Australia Council for the Arts Grants: National Support for Australian Visual Artists

The Australia Council for the Arts is Australia's national arts funding and advisory body, established by the Australian Government to support and promote the arts for the benefit of all Australians. The Council distributes federal funding to Australian artists and arts organisations through a range of grant programs that support creation, professional development, international engagement, and the broader development of Australia's arts ecology.

For Australian visual artists, the Australia Council is one of the most important sources of public funding available, providing grants that support everything from individual creative projects through residencies, international exchanges, and professional development activities. The Council's programs are designed to support artists at every stage of their careers, from emerging artists who are establishing their practice through mid-career and established artists who are developing ambitious new work.

The Funding Programs

The Australia Council administers its funding through several key programs that are relevant to individual visual artists.

The RISE (Resilience, Innovation, Sustainability, Excellence) program supports Australian arts organisations and artists to develop new work, reach new audiences, and build sustainable practices. For individual visual artists, RISE funding can support ambitious creative projects, touring and exhibition programs, and other activities that develop the artist's practice and reach.

The Elevate program provides multi-year investment for established arts organisations and artists who are ready to take their practice to a new level of ambition and impact. Elevate funding is more substantial than project-based grants and is designed to support sustained development over multiple years rather than individual projects.

Individual artist grants support the creation of new work, professional development, and international engagement for individual artists at different career stages. These grants are available through multiple application rounds throughout the year, with specific deadlines published on the Australia Council website.

International residency and exchange programs support Australian artists in undertaking residencies and professional development activities outside Australia, recognising the importance of international engagement for the development of Australian art and the careers of Australian artists.

The Peer Assessment Process

The Australia Council uses a peer assessment process in which applications are reviewed by panels of arts professionals who evaluate them on the basis of artistic merit, the clarity and feasibility of the proposed activity, and the potential impact of the funding on the artist's practice and on Australian arts more broadly.

The peer assessors are practising artists and arts professionals who are selected for their expertise and their ability to assess work in the relevant artistic discipline. The peer assessment process is one of the most respected aspects of the Australia Council's funding model, reflecting the Council's commitment to ensuring that funding decisions are made on the basis of genuine artistic merit rather than administrative criteria.

The peer assessment process is also designed to be transparent and accountable, with the Council publishing information about its assessment criteria and processes and providing feedback to unsuccessful applicants on request. This transparency helps artists understand what the Council is looking for and how to strengthen future applications.

The Application Process

Applications to the Australia Council are submitted through the Council's online grants management system, which provides a structured application process with clear guidance on what is required at each stage. The application requires a project description, a detailed budget, evidence of professional practice, and work samples that demonstrate the quality and character of the applicant's work.

The project description should explain clearly what the applicant intends to do with the funding, why this activity is important for their creative development and for Australian arts more broadly, and what they expect to achieve as a result. The description should be specific and concrete, demonstrating that the applicant has thought carefully about what they want to do and why.

The budget should account for all of the costs associated with the proposed activity, with realistic estimates based on actual research. The Australia Council expects budgets to be accurate and well-researched, and applications with poorly justified budgets are less likely to be successful.

Work samples are a critical component of the application, providing the peer assessors with direct evidence of the quality and character of the applicant's work. The work samples should be representative of the applicant's current practice and should be presented in the highest quality format available.

The Australia Council's Strategic Priorities

The Australia Council's funding decisions are informed by its strategic priorities, which include supporting First Nations arts and artists, promoting diversity and inclusion in the arts, supporting the development of Australian arts internationally, and building the sustainability and resilience of Australia's arts ecology.

Applications that align with these strategic priorities are more likely to be competitive, and artists who can demonstrate how their proposed activity contributes to one or more of these priorities strengthen their applications. The Council's strategic priorities reflect its understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities facing Australian arts in the current period, and they provide a framework for understanding what kinds of activities the Council is most interested in supporting.

First Nations Arts

The Australia Council has a specific commitment to supporting First Nations arts and artists, recognising the central importance of First Nations artistic traditions to Australia's cultural identity and the specific challenges facing First Nations artists in accessing mainstream arts funding and infrastructure.

The Council administers specific programs for First Nations artists and arts organisations, and it has First Nations arts specialists on its staff who can provide guidance and support to First Nations artists who are applying for funding. First Nations artists who are interested in Australia Council funding should contact the Council's First Nations arts team for specific guidance on the programs and processes that are most relevant to their practice.

The Bottom Line

The Australia Council for the Arts is Australia's most important national arts funding body, providing grants for visual artists through a peer assessment process that prioritises artistic merit and the potential impact of the funded activity on Australian arts. For Australian visual artists who want to develop ambitious creative projects, participate in residencies, or invest in professional development, the Australia Council's funding programs are among the most valuable and accessible opportunities available.