Deadline: 12-Mar-2026
The Arts and Culture Living Wage Fund provides financial support to help artists and arts workers earn a living wage for their work. With $150,000 available annually for two years (2025/26 and 2026/27), the fund supports early-stage creative development, underpaid arts leaders, underfunded events, and innovative projects that create sustainable living wage pathways in the arts sector.
Overview
The Arts and Culture Living Wage Fund is designed to address one of the major challenges in the creative sector: fair and sustainable pay for artists and arts workers.
Many artists, founders, and arts professionals work long hours without receiving compensation that meets a living wage standard. This fund aims to close that gap by providing targeted financial support that enables practitioners and organizations to pay fair wages during creative projects, events, and development activities.
The fund encourages both short-term support and long-term solutions that improve income sustainability within the arts community.
Total Funding Available
The program has a total allocation structured over two financial years.
Key funding details include:
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Annual funding pool: $150,000
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Funding period: Two years
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Financial years covered: 2025/26 and 2026/27
Funding is distributed to projects and initiatives that demonstrate clear impact in improving living wage outcomes for artists and arts workers.
Key Priority Areas
The fund focuses on four main priority areas designed to support artists at different stages of their careers and creative projects.
1. Supporting Artists During Creative Development
Early-stage development work often requires significant time but may not generate immediate income. The fund supports artists who need financial assistance while developing new creative work or artistic concepts.
Examples include:
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Research and development for new projects
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Creative experimentation and planning
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Preparation for future productions or exhibitions
2. Supporting Underpaid Founders and Managers
Many small arts organizations rely on founders or managers who work long hours with minimal pay. The fund helps address this issue by supporting leaders who are undercompensated relative to their workload.
Funding can help cover:
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Leadership and management wages
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Administrative work that supports artistic programming
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Operational responsibilities essential to project success
3. Supporting Underfunded Events
Some cultural events struggle to generate enough revenue to pay artists and crew fairly. The fund helps ensure that artists, technicians, and creative workers involved in events receive living wages.
Examples include:
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Festivals
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Performances
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Exhibitions
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Community arts events
4. Supporting Innovative Living Wage Solutions
The fund also supports innovative projects and organizational ideas that create sustainable pathways for artists to receive living wages.
Examples include:
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New funding models for artist compensation
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Collaborative projects supporting fair pay structures
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Programs that improve financial sustainability in the arts sector
Why the Fund Matters
The creative sector often faces structural challenges related to income stability and fair pay.
Artists frequently encounter issues such as:
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Irregular project-based income
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Underpaid leadership roles
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Events with insufficient funding to cover fair wages
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Limited financial resources during early project development
By supporting living wage payments, the fund helps:
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Improve financial stability for artists and arts workers
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Promote fair compensation practices
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Encourage sustainable arts sector development
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Support innovation in artist payment models
Who is Eligible?
Applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria to apply for the Living Wage Fund.
Basic Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
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Be applying for an Arts and Culture Project Grant
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Meet at least one of the fund’s four priority areas
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Demonstrate a genuine financial need for Living Wage support
Evidence Required
Applicants must provide:
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A project budget showing inability to pay living wages
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An explanation of other funding options or measures considered
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A clear plan describing how the funding will enable artists or practitioners to receive living wages
Applicants must also commit to increasing the number of people receiving a living wage through the funded project or activity.
Organisational Proposals
Organizations may apply for funding if their proposals support artists and arts workers beyond standard project activities.
These proposals should demonstrate how their initiatives will:
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Improve living wage conditions in the sector
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Support multiple artists or practitioners
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Develop sustainable financial models for fair compensation
Ineligible Applicants and Activities
Certain organizations and projects are not eligible for support under this fund.
Ineligible categories include:
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Organizations receiving multi-year funding contracts for standard operations
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Projects already funded through multi-year curation funding
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Organizations receiving living wage-linked funding through Multiyear and Annual Stability Funds
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Activities that fall under normal operational funding for organizations with stability grants
These restrictions ensure the fund reaches artists and organizations that genuinely need additional support to pay living wages.
How to Apply
Applicants must apply for this funding alongside an Arts and Culture Project Grant application.
Step-by-Step Application Process
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Apply for an Arts and Culture Project Grant
The Living Wage Fund is available only to applicants submitting this primary grant. -
Identify a Relevant Priority Area
Choose the category that best aligns with your project or organization. -
Prepare a Detailed Budget
Show how funding is needed to enable living wage payments. -
Explain the Need for Funding
Describe the financial gap preventing fair wages and explain other funding sources explored. -
Demonstrate Impact
Clearly state how many artists or workers will receive a living wage because of the funding. -
Submit the Application
Ensure all documentation is included and aligns with grant guidelines.
Tips for a Strong Application
Applicants can strengthen their proposals by:
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Clearly defining living wage gaps in their budget
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Demonstrating realistic payment structures for artists and staff
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Showing long-term benefits for artists and the creative sector
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Explaining how the project contributes to sustainable compensation practices
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid the following issues when preparing an application:
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Submitting proposals without clear financial evidence of need
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Failing to demonstrate how the funding will increase living wage payments
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Applying without an accompanying Arts and Culture Project Grant
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Requesting support for activities already funded through other living wage-related grants
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the Arts and Culture Living Wage Fund?
It is a funding initiative designed to help artists and arts workers receive a living wage for their work in creative projects and events.
2. How much funding is available?
The fund has $150,000 available annually for two financial years: 2025/26 and 2026/27.
3. Who can apply for the fund?
Applicants must be applying for an Arts and Culture Project Grant and demonstrate a genuine need for living wage support.
4. What types of projects are prioritized?
The fund prioritizes creative development projects, underpaid arts leaders, underfunded events, and innovative living wage initiatives.
5. Can organizations apply?
Yes. Organizations may apply if they propose initiatives that support artists and arts workers beyond standard project operations.
6. What evidence must applicants provide?
Applicants must submit a budget showing why living wages cannot currently be paid and explain how the funding will help address that gap.
7. Are organizations receiving multi-year funding eligible?
No. Organizations already receiving multi-year funding or living wage-linked stability funding are not eligible.
Conclusion
The Arts and Culture Living Wage Fund plays a crucial role in promoting fair compensation and financial sustainability in the creative sector. By providing targeted funding for development work, underpaid leadership, underfunded events, and innovative compensation models, the initiative helps ensure that artists and arts professionals are fairly paid for their contributions while strengthening the long-term sustainability of the arts community.
For more information, visit Wellington City Council.
