This after-hours program aims to drive visitation to Western Sydney CBDs and increase audience engagement at eligible organisations. Cultural venues, museums and galleries in eligible Western Sydney LGAs can apply for grants to stay open after 5pm.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $200,000
- Application opened: 27 April 2023
- Application closed: 29 May 2023, 5:00 pm
Program objective
By supporting activities after 5pm, Culture Up Late will allow arts and cultural organisations to:
- develop new programs
- extend exhibition hours
- diversify income streams by accessing non-traditional audiences
- create vibrant local precincts through engagement with local businesses, such as restaurants, bars and transport providers.
Program delivery: Between 1 September 2023 and 29 February 2024
Image: Casula Up Late, Casula Powerhouse. Photo: Chantel Bann
This program is funded and administered by Create NSW.
Eligibility
Create NSW is committed to supporting organisations that are essential to a contemporary, innovative and daring arts and cultural ecology in NSW.
This includes not-for-profit and local government arts and cultural organisations delivering activities in artforms including:
Aboriginal Arts and Culture
contemporary music
museums and history, including volunteer-run museums
dance and physical theatre
festivals
classical music and choral
literature
visual arts
multi-arts
theatre and musical theatre.
Who can apply
Applicants must be a local government entity, an incorporated entity or trust (including a trust with a corporate or individual trustee) and hold an Australian Business Number (ABN).
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be located in the following LGAs:
Auburn Council
Camden Council
City of Blacktown
City of Blue Mountains
City of Campbelltown
City of Canterbury Bankstown
City of Fairfield
City of Hawkesbury
City of Liverpool
City of Parramatta
City of Penrith
Cumberland City Council
Wollondilly Shire Council.
Who can't apply
Ineligible applicants include:
any business or organisation that does not satisfy eligibility requirements
any business or organisation located outside the LGAs listed above
unincorporated organisations
individuals or sole traders.
What you can't apply for
Ineligible programs include:
activities that are delivered prior to 5pm
activities that have already been announced
activities that could be classified as normal operational activities
opening nights, awards nights and fundraising events
projects requiring ongoing funding from the NSW Government
activities not open to the public.
Most recent recipients
What your application needs to include
For information on full requirements, we recommend reading the full Western Sydney Culture Up Late Guidelines (PDF 3.92MB).
Address the eligibility criteria
Applicant eligibility
Applicants must:
- be a local government entity, an incorporated entity or trust (including a trust with a corporate or individual trustee)
- hold an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- be located in an eligible LGA.
Project eligibility
To be eligible, programs must be presented to the public in the eligible LGA areas from 5pm and after on a regular basis during the activity period (1 September 2023 to 29 February 2024).
Address the assessment criteria
Eligible applications will be assessed against the following assessment criteria:
Excellence: delivery of outstanding, innovative experiences that will draw night-time audiences
Accessibility: appeal and accessibility to a broad and diverse audience base
Value for money: how the proposed program will deliver benefits to the Western Sydney community, including your organisation, local businesses, artists and arts and cultural workers.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: the Group Deputy Secretary, Arts, Sport and Tourism, Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade, based on recommendations from a panel comprising Create NSW staff and other NSW government representatives.
All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications under embargo in June 2023.
Unsuccessful applicants will be provided an opportunity for feedback by Create NSW.
Support and contact
Email: sector.support@create.nsw.gov.au including your name and contact details.
Go to Create NSW