Avenues of Support

MAV encourages artists and communities of colour to access public (government) and private resources for artistic and cultural development.

We regularly update Avenues of Support to help inform people of opportunities that are available. This list is not exhaustive, but we try to make it as relevant and useful as possible.

Current Opportunities:

These are sorted by upcoming closing dates. For opportunities that are ongoing, or until funding is exhausted, click here.

  • Rupert Bunny Foundation Visual Arts Fellowship (RBFVAF)

    City of Port Phillip
    Closes 20 May 2024
    Professional visual artists

    The Rupert Bunny Foundation Visual Arts Fellowship (RBFVAF) was established in 2005. The RBFVAF aims to support a contemporary visual artist with an identifiable commitment to visual arts excellence. The successful Fellow will have a desire to extend their arts practice to a new level, expand their imagination and make a contribution to the City of Port Phillip through either or all of the following:

    • Conduct research and development.

    • Produce an artwork or artworks.

    • Travel or take up a residency.

    • Donate artwork to the Port Phillip City Collection.

    The RBFVAF grants an acquisitive award of $30,000 in support of professional development and excellence in contemporary visual art.

  • West Space Studio Residency

    West Space
    Closes 26 May 2024
    Visual artists, collectives or duos

    Applications are now open for a six-month residency in the West Space Studio. West Space is an independent, not-for-profit contemporary visual arts organisation.

    An artist, duo or collective will have access to a fully-subsidised studio above our gallery and office, among the thriving community of creatives at Collingwood Yards.

    West Space presents a year-round program of exhibitions, performances and discussions, reflecting the breadth of artistic practice in Australia, and the complexities of our times.

    West Space fosters a personalised approach to the experience of contemporary art. This is where enduring relationships to people, art and ideas can begin.

  • EOI: 2025 Schools Touring

    Regional Arts Victoria (RAV)
    Closes 27 May 2024
    Artists or companies who offer educational facilitation for young people.

    Are you an artist or company making high quality educational and engaging work for young people and interested in touring your work to schools across regional Victoria in 2025?

    RAV are seeking a limited number of works (3-5) to be part of the 2025 schools touring program. These can be live performance and/or workshops programs suitable for primary or both primary and secondary ages. Performing arts (theatre, music, dance, circus) visual arts or visual communication and design programs are preferred.

    Equity and diversity across our touring programs are a priority for Regional Arts Victoria. Appropriate expressions of interest from First Nations, CALD, deaf and disabled, and/or regionally based artists/companies will be prioritised.

  • Community Grants program

    Darebin Council
    Closes 31 May
    Not-for-profit community groups or organisations

    Our Community Grants program supports projects that make Darebin a better, healthier, sustainable and more inclusive place.

    Do you have great ideas on how to create a better Darebin? It’s time to apply for our annual Community Grants.

  • Playing Australia Project Investment

    Creative Australia
    Closes 4 June 2024
    For performing artists, producers and organisations.

    Playing Australia Project Investment supports performing arts tours to reach regional and remote communities across Australia.

    The program supports net touring costs and other designated costs associated with tours. There is no limit on the amount that can be requested.

    Another round opens 1 October and close 1 December 2024.

  • First Nations Fellowships

    Varuna
    Closes 11 July 2024
    For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers

    This prestigious program started in 2017, and we acknowledge the support of The Copyright Agency Cultural Fund in its establishment.

    Five fellowships will be awarded to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers from anywhere in Australia.

    This fellowship program is open to writers of all genres of fiction, narrative non-fiction, poetry, children's books, graphic novels, dramatic/screen writing, writing for radio, translation, young adult, essays or short fiction. Submissions in language are welcomed.

  • Commissioning Grant

    Copyright Agency Partnerships (CAP) and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA)
    Closes 11 June 2024
    Mid-career and established visual artists

    Copyright Agency Partnerships (CAP) is an annual series to support major commissions for mid-career and established visual artists in partnership with leading cultural organisations around Australia.

    One visual artist or collective will be selected from a competitive application process to develop and present a major new commission with PICA.

    The total value of this grant is $80,000, inclusive of a $40,000 artist fee and $40,000 production and project funds towards the development and presentation of a new commission.

  • Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize

    Macquarie Group
    Closes 14 June
    For emerging artists

    Artists are invited to enter one original work that reflects the Macquarie Group Collection theme, The Land and Its Psyche.

    Finalists' art will be displayed in the 2024 Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize exhibition in Sydney. The winner will receive $A20,000 prize money. Each finalist will also receive a $A1,000 art transport voucher from International Art Services.

    100 per cent of proceeds from the sale of their work goes directly to the artist.

  • Emerging Artist Grants

    The Ian Potter Cultural Trust
    Closes 18 June 2024
    For early-career artists

    The Ian Potter Cultural Trust runs three funding rounds per year, through which individual artists can apply for grants of up to $15,000.

    The Trust funds nationally and supports artists working across the spectrum of the arts, from traditional art forms through to experimental mediums.

  • Frank Moorehouse Fellowship for Young Writers

    Copyright Agency
    Closes 24 June 2024
    Writers aged 18 - 35

    The Copyright Agency Frank Moorhouse Fellowship for Young Writers will support a writer aged 18-35 years to develop and write a new work of fiction.

    Named in honour of the late Frank Moorhouse, the Fellowship will provide a genuine career development opportunity for a young fiction writer who has not yet published a full-length work of fiction.

    The Fellowship is essentially a living allowance to create a new work of fiction. It may also be used for mentoring costs.

  • 2024 Melbourne Fringe Festival Registrations

    Melbourne Fringe Festival
    Closes 21 June
    Performing artists, producers, directors, creatives

    Have you got an audacious, adventurous or ambitious new artistic idea? Are you ready to take it to the stage/street/carpark/karaoke bar? If so, the Melbourne Fringe Festival might just be the place for you.

    The open access program gives you the platform to manifest your artistic vision and bring it to life – whatever it may be. Whether it’s a previous show that’s ready for a red-hot resurrection or a brand-new idea people need to experience, our team is here to help you make it happen.

  • 2025 Anne & Gordon Samstag International Visual Arts Scholarships

    University of South Australia
    Closes 30 June 2024
    Practice-led visual artist student, or graduates.

    The annual scholarships enable Australian artists to develop their artistic capacities and skills through a dedicated period of practice-based learning.

    Each scholarship covers reasonable costs for twelve months overseas, including institutional fees for one academic year of study (where applicable), a generous tax-exempt stipend of $70,000, return airfares, and travel and medical insurance.

  • Small Grants

    Pride Foundation Australia
    Closes 17 July 2024
    For projects that directly, or indirectly assist, involve and benefit LGBTQIA+ people.

    The Small Grants program supports projects proposed by individuals and or organisations and or communities who would otherwise be limited by the constraints of other funding programs.

    The maximum grant has been increased to $1000 in 2022 and there will be more grants awarded (if successful) each round.

    Another final round for 2024 opens 5 August 2024, and closes 18 November 2024.

  • Author Fellowships

    Copyright Agency
    Closes 22 July 2024
    For established authors

    The Copyright Agency’s Author Fellowship will support an established Australian author to create a new work for publication or performance and is open to novelists, playwrights, poets, children’s and young adult writers, picture book illustrators and journalists.

    The Fellowship will provide sustained support for a year to one Australian author to create a significant new work (or a series of books if writing for children and young adults). Applicants should submit a compelling and detailed description of their project accompanied by a writing sample to demonstrate their literary merit.

  • Fellowship for Non-Fiction Writing

    Copyright Agency
    Closes 22 July 2024
    Published authors

    The Copyright Agency’s Fellowship for Non-Fiction Writing will support an Australian author to create a significant new work of literary non-fiction. This includes: memoir, biography, autobiography, history, criticism and review, arts/science writing, political analysis, writing on the environment, and/or other genres which contribute to the national discussion/polemic.

    The Fellowship will provide sustained support for a year to one Australian writer to create an important work for publication. Applicants should submit a compelling description of their intended project accompanied by a writing sample to demonstrate their literary merit.

  • Artist EOI: Port Fairy Folk Festival

    Port Fairy Folk Festival
    TBC Closing Date
    Performing artists

    Port Fairy Folk Festival are now taking expressions of interests for performing artists to show at the 2025 festival, from 7-10 March.

    Established in 1977, the festival is a celebration of community, volunteers, music industry and passionate audiences inspired by folk and roots music.

Ongoing Opportunities and Support:

  • Direct Aid Program

    Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
    Ongoing

    The Direct Aid Program (DAP) is a small grants program funded from Australia's aid budget. It has the flexibility to work with local communities in developing countries on projects that reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development consistent with Australia's national interest.

    It sits alongside Australia's longer-term country and multilateral development strategies and with its wide geographical reach plays an important role in supporting local community efforts towards poverty reduction across the globe.

  • The EastWeb Fund

    EastWeb
    Open four times a year
    For organisations and groups

    We make grants of between $2000 and $5000 four times a year.

    In 2024, we will be trialling some proactive granting, providing unrestricted organisational funding to organisations and groups that work in our focus areas. Advisory Board members will be recommending and reviewing organisations to support.

    We’re especially keen to support organisations that are First Nations led, or refugee and asylum seeker led, and organisations that are youth-led

  • First Peoples Curators Program

    First Draft
    Ongoing
    For early career Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander curators

    The First Peoples Curators Program supports early career Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander curators with new skills, professional presentation and development opportunities, and access to key industry networks.

    Successful applicants receive: $1500 curator fee per exhibition; $600 artist fee per artist capped at $3000; access to travel fund up to $1000 if regional or interstate based; a fully subsidised six-week exhibition and more.

  • Development Funding

    Australian Children’s Television Foundation
    Ongoing

    We engage with Australian producers and writers at the earliest stages of development, investing small amounts across a broad range of projects. Projects are assessed for quality and potential.

    Development Funding 2024

    The ACTF accepts development funding applications at any time via the ACTF Funding Portal. Turnaround time for assessment and decisions will vary depending on volume of applications received, and whether the ACTF requires further documentation or information from you once your application has been submitted.

  • Crisis Relief Grant

    Support Act
    Ongoing
    For those working in all genres of music

    Crisis Relief Grants and support are available to musicians, managers, crew and music workers across all genres experiencing financial hardship as the result of illness, injury, mental health, older age or another current crisis that is impacting their ability to work in music.

    Grants are assessed for a current issue impacting ability to work in music and, if approved, will be provided through direct payment of bills or other personal expenses related to the crisis, rather than cash grants. Evidence of a current crisis will be required.

  • The Australian Cultural Fund

    Creative Australia
    Ongoing

    The Australian Cultural Fund (ACF) is a fundraising platform for Australian artists. Through the ACF, artists upload their project, start their fundraising campaign and invite art lovers and supporters to donate with 100% of donations going directly towards artists’ creative projects. Through the ACF you can offer tax deductibility to your donors. The ACF has helped raise millions of dollars for Australian artists, enabling a wide range of projects to come to life and offering support to Australia’s cultural sector.

  • International Pitching Events and Talent Labs

    Screen Australia
    Ongoing
    Filmmakers, screen producers.

    International Pitching Events and Talent Labs provides support to producers selected for competitive overseas pitching events in order for them to secure finance, production and marketplace partners for Australian projects, or for key creatives invited to attend premium overseas talent labs to enable professional development and to build international industry networks. $5000 to $20,000 funding available.

  • Community Response Grants

    City of Greater Dandenong
    Individuals and Organisations

    The Community Response Grants Program allows individuals and non-profit community organisations to apply for small responsive grants to help them to achieve their goals and ambitions.

    Individuals can apply for up to $500, and non-profit community organisations can apply for up to $2000.

  • Victoria Sick Pay Guarantee

    Victorian Government
    Ongoing until March 2025
    Casual and contract workers

    The Victorian Government is helping more casual, contract and self-employed workers access sick and carer’s pay, by increasing the number of jobs covered by the Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee.

    The Australia-first initiative gives eligible workers access to up to 38 hours a year of sick and carer’s pay at the national minimum wage ($23.23 per hour) to workers in certain jobs.

  • Ignite Small Business Start-Ups Support

    Creative Australia
    Ongoing
    Entrepreneurs

    Ignite Small Business Start-Ups offers free, personalised support to help you start or expand a thriving small business, providing expert guidance, creative marketing strategies, assistance with business basics and legal compliance, access to skilled volunteers, and flexible meeting options. This grant is ongoing (no closing date).

  • Project Grants

    The Awesome Foundation
    Ongoing
    Creators and projects

    The Foundation distributes $1,000 grants, no strings attached, to projects and their creators. At each fully autonomous chapter, the money is pooled together from the coffers of ten or so self-organizing “micro-trustees”.

    You can apply to any chapter although sometimes preference is for projects in the chapter's local area. This grant is ongoing (no closing date).

  • Quick Response Grants

    Regional Arts Victoria
    Ongoing
    Artists and arts workers, small projects

    Quick Response Grants are intended to assist regional artists, arts organisations and communities to take up professional or skills development or small project opportunities.

    This program is for projects that fall outside the scope of other funding opportunities. It is open to applications on an ongoing basis throughout the year. The grants will fund professional development opportunities for artists and arts workers or small project opportunities.

  • Vicscreen Skills Development

    VicScreen
    Ongoing
    Screen practitioners, filmmakers and crew

    VicScreen's Industry Development program supports organisations to deliver professional skills development activities in Victoria, to promote and support gender equality, diversity and inclusion.

    Grants of up to $50,000 per applicant are open to support activities of the successful applicants. Organisations must have screen industry experience. Applications can be received at any time.

  • Whittlesea Community Grants

    City of Whittlesea
    Ongoing
    For outcomes that benefit the Whittlesea community.

    The City of Whittlsea are offering grants for individuals monthly up to $1000 for small grants, medium grants of up to $20,000 monthly and large grants quarterly of up to $40,000 for social enterprises, not-for-profit community groups, organisations and businesses to undertake activities that have a broad community benefit.

  • The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation

    The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation
    Ongoing
    Visual Artists

    A Canadian philanthropic grant that supports early career visual artists between the ages of 18 and 41 years, in representational styles of drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture, for a work, project or course of study.

    All nationalities may apply. First grant amount is $17,000 (Canadian). This grant is ongoing throughout the year (no closing date).

  • Locals Playing Locals

    City of Port Phillip
    Until funds are exhausted
    Live music support scheme

    Through this initiative, council will pay a contribution towards artist fees to encourage local venues, promoters, and event managers to plan live music events and engage local performers.

    All applicants must be applying for musicians to perform at venues and events based in the City of Port Phillip.

  • Pollack-Krasner Foundation

    The Pollack-Krasner Foundation
    Ongoing
    Visual Artists

    For painters, sculptors and artists who work on paper, including printmaker. Up to $30,000 to create new work, acquire supplies, rent studio space, prepare for exhibitions, attend a residency and offset living expenses.

    Grants are intended for a one-year period of time. The size of the grant is determined by the individual circumstances of the artist. Professional exhibition history will be taken into consideration. Artists must be actively exhibiting their current work in professional artistic venues, such as gallery and museum spaces.

  • Scholarships and Financial Support

    AFTRS
    Ongoing
    Film, Television and Radio School

    To inspire creativity and innovation, The Australian Film, Television, Radio School want to work with students from diverse backgrounds.

    To achieve this, they offer a range of scholarships that recognise excellence and assist with the costs associated with higher education.

    A variety of financial support options, which you may be able to access include AFTRS Scholarships.