Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Grants of up to $3,000.00
- Application opened: 23 September 2024
- Application closed: 28 October 2024, 5:00 pm
Program objective
The aim of the Country Arts Support Program is to support community arts and cultural development in regional NSW through small grants that:
- Assist locally determined community arts and cultural activities.
- Increase opportunities for regionally based groups to access a diverse range of arts programs.
- Enable communities to explore and express their cultural identities.
- Bring social and economic benefits to the community through training, employment and promotional opportunities.
- Lead to greater awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity.
- Increase the sustainability and resilience of regionally based community arts organisations.
Image: The Scone Neighbourhood Resource Centre engaged Dan Bianco to facilitate a street art workshop and work with participants to design a mural. The result is the Blue Tongue Lizard Mural. The project was supported by AUH CASP 2023. Photo taken by Lee Watts.
This program is administered by Create NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Who can apply:
- A not-for-profit incorporated body
- A local government authority
- A collective or group with a nominated administering body
Applicants are required to have a current certificate of currency for Public Liability Insurance
Applicants are required to be based in the Arts Upper Hunter region covering Dungog, Muswellbrook, Singleton and Upper Hunter council areas. Your projects must also be substantially based in this region.
Location that are eligible include Dungog, Muswellbrook, Singleton, Upper Hunter
Types of projects funded under this grant
Eligible projects may include but are not limited to:
- Workshops
- Arts activities as part of community festivals or events
- Artist-in-residence programs
- Public art and design projects - but note that they must have some public participation to qualify
- Performances
- Arts and cultural directories
- Community seminars and forums
- Exhibitions
- Other local arts initiatives
When the project can start and end
The project should be started by 15 January 2025 and the project must be completed by 1 December 2025.
Outcomes for projects funded under this grant
Generally, Arts Upper Hunter CASP grants mostly cover the costs of artists and artworkers. There are often high levels of community participation. Sometimes skills grow, or people get to do something creatively they haven't done before.
CASP is not a recurrent fund. It really is for short-term projects with creative outcomes.
Non-cultural groups are welcome to apply, though the project should still have creative engagement. This applies to museums and historical societies as well - CASP success for museums generally will involve work by an artist or arts worker.
What costs you can apply for
Artist and artworker fees and costs should be the main project cost.
Who can’t apply
- Individuals - but see our FAQs for some alternative options (in the guidelines)
- Groups not based in the Arts Upper Hunter region
- Project that are not substantially based in this region
- Professional touring groups
- Commercial enterprises
- Groups/ensembles and unincorporated associations with no administering body
- Regional Conservatoriums
- Organisations that have applied for or received funding from Arts Upper Hunter or Create NSW for the same activity
- State and federal government departments, including schools (except P&Cs or P&Fs)
- Organisations that have overdue reports or acquittals for funding programs administered by Arts Upper Hunter
- Applicants who have not discussed their project with Arts Upper Hunter.
What costs you can't apply for
- Core administrative costs, office costs or the purchase of equipment
- Capital expenses
- Production costs of films, videos, books or other publications
- Competitions
- Fundraising events
- Prizes and adjudication fees
- General operating expenses or ongoing costs of long-term continuing projects
Types of projects not funded under this grant
- Production costs of films, videos, books or other publications
- Fundraising events
- Sporting activities
- Projects that have commenced or are completed
- Activities which could be considered part of the curriculum for schools or tertiary institutions (but feel free to check with Arts Upper Hunter if you're unsure)
- Competitions
- Core administrative costs, office costs or the purchase of equipment
- Capital expenses
- Prizes and adjudication fees
- Applicants who have already received Create NSW funding for the same activities
- General operating expenses or ongoing costs of long-term continuing projects.
What co-contributions are required
Commenced after 15 January 2025.
Concluded before 1 December 2025.
Report/acquittal within 4 weeks of completion.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
- supporting material must be relevant to your project and submitted with your application.
- Working with children and young people? If so, participants must supply a current Working With Children Check Number – this is particularly for the artist being engaged or anyone who will be working closely with kids.
- Please consider access for People with Disability in your events and in your information - accessibility is a priority for Arts Upper Hunter.
- Provide at least one Letter of Support from partner organisations, intending participants, and anyone else with a stake in the project going ahead (for example a youth service if there’s a youth focus).
- Does your project involve creative content or outcomes relating to First Nations artists, communities or activities? If so, we suggest that you provide at least one Letter of Support from relevant Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists/communities. If no Letter of Support is provided, we will need evidence that consultation has begun.
- Applications must have a current certificate of currency for Broadform Liability or ‘Public Liability’ Insurance (PLI).
- All applicants (with the exception of local government) are required to provide a current financial report for your organisation or administering body with your application. This would usually take the form of the most recent Profit & Loss report and Balance Sheet.
- It’s crucial that visual, audio or written material you supply speaks to the project and helps us understand what you’re seeking the funding for, in participation, brilliance or outcomes.
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 against the following criteria:
- Artistic and cultural merit (Merit)
- Relevance, extent and depth of community engagement and participation (Impact)
- Evidence of consultation with and support from the community (Impact)
- Evidence of adequate planning, budgeting and capacity to manage the project (Viability)
Priority is given to projects which address these criteria. We also give consideration to the Upper Hunter region’s arts and cultural needs and resources, to accessibility and inclusion, and to the geographic spread of the final recipients.
We are also careful not to fund repeat successful applications for similar projects from the same group year after year.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Arts Upper Hunter Assessment Panel
Applications will be assessed after the closing date of 28 October 2024. Three assessors, including one independent of Arts Upper Hunter, will be involved.
Successful applications will be notified in mid November, and contracts sent out in early December.
All applicants, unsuccessful or otherwise, may seek feedback on their application from Arts Upper Hunter.
Anticipated assessment outcome date is Late November 2024
Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is Early December 2024
Support and contact
www.artsupperhunter.com for more details.
Please contact rado@artsupperhunter.com.au or 0409 382 509 if you wish to learn more.