Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: If successful, applicants will not receive direct funding from Create NSW, Screen NSW or Sound NSW. Instead, they will be employed and paid by the host organisation.
- Application opened: 4 November 2024
- Application closed: 16 December 2024, 5:00 pm
Program objective
- To support arts, sound, screen and cultural organisations to be diverse and inclusive and develop career pathways for people with disability or who are d/Deaf.
- To create new opportunities for artists and art workers with a disability across the arts, screen, sound and cultural sectors.
- To remove barriers to employment and provide training, mentoring and support for emerging creatives.
Program Overview
The Createability Internship Program supports up to 11 participants who are placed with up to 11 major NSW organisations across the arts, screen, sound and culture sectors. The program provides customised training followed by paid internships.
The desired outcomes of the program include increased skill development, employment and greater participation by people with disability or who are d/Deaf in arts, screen, sound and cultural organisations across NSW.
Arts, screen, sound and cultural organisations will host interns for a period of 4 weeks (20 days, 160 hours full-time) or up to 16 weeks (160 hours part-time). This will be decided to best meet the needs of both the host and the intern.
The list of Host Organisations and the internship opportunities are here.
The Createability Internship Program is a partnership between Create NSW, Screen NSW, Sound NSW and Accessible Arts NSW.
Image credit: Createability Internship Program at Erth Visual and Physical, Intern Louis Walker with Erth’s Scott Andrew. Image by Create NSW
This program is administered by Create NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To apply for the Createability Internship applicants must:
- be an individual
- identify as a person with disability or who is d/Deaf (see definition below)
- be over 18 years of age
- be residing in NSW over the last 12 months and;
- have some experience in the arts, screen, sound or culture sector. This could include being new to the workforce or seeking a career opportunity in the arts, screen, sound and culture sector.
The NSW Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (DIA) defines disability as: “The long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which in interaction with various barriers may hinder the full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”. The term ‘disability’ can also include d/Deaf or hard of hearing people and people with mental health conditions.
Create NSW uses the Social Model of disability. This identifies the barriers in society as being the disabling factors that prevent or limit opportunities. Disability may be permanent or temporary and may not be visible. Mental health and Neurodivergence is included in this definition. This definition is different to using the condition, illness, or loss/lack of function as the way of defining people.
Types of projects funded under this grant
The program is for people with disability or who are d/Deaf who will most benefit from an internship to help build their career.
The program is to support up to 11 paid internships with arts, screen, sound and cultural organisations. Detail of the host organisations and the internship opportunities can be viewed here.
Who can’t apply
- Individuals:
- who were previous successful interns in the 2021/22, 2022/23 or 2023/24 Createability Internship programs
- who are doing the internship as part of course requirements for an educational institution, such as TAFE or university
- Groups
- Organisations
Example projects
The 2023/24 Createability Internship Programs were:
- Sydney Theatre Company – working behind the scenes including with video and production teams.
- Lingo Pictures - working with the development team to research projects and create innovative and ambitious content.
- Erth Visual & Physical Theatre - assisting in the construction of puppets, props and other scenic elements.
- Tantrum Youth Arts - providing producing, administrative and marketing support to Tantrum's team.
- ABC Compass - working closely with TV researchers and producers to research episodes, identify on camera talent or provide factual details to enhance the story.
- SBS Special Broadcasting Service - working closely with SBS's Content Industry Diversity Manager to deliver administration, research and projects, across SBS commissioned and internally produced TV shows.
- Outloud - working across producing, marketing and ensuring the processes of making art is accessible and fun for the young artists involved.
- ABC Children’s and Family team - working on rehearsal, studio preparation, field shoots and collaborate on and contribute to editorial output.
Online Information Session - support for applicants
Applicants can watch a webinar about the internship, how to apply, eligibility requirements, resources to support your application, followed by a Q&A. Connect with Create NSW | NSW Government
Additional eligibility requirements
Timing of internships is negotiated with hosts and interns and can take place between 7 April 2025 and 31 December 2025.
What your application needs to include
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.
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
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:
- What is your idea for the 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. Click here to view the Create NSW webinar on how to submit a video/audio response in your application.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Director Arts, Create NSW
Key Dates
- Intern applications are assessed, and a Shortlist is selected (January 2025)
- Shortlisted Interns interviewed (February 2025)
- Internship recipients and Host Organisations announced (Late February 2025)
- Intern Training (One day): Create NSW and Accessible Arts will teach the interns how to prepare for their internship (March 2025)
- Disability Awareness Training: Accessible Arts will provide training to the Host Organisations (March 2025)
- Host organisations and Interns contracted (March 2025)
- 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.
Applications will undergo a staged assessment process, including assessment against eligibility and essential criteria, as outlined below.
Pre-eligibility
Once your application has been submitted, you will receive an email confirmation from our secure online grants system, SmartyGrants. Applications will be initially reviewed by Create NSW staff to ensure they meet eligibility requirements and all application materials are acceptable.
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. Please email arts.funding@create.nsw.gov.au with your name and application number.
Assessment Stage 1
Applications will be assessed by a panel of Create NSW and Accessible Arts staff including people with lived experience of disability against the assessment criteria. The panel:
- will assess all applications against the assessment criteria
- may set aside an application if it is assessed as "materially deficient" in any one of the three assessment criteria
- may ask for a Cultural Review from Create NSW Aboriginal staff or the Aboriginal Arts and Culture Artform Advisory Board based on applications with Aboriginal 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, distribution, range, and scale of the initial recommendations.
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. Host organisations will participate in the interview process facilitated by Create NSW staff, with Accessible Arts also in attendance. Recommendations for internships are based on the assessment criteria.
Assessment Stage 4
If your skills and experience can be matched with a host’s internship opportunity your application is deemed successful. Create NSW will consolidate a report on the outcomes based on quality of the applications and interviews as assessed by the panel and make these recommendations to the Director, Arts.
Note:
- 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.
Assessment process considerations
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.
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 have shifted away from providing individualised feedback on past applications to continue to meet service standards for the processing and assessment of applications.
Program staff will no longer discuss past applications. Applicants applying in future rounds 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).
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 2025.
Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is within one month of successful notification.
Support and contact
Create NSW:
- Email: arts.funding@create.nsw.gov.au
- Phone: (02) 9228 4578
- Scheduling an online meeting to speak to the Arts Funding and Development team using the link to Microsoft Bookings
- Visit our website