indigenous content not created by the applicant.
Required support materials include artistic CVs for key artists, samples of work, and venue booking details or communication, except for online projects. Optional materials may include a detailed project timeline and letters of support from peers or industry professionals.
For more information, visit City of Melbourne.
