Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: This is not applicable for this opportunity as it is a non-grant.
- Application opened: 30 March 2026
- Application closes: 23 April 2026, 2:00 pm
Program objective
The Rocks Creative Terraces, Affordable Residencies Program provides opportunities for NSW Literature Practitioners to live in private affordable accommodation in central Sydney co-located with other writers and creative neighbours.
In this instance, ‘Literature Practitioners’ are defined as: writers working in any creative form, including fiction, short stories, screenplay/drama, poetry, children’s books, and narrative non-fiction, and illustrators working in children’s books and graphic novels. The Program is open to NSW Literature Practitioners at any stage of their career.
Residencies are offered through this open and competitive Expression of Interest process (EOI) to NSW Literature Practitioners, in accordance with the Stories Matter: A Writing and Literature Strategy for NSW 2025–2028 commitment to providing affordable housing residencies for Literature Practitioners.
The objectives of the Program are to:
- support NSW Literature Practitioners to live in Sydney and practice their creative discipline, with a priority on supporting First Nations practitioners and broad and inclusive communities
- reduce economic barriers that disproportionately affect Literature Practitioners by providing affordable housing at below market rent
- encourage sustainable long-term careers for NSW Literature Practitioners
- activate an otherwise vacant government asset
- foster a new creative community by housing creatives alongside each other, enabling opportunities for collaboration, creation of networks and new work opportunities.
This Program offers support from NSW Government in the form of reduced rent on residential accommodation for either 12 or 24 months. Successful EOI applicants will be offered a fixed term lease of $866 per month (equivalent of $200 per week) for the agreed time period. Tenants will need to pay for their own electricity, gas, internet, furnishings and any other required costs.
This Program is a partnership with Placemaking NSW and is administered by Create NSW.
Image credit: The Rocks Creative Terraces front facade, Cumberland St. The Rocks. The image is from DCITHS.
This program is administered by Create NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible to apply, applicants must:
- Be over 18 years of age;
- Be an individual residing in NSW, who is an Australian citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident (organisations are not eligible);
- Not reside in a property they own, or co-own (including currently mortgaging), located in the Sydney metropolitan area (see boundaries here)
- Be a practicing ’Literature Practitioner’
- Be able to commit to taking up the Residency for a 12- or 24-month fixed term starting from June 2026 or June/July 2027 and pay the set rental rate of $866 per month (equivalent of $200 per week) for the term of their Residency.
Who the grant is targeted towards
The Program will prioritise applications that:
- support NSW First Nations Literature Practitioners
- support Literature Practitioners from Regional NSW
- support Literature Practitioners from Western Sydney
- support Literature Practitioners from broad and inclusive communities
- maximise occupancy of the Terraces by creatives
The assessment process may include prioritising applications that better meet the Program objectives or address and ensure equity and the best outcomes for NSW Government investment.
Types of projects funded under this grant
This is not applicable for this EOI.
When the project can start and end
The first round of residencies will commence from June 2026.
Residencies are currently being offered as below:
- 12-month term from June 2026 to June 2027
- 24-month term from June 2026 to June 2028
- 12-month term from June/July 2027 to June/July 2028
A second round EOI will be run in 2028 for opportunities from July 2028 onwards.
The project should be started by 1 June 2026 and the project must be completed by 30 July 2028.
Outcomes for projects funded under this grant
We will advise you of the outcome of your application in writing via email.
- Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by May/June 2026.
- Successful applicants will be notified by May/June 2026.
If you are successful, we will advise you of any specific conditions attached to the Residency. This could include a request to keep the Residency confidential for a specified period due to an announcement being made by the NSW Government in relation to the Program
If You are Successful
If you are successful, we will contact you to discuss the next steps.
We may ask you to provide us with further information, including references from past or current landlords and/or evidence that you can pay the rent.
Once these discussions are finalised, you will need to:
- Undertake an inspection of the premises, if you have not already done so.
- Sign a Lease Agreement with Create NSW and provide any required paperwork. You will be required to pay a bond as part of your Lease Agreement.
- Be inducted to the site once you are ready to commence your Residency.
- Be respectful to other tenants, Create NSW staff and its representatives.
Lease Agreement
The NSW Government makes no commitment to successful applicants until all parties have signed a Lease Agreement. Please note that:
- You must not make financial commitments reliant on this Residency until the Lease Agreement is signed and executed by all parties.
- We do not accept amendments to the Lease Agreement template.
- Successful applicants are required to sign and return their Lease Agreement within 3 weeks of receipt.
- The Lease Agreement can only be signed by the individual who applied for the opportunity and who will reside in the premises.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that they have the capacity and availability to understand, complete and sign documents, to carefully read the terms and conditions of their Residency agreement, and for it to be signed by the correct authorised signatories. Important terms and conditions will be included in the Lease Agreement.
Additional eligibility requirements
You may use the Residency to create new work, establish or build networks, collaborate with other creatives or organisations and/or to develop new skills. There is no requirement for you to produce work or an outcome at the end of the Residency.
The Terrace must be your principal place of residence. You are permitted to have immediate family (including partner) living in the Terrace with you, with a maximum of four people permitted at one time.
If you are successful, you will be required to fulfil the following obligations during the residency period:
- Reside in the accommodation for the entirety of the agreed timeframe and maintain your creative practice
- Comply with the terms of the lease offered by Create NSW as outlined below, including payment of rent
- Be open to participating in networking activities organised by Create NSW and others
- Be willing to work with Create NSW to evaluate and promote the Program
- Complete a short report at the end of the Residency.
Eligible applicants can apply for one Residency. In your application, you can nominate for a 12-month or 24-month term, or for both options. Please note that you may be offered an alternative residency term to ensure usage of the Terraces by creatives is maximised.
The Property
The Rocks Creative Terraces are comprised of four adjoining heritage terraces of approximately 77 to 81m² each. The Terraces are three levels, with living spaces spread across two levels and then a shared rear courtyard and external laundries on the lower ground. Each terrace has an independent entry.
The Terraces offered through this EOI are intended for Literature Practitioners, with one terrace allocated per successful applicant.
Plans and photographs of the Terraces are provided here.
As heritage buildings (circa 1890s–1920s), the Terraces have several characteristics that EOI applicants should note:
- Each terrace is fully enclosed with exclusive access. Each terrace includes two bedrooms, a lounge area and an internal kitchen, bathroom, and toilet. The Terraces share common walls typical of this period.
- Applicants should consider their accessibility needs before applying.
- Room sizes and circulation spaces reflect late 19th century residential design and may be smaller than contemporary standards.
- The Terraces are naturally ventilated via operable openings on each level. There is no in-built heating or air conditioning.
- All doors and windows are tenant operated and fitted with security locks.
- Each terrace has an allocated external laundry (with an additional toilet) located in the shared rear courtyard
Site Inspection
Inspection of the Terraces is available at set times. Please contact the Space Activation team at Create NSW via email at creativespaces@create.nsw.gov.au for details.
Key Lease Terms
Successful applicants will be offered a fixed term for the agreed time period.
The below information summarises key terms that will be included in the lease agreement for successful applicants.
Lease term: Residences will be offered for either 12 or 24 months.
Number of residents:Tenants are permitted to have their partner and/or immediate family members living in the Terrace, with a maximum of four occupants permitted at one time under a single lease agreement.
Rent: The rent payable for each terrace is $866 per month (equivalent of $200 per week). Tenants are required to pay rent monthly via a direct debit or other agreed process.
Outgoings: Tenants will need to pay outgoings including electricity, internet and gas. Water costs and Council rates will be covered as part of the Residency.
Fit out and furnishings: The Terraces include basic bathroom fixtures, a stove/oven and fridge in the kitchen, shared washing machines and dryers in the laundry, clothes drying area in the rear courtyard and blinds on all external facing windows. Tenants are required to provide and install all other furnishings and remove these at the end of the lease.
Insurance: Tenants are responsible for arranging their own insurance coverage for the period of the tenancy.
Internet/Wi-Fi: Tenants are responsible for organising their own internet connection, including any relevant fees.
Make Good: The properties are provided ‘as is’. At the end of the lease period, tenants are required to leave the premises in the same condition, without damage or alterations, as at the lease commencement.
Repair, maintenance and replacement responsibilities: The Terraces are heritage listed buildings with several levels of approvals and specific restrictions applying to any changes. Any changes by tenants can only be undertaken with prior written approval of Create NSW and will need to comply with heritage and design requirements (to be provided to selected applicants).
The NSW Government is responsible for general building maintenance and repairs. Tenants are responsible for maintenance and repairs of any fixtures and fittings they bring into the Terraces and keeping the premises clean and tidy.
Pets and animals: Pets and animals are not permitted in the Terraces, with the exception of pets formally required for assistance.
Work Health & Safety: Smoking is not permitted in the Terraces or the shared courtyard.
Law: Tenants are required to comply with all applicable Law(s).
Subletting: Tenants cannot sub-lease or underlease the Terrace or any part of the Terrace to any persons, and/or via leasing platforms such as Airbnb.
Right to enter: Tenants will need to allow Create NSW or their representatives to enter the Terrace during the term of the lease to view the space and carry out repairs, renovations and maintenance.
Head Lease: Tenants will be provided with a copy of the Head Lease between Create NSW and Placemaking NSW (the property owner). Tenants will be required to acknowledge that they have read and are fully aware of the provisions of the Head Lease and commit to not doing or allowing an act that will breach the provisions of the Head Lease.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
To apply, you must:
- Read and understand these EOI Guidelines
- Check your eligibility
- Address all the eligibility and assessment criteria in your application
- Include all necessary attachments
- Submit the EOI through the SmartyGrants portal no later than 2:00 PM on Thursday, 23 April 2026.
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.
Address the assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed by Create NSW against the following criteria, with all criteria being weighted equally:
Artistic merit and professional capability (25%)
- Your experience, skills and/or qualifications relevant to your creative practice
- Your achievements and track record of contribution to the NSW literature sector
Alignment of your proposal with the Program objectives and vision (25%)
- The intended focus of your Residency (Examples include but are not limited to creation of new work, establishing networks, collaboration with others and/or development of new skills)
- Alignment of your proposal with the Program’s objectives and vision: The Rocks Creative Terraces are an affordable creative housing initiative of the NSW Government, centrally located in the Sydney CBD. Designed to support NSW Literature Practitioners, including authors, playwrights, and illustrators, the program provides residencies with subsidised rent and a focused, inspiring environment to develop their creative practice.
The objectives of the Program are to:
- support NSW Literature Practitioners to live in Sydney and practice their creative discipline, with a priority on supporting First Nations practitioners and broad and inclusive communities
- reduce economic barriers that disproportionately affect Literature Practitioners by providing affordable housing at below market rent
- encourage sustainable long-term careers for NSW Literature Practitioners
- activate an otherwise vacant government asset
- foster a new creative community by housing creatives alongside each other, enabling opportunities for collaboration, creation of networks and new work opportunities.
Benefit (25%)
- Your career aspirations and the anticipated impact of the Residency on your creative development and professional sustainability
- How the location of the Residency will benefit your creative practice
- The extent to which the Residency will support outcomes for local communities and strengthen the NSW creative and cultural ecosystem
Capacity to successfully undertake the Residency (25%)
- Demonstrated capacity to take up the Residency and occupy a Terrace within the specified timeframe, including your ability to pay the required rent and meet any other conditions.
- Suitability of your proposed creative practice for The Rocks Creative Terraces, including your capacity for collaborative and respectful co‑location.
Start the application
How to Apply
EOIs need to be submitted through the online form in SmartyGrants (http://www.smartygrants.com.au/) before 2pm Thursday 23 April 2026.
No late EOIs will be accepted.
The issue of this EOI does not commit or otherwise oblige Create NSW or the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport (the Department) to proceed with any part of the steps of this EOI process including, for the avoidance of doubt, the entry into a lease or licence with any applicant.
Neither Create NSW nor the Department will be liable for the applicant’s costs of submitting the EOI or any other liability of the applicant arising out of the EOI not proceeding or the applicant being unsuccessful.
Whilst the information contained in this EOI has been formulated with all due care, neither Create NSW nor the Department warrant or represent that the information is free from errors or omissions. The information is made available on the understanding that the Department, and its respective employees and agents, shall have no liability (including liability by reason of negligence) for any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred or arising by reason of any person using or relying on the information and whether caused by reason of any error, omission or misrepresentation in the information or otherwise.
Furthermore, neither Create NSW nor the Department take any responsibility for the accuracy, currency, reliability and correctness of any information included in this EOI.
The decision to grant a lease or license to an applicant is at the sole discretion of the Department, acting through Create NSW. No legally binding agreement will be created between the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales (acting through the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport (Create NSW) and an applicant unless and until a lease or license is signed by the parties.
Support Available:
For enquiries about the Residency Program, please email the Creative Spaces team at creativespaces@create.nsw.gov.auFor assistance submitting applications via SmartyGrants please email arts.funding@create.nsw.gov.au
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: Create NSW
This Program is open and competitive.
All EOI applications received will be assessed as outlined below.
Eligibility Check
- All submitted applications are initially reviewed against the eligibility criteria.
- Applicants that do not meet the eligibility criteria will not proceed.
Assessment
- All applications that meet the eligibility criteria are assessed against the published Assessment Criteria by an Assessment Panel comprising representatives from Create NSW and an independent member.
- Applications are compared against other applications and given an initial ranking / prioritisation. Applicants from identified priority areas may be prioritised during the assessment process.
Recommendation and decision making
- Taking into account the priority areas and maximising the utilisation of the properties, the Assessment Panel makes their recommendations to the decision maker.
- The decision maker makes the final decision to determine successful Residency recipients. Where applicable, advice from a probity advisor may be considered in making the final decision.
- The Department has the discretion to reject, refuse or cease to assess an application at any time.
- The Department’s decision includes:
- approval of applications for the Residency Program.
- Applicants who are shortlisted but not successful may be placed on a waitlist. The waitlist will be used if one of the tenants is not able to take up their residency or ends their residency early.
Anticipated assessment outcome date is 30/05/2026
Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is 30/06/2026
Support and contact
Space Activation team, Create NSW via email creativespaces@create.nsw.gov.au