Arts and Cultural Funding Program

25/26 Createability Internship

25/26 Createability Internship
NSW artists, sound, screen and creative industry workers with disability who can undertake an internship with an industry host organisation to help build skills, experience and job opportunities.
On this page

Key information

  • Status: Open
  • Grant amount: If successful, applicants will not be receiving any direct funding from Create NSW. Instead, they will be employed and paid by the Host Organisations for up to four weeks (20 days or 160 hours) or eight weeks (40 days or 320 hours).
  • Application opened: 3 November 2025
  • Application closes: 15 December 2025, 2:00 pm

Program objective

Program Objective

  • To support arts, cultural, sound, screen and creative industry organisations to be diverse and inclusive and develop career pathways for people with disability.
  • To create new opportunities for artists and arts workers with disability.
  • To remove barriers to employment and provide training, mentoring and support for emerging creatives.

Program Overview

  • The Createability Internship Program supports up to 16 participants who are placed with up to 16 NSW organisations across the arts, cultural, sound, screen 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, leading to more people with disability contracted and employed by arts, cultural, sound, screen and creative industry organisations across NSW. 

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

Credit Image: 2025 Createability Interns. Image: DCITHS

This program is administered by Create NSW.

Eligibility

1

Who can apply

You must be:

  • an individual
  • over 18 years of age
  • residing in NSW over the last 12 months
  • have some experience at an emerging or mid-career level. This could include being new to the workforce or seeking a career opportunity in the arts, culture, sound, screen, and creative industry sector and;
  • identify as a person with disability (see definition below)

The NSW Government has a consistent, contemporary definition of disability. Disability includes long-term physical, mental health, intellectual, neurological or sensory differences which, in interaction with various attitudinal and environmental barriers, may hinder full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

The definition is based on the social model of disability, which recognises that people are disabled by physical and environmental barriers in society, such as buildings not having a ramp or accessible toilets, or by people’s attitudes, like assuming people with disability can’t do certain things.

The definition helps us recognise that it is these barriers that make life harder for people with disability and that removing these barriers creates equality and offers people with disability more independence, choice, and control.

Link: Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2029 | NSW Government

2

Types of projects funded under this grant

The program is for people with disability who will most benefit from an internship to help build their career.

You will receive one training session from Accessible Arts NSW to help you get ready to start your internship.

You can find details of potential host organisations and the internship opportunities at this link.

As part of your application, you can choose one or two organisations you would like to work with and nominate if you would like to be considered for a:

  • 4 week internship (160 hours)
  • 8 week internship (320 hours)
  • Either a 4 or 8 week internship
3

Who can’t apply

  • Individuals who have previously participated in the Createability Internship program
  • Groups
  • Organisations
4

Example projects

Some recent Createability Host Organisations

  • Theatre company- Internship assisting in the construction of puppets, props and other scenic elements.
  • TV Broadcaster– Internship providing access to the inner workings of a TV network and supporting a unique team across content.
  • Community Radio Project– Internship providing to support to the Australian Music Airplay Project (Amrap) including production, event planning, marketing, and community engagement.
  • Youth arts and culture- Internship working across producing and ensuring the processes of making art is accessible and fun for the young artists involved.
  • Community Arts and Cultural Development company– Internship working behind the scenes including with community consultation and project support team.
  • Visual arts company- Internship providing curatorial, administrative and installation support.
5

Additional eligibility requirements

  • Internships can take place between 7 April 2026 and 31 December 2026.
  • You can only submit 1 application to the 2025/26 Createability Internship.

What your application needs to include

1

Prepare your application with this checklist

  • Read the guidelines 
  • Check your eligibility 
  • Review the Host Organisations and opportunities (You can select one or two opportunities). The list of Host Organisations and their internship opportunities is here
  • Brief biography or CV 
  • A letter of support from someone who can describe how you are suitable for this program.  
2

Address the eligibility criteria

Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.

Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.

3

Address the assessment criteria

The best applications will be those that clearly address the assessment criteria in the application form.

1. Idea

The reasons why you want to do the internship 

Question: What impact will the internship have on your career?  

You may want to consider the following:

  • Why is now a good time for you to do an internship?
  • What skills could you learn?
  • What do you want to achieve?

2. Experience

Your previous experience 

Question: What skills and experience do you have? 

You may want to consider the following:

  • What education you have completed?
  • What work experience you have?
  • What are your interests and hobbies?

3. Alignment

The suitability of your selected opportunity  

Question: How do your skills and experience relate to the opportunity/opportunities? 

You may want to consider the following:

  • How does the role description relate to your skills?
  • Why is the Host Organisation of interest to you?
  • How does the opportunity relate to your career direction? 

There are different ways you can apply and answer the above questions. You can answer the assessment criteria via text or video/audio response. If you choose to submit a video/audio response, it does not need to be a professionally edited clip, it can be as simple as a video shot on an iPhone. Check the “Support and Contact” section below for further information.

Start the application

Online platform

Create NSW uses the secure online grants system, SmartyGrants, to manage all its grant programs. All ACFP applications, including Createability applications, must be submitted via the online portal. 

Alternate methods to submit your application:

Create NSW can provide alternative ways to submit an application. We can provide a Microsoft Word version of the application form and guidelines which is easier to screen read. Please contact Nick Pont via arts.funding@create.nsw.gov.au or call (02) 9228 4578 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) to access these.

More information is available at Arts and people with disability | NSW Government

Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.


Apply now

After the application is submitted

Successful applications will be decided by: Director, Program Development and Delivery, Create NSW

Key Dates

  • Applications are assessed and a Shortlist is selected (January/ February 2026)
  • Shortlisted Interns interviewed (February 2026)
  • Internship recipients and Host Organisations announced (March 2026)
  • Intern Training: Create NSW and Accessible Arts will provide a training session for interns on getting ready for work (March 2026)
  • Disability Awareness Training: Accessible Arts will provide training to the Host Organisations on how to be more inclusive of people with disabilities (March 2026)
  • Host organisations and Interns contracted (March 2026)
  • Internship: The intern and the organisation will work together on a project that suits their skills and interests. Create NSW will help and guide the interns and the Host Organisations during the internships (dates to be negotiated, between April and December 2026).

 Pre-eligibility

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

If your application is deemed ineligible, you will be advised via email within 14 days from the round closing and your application will not proceed to the four-stage assessment process.

Please note: You can withdraw your application at any time by emailing arts.funding@create.nsw.gov.au with your name and application number. 

Assessment Stage 1

Applications will be assessed by a panel of Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport (DCITHS) and Accessible Arts NSW staff including people with lived experience of disability against the assessment criteria. The panel:

  • will assess and rank all applications against the assessment criteria
  • may set aside an application if it is assessed as below acceptable in any one of the published criteria
  • may ask for a Cultural Review from Create NSW First Nations staff or the First Nations Arts and Culture Artform Board based on applications with First Nations content and engagement.

Assessment Stage 2

The panel's assessment scores will be amalgamated and presented at the assessment meeting to determine shortlisted applicants.

The panel will consider the assessment criteria, geographical distribution and mix of arts, cultural, screen, sound and creative industry applications.

Shortlisted applicants will be notified and involved in the interview stage. Access will be provided for the interviews for shortlisted applicants.

Assessment Stage 3

Shortlisted applicants will participate in an online interview process with host organisations facilitated by Create NSW and Accessible Arts staff.

Assessment Stage 4

Create NSW will consolidate a report on the outcomes based on the assessment of the applications and interviews as assessed by the panel.

Assessment process considerations

Applicants should note that: 

  • The NSW Government typically receives far more applications than it can support.
  • You are not guaranteed an internship even if your application meets the assessment criteria.

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

  • Request applicants to provide clarification or additional information.
  • 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 doesn’t 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.  

Feedback on Create NSW Createability Internship application results

Create NSW staff will not provide individualised feedback on Createability Internship applications.

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).

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 March 2026

Support and contact

Create NSW:

We offer the following access options and inclusive programs. We encourage you to tell us about any other access requirements you have.

Guidelines

  • The guidelines for Arts and Cultural Funding Programs are now screen readable and translatable.

Application forms

  • You can request SmartyGrants application forms in Microsoft Word format. This form can be used to:
  • Dictate responses
  • Translate to other languages
  • You can copy and paste responses into the SmartyGrants form

Video or audio answers

For Createability Internships you can answer the three application questions using video or audio.

  • What impact will the internship have on your career?
  • What skills and experience do you have?
  • How do your skills and experience relate to the opportunity/opportunities?

Dictate your answers

On request we can arrange for you to dictate your answers into the SmartyGrants form. Please leave at least one week before closing date to enable this process.

National Relay Service

Contact us through the National Relay Service 

  • TTY users phone 133 677 then ask for 02 9228 4578
  • Speak and Listen users phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 02 9228 4578
  • Internet relay users connect to the NRS then ask for 02 9228 4578
Download as PDF Print this page
Top of page