Funding to support NSW artists, practitioners, and arts and cultural workers to undertake professional development programs or significant opportunities to support their personal, creative and career advancement.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: $30,000
- Application opened: 1 August 2023
- Application closed: 11 September 2023, 5:00 pm
Program objective
This fellowship is delivered with the curatorial and exhibition support of Artspace. The objective is to support NSW visual arts practitioners in the early stages of their career to challenge and expand their practice.
Image: Morgan Hogg, Aere Mai, Oki Mai... Hold me again once more under te Marama, 2023 NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging), Carriageworks, Sydney. Photo: Anna Kučera
Program overview
Up to 6 applicants will be shortlisted to take part in the 2023-24 fellowship exhibition at Artspace, Sydney in mid-2024. At the exhibition opening, the fellowship of $30,000 will be awarded to 1 successful emerging visual artist to undertake a self-directed professional development program.
The self-directed program could include research, travel, studio residencies, creation of new work, mentorships and other activities that align with the recipient’s practice.
Shortlisted artists
Shortlisted artists will receive an artist fee to participate in the exhibition and may be asked by Artspace to participate in artist talks, other public programs, and media interviews to produce greater visibility for their practice.
The shortlisted artists will be interviewed prior to the opening of the exhibition, as part of the assessment process to determine the fellowship recipient.
About Artspace
Ever changing, ever challenging, Artspace is where audiences engage with the artists and the ideas of our times.
Artspace is one of the leading institutions for the production and presentation of contemporary art in the Asia Pacific region. Artspace’s mission is to enhance our culture through a deeper engagement with contemporary art. Embracing risk, experimentation, criticality, and collaboration, Artspace’s multi-platform program facilitates new commissions, exhibitions, performances, artist residencies, public programs, publishing and advocacy.
Underpinned by a commitment to reflecting and advancing social and cultural diversity, Artspace catalyses new artistic visions and enables artists of all generations to test ideas and shape public conversations.
This program is funded and administered by Create NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Individuals and groups are eligible to apply, providing that individual or all members of the group are:
- emerging/early career visual artists
- 18 years or above
- residing in NSW over the last 12 months
- Australian citizens or permanent residents.
What is an early career stage visual artist?
An early career artist or arts and cultural worker is someone who is at the beginning of their career, has created a modest independent body of work but hasn’t yet established a solid reputation as an artist within their artform.
Who can’t apply
- organisations (legally constituted establishments with an ABN)
- individuals and groups whose fellowship has already started, taken place or due to be completed before the funding period starts
- you are a previous shortlisted applicant or have been a successful recipient of the NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging)
- your proposed professional development activity/ies is/are/ already taking/taken place
- are a current employee of Create NSW or have been employed by Create NSW within the last 12 months
- do not meet the ABN requirements
- individuals and groups seeking support for filmmaking, screen productions or film festivals. Refer to Screen NSW regarding film sector funding opportunities.
What can’t you apply for
- activities that are carried out to satisfy the course requirements of an educational institution, such as TAFE or university
- activities that directly support the delivery of an educational program or course
- arts and cultural activities that are led by non-professional artists
- reimbursement to recover costs of items already purchased (such as flights, accommodation, and materials)
- purchasing musical instruments, artworks, equipment (such as laptops, cameras, technical equipment, or machinery), or vehicles
- capital works (infrastructure/building activities). Refer to Create Infrastructure regarding capital works funding opportunities
- fundraising and donations, awards, competition entry fees or prize money
- repayment of loans.
- filmmaking projects, screen productions or film festivals. Refer to Screen NSW regarding film sector funding opportunities. This does not include videos with direct involvement of artists, musicians and performers such as music videos, video art and video for performance.
Example program
The NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging) recipient undertakes a self-directed program of professional development which may include:
research
travel
studio residencies
creation of new work
mentorships.
Most recent recipients
The most recent Fellowship recipients include the following artists:
- Morgan Hogg (2023)
- Eddie Abd (2022)
- Dennis Golding (2020)
- Shivanjani Lal (2019)
- EO Gill (2018)
- Claudia Nicholson (2017)
- Consuelo Cavaniglia (2016)
- Heath Franco (2015)
- Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran (2014).
What your application needs to include
Before you start your application, check you:
- meet the fellowship program timeframes
- the fellowship must start after 1 August 2024 and is to be completed within a 2-year period
- meet the 2 assessment criteria
- merit
- impact
- have the required support material
- meet the ABN requirements.
Merit, impact and viability
Merit criteria
- the quality and reputation of your visual arts practice and your professional achievements and experience to date
- an outline of your proposed professional development program.
Impact criteria
- how the fellowship will benefit you at this stage of your career
- any potential partnerships and collaborations: you may consider partnering with other artists, arts/cultural workers, academics and/or organisations in your proposed fellowship program.
Viability
- You will be required to submit a budget however this does not form part of the assessment process.
Supporting material
In your application, you will be expected to provide support material that substantiates your claims.
This could include:
- samples of work of your/the group’s experience/expertise and work/s
- letter of confirmation from artist/s, organisations and/or communities who can speak to your fellowship vision and your/the group’s experience in the visual arts industry
- letters of offer/invitations/partnership arrangements related to your fellowship
- your CV (maximum one A4 page). If you are applying as a group, you must provide a biography or CV for all members of the group.
Note: You have the option to answer the merit and impact criteria as video submissions.
ABN requirements and funds administration
ABN requirements
As an individual based in NSW you must apply with 1 of the following:
- an individual/sole trader ABN
- if you're the sole director of a private company, the ABN for that company
- a nominated funds administrator
- none of the above, but if successful, will obtain an individual/sole trader ABN or engage a funds administrator.
As a group based in NSW apply with 1 of the following:
- a group member's individual/sole trader ABN
- a partnership ABN
- an unincorporated entity ABN
- a nominated funds administrator
- none of the above, but, if successful, will obtain an eligible ABN or engage a funds administrator.
Note:
- the group member with the ABN must also be the contact for that group
- incorporated associations, companies (except sole directors of private companies) and trusts are not eligible to apply as individuals or groups. These restrictions do not apply to funds administrators.
Funds administration
An administrative body/third party (such as a manager, agent or producing organisation) can receive and administer funds on your behalf. You may be asked for a fee for this service, and it is recommended that you include that fee in your activity budget.
Start the application
All applicants must apply via the secure online grants system, SmartyGrants.
If you have any technical difficulties, please call (02) 9228 4578 or arts.funding@create.nsw.gov.au.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Director Arts, Create NSW.
Confirmation
Once your application has been submitted, you will receive an email confirmation from our secure online grants system, SmartyGrants.
Create NSW has the discretion to accept late applications only where it would not compromise the integrity and competitiveness of the process.
The applications will be assessed and both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.
For more information on what happens after your application is submitted, including acknowledging Create NSW support, see Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging) – supporting information.
Support and contact
Create NSW is committed to inclusion and diversity and continues to apply practices that facilitate ease-of-access to applicants wishing to apply.
Contact Create NSW arts funding team for help with:
- understanding the guidelines for this grant
- submitting an application in a way that is accessible to you
- arranging an interpreting service for people applying in a language other than English
- arranging an Auslan interpreter service
- arranging a National Relay call.(02) 9228 5478
Phone: (02) 9228 4578
Email: arts.funding@create.nsw.gov.au
Online: book a 15 minute pre-application enquiry session via Picktime.
For more contacts and resources, including National Relay Service, Accessible Arts, Language Interpreting Service see Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging) – supporting information.
Go to Create NSW