25/26 Createability Host Organisation

Program objective

To support the arts, cultural, sound, screen and creative industry organisations to be diverse and inclusive and develop career pathways for people with disability or who are d/Deaf.

Program Overview

The Createability Internship Program supports up to 16 NSW organisations to host up to 16 participants across the arts, culture, screen, sound and creative industry sectors. The program provides customised training for the host organisation followed by paid internships.

The desired outcomes of the program include increased skills development for and growth in participation of people with disability or who are d/Deaf, leading to more people with disability employed by arts, cultural, screen, sound and creative industry organisations across NSW.

The Createability Internship Program is a partnership between Create NSW, Screen NSW, Sound NSW and Accessible Arts and a range of NSW-based arts, cultural, screen, sound and creative industry organisations.

Image credit: 2025 Createability Hosts and intern from Erth Visual and Physical Inc. L-R Scott Andrew (Erth) R. R Pascoe (Intern) Stephanie Liebeck (Erth)

This program is administered by Create NSW.

Eligibility

What your application needs to include

After the application is submitted

Successful applications will be decided by: Director, Program Development & Delivery

Key Dates

• Host Organisations Applications are assessed, and organisations are shortlisted (October 2025)
• Internship Applications open 3 November 2025 and close 15 December 2025 5pm
• Intern Applications are assessed, and a Shortlist is selected (January 2026)
• Shortlisted Interns are interviewed by Create NSW, Accessible Arts and the possible host organisations (February 2026)
• Internship recipients and Host Organisations announced (Late February 2026)
• Intern Training: Create NSW and Accessible Arts will provide training for interns on how to get ready for work (March 2026)
• Accessible Arts will provide Disability Awareness training to the Host Organisations (March/April 2026)
• Host organisations and Interns contracted (March 2026)
• Internships can take place between 8 April 2026 and 31 December 2026.

Pre-eligibility

After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email from SmartyGrants. Create NSW staff will check eligibility.

Assessment Stage 1

Applications will be assessed by a panel of Create NSW, Sound NSW, Screen NSW staff against the assessment criteria.

Shortlisted Host Organisations will be notified and involved in the following assessment stage.

Assessment Stage 2

Host organisations will participate in the interview process of potential interns for their organisation, facilitated by Create NSW, Screen NSW, Sound NSW staff and Accessible Arts. Recommendations for internships are based on the assessment criteria. 

Assessment process considerations

Applicants should note that: 

• The NSW Government typically receives far more applications than it can support.
• You are not guaranteed funding even if your application meets the published criteria.
• If you are successful, your application may not be funded to the amount you requested. 

Create NSW may, at its sole discretion and at any stage of the application process, do all or any of the following:   

• Require additional information from an applicant.
• May request applicants to provide clarification or additional information regarding the eligibility criteria.
• Change the scope of the requirements of these guidelines.
• Vary, amend (including by replacement), or terminate the application process. 
• Re-open an application after the closing date, provided it does not give the applicant an advantage over other applicants. 
• Consider any non-conforming or late application.  
• Request further advice and/or clarification from applicants during the assessment process.  

Successful Host Applicants

If your work placement opportunity can be matched with a suitable intern’s skills and experience, your application is deemed successful. You will be sent a funding agreement (contract). This outlines the conditions of funding, how you will be paid and your reporting requirements.

Organisations with legal status must have an active ABN which matches their entity name and a nominated bank account.

The Nominated Bank Account must be a separate account at a financial institution used solely for the Grant, or an existing general account at a financial institution where adequate internal financial controls are in place to identify the Grant.

All applicants must: 

• complete an acquittal at the end of the funding period. This may include an online meeting to discuss outcomes of the project.
• acknowledgment of Create NSW funding in all publicity materials.

You may be asked by Create NSW staff to provide additional information as a special condition to the agreement:

• a Connection to Place Statement, reference letter or letters from First Nations peers or community groups, to show details of your Cultural Artform Affirmation and how you are working with First Nations Protocols and ICIP.
• a detailed budget
• Other information as specified by the assessment panel.

Contracts will not be issued, and payments will not be made, until all Create NSW/Sound NSW/Screen NSW outstanding acquittals have been submitted.

Feedback on Create NSW project funding application results 

Create NSW staff continue to help and support applicants who are preparing new funding applications. However, we do not provide individualised feedback on past applications. This is so we can continue to meet service standards by supporting applicants applying in future rounds. 

Applicants are encouraged to book an appointment with an Arts Funding and Development staff member to clarify any questions related to the application process.

Publication of grants information 

The Grants Administration Guide (Guide) requires that certain information is published in relation to grants awarded no later than 45 calendar days after the grant agreement takes effect (see section 6.5 of the Guide and Appendix A to the Guide). 

This information is also open access information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW) (GIPA Act), which must be made publicly available unless there is an overriding public interest against disclosure of the information. 

In accordance with these requirements, relevant information about the grants awarded will be made available on the NSW Government Grants and Funding Finder as soon as possible after the funding agreement is executed. However, if due to the commercial-in-confidence nature of the information provided, the amount of funding provided will not be published. 

All records in relation to this decision will be managed in accordance with the requirements of the State Records Act 1998 (NSW). 

• If you agree we will publish your name, your LGA, primary location, artform, project title and description and amount of funding for media and communication purposes
• This is subject to privacy legislation

Please refer to Information for Funding Recipients for more detailed processes for successful applicants. 

This includes: 

• Program evaluation
• Conflict of interest management
• Organisations working with First Nations people or communities
• Complaint handling, access to information and privacy.

Anticipated assessment outcome date is late February 2026

Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is within one month of successful notification

Support and contact