Arts Grants Program 2016 Guidelines
Contents
Timeline 3
1. Introduction 3
2. Value and support of the arts 3
3. Relationship to Council Plan 2013-17 3
4. Arts funding 5
5. Arts Grants Program 5
6. Accessibility 5
7. How to apply 7
Step 1: Read the guidelines 7
Step 2: Attend a briefing 7
Step 3: Preparation and research 7
Step 4: Complete and Submit 7
8. Grant categories 8
Arts Projects 8
Indigenous Arts Projects 8
Other arts grant opportunities available: 8
2016 Arts Residencies 8
9. Briefings 9
10. Eligibility 10
11. Exclusions 10
12. Lobbying 10
13. Successful recipient conditions 11
14. Assessment process 11
15. Assessment criteria 12
a) Public outcome in the City of Melbourne 12
b) Artist employment 12
c) Feasibility 12
d) Point of difference 12
e) Reflects and adds value to some or all City of Melbourne’s priorities as identified below: 12
16. Finding a venue 13
17. Outdoor spaces / public realm 13
18. City of Melbourne boundary map 13
19. Public liability insurance 13
20. Support material 14
Critical support material may include: 14
Key artist CV’s (a half page summary per key artist). 14
21. Submitting your application online 14
22. Checklist 15
23. FAQ’s 15
24. Assistance available 15
City of Melbourne staff 15
Arts grant inquiries For more information about the Arts Grants Program, contact the Program Managers on 15
Grant Administration 16
Contact SmartyGrants 16
Interpreter and translation services 16
Access requirements 16
Tax advice 16
Timeline
Applications open: Monday 4 May 2015
Public briefings: Refer to Section 9 for details
Applications close: 5pm, Monday 15 June 2015
Assessment period: July - August 2015
Councillors meet: September 2015
Notification to applicants: Late October 2015
Deadline for completion of funded activities: 31 December 2016
1. Introduction
The City of Melbourne’s annual Arts Grants Program offers anyone with a great idea and an artistic outcome in the City of Melbourne, the opportunity to apply for funding. Aligning with Council’s goal to be ‘A Creative City’, the Arts Grants Program makes art more accessible for everyone, ensuring support of a diverse range of artists and taking art into the public realm for all to participate in and experience.
2. Value and support of the arts
The City of Melbourne recognises that investment in the arts is central to the vitality, liveability and richness of our city and therefore we:
Welcome new ideas that enliven the city and engage, challenge and excite the city’s residents, workers and visitors.
· Support all artforms and practices.
· Accept applications from individual artists, arts organisations and community agencies.
· Expect all proposals to consider environmental sustainability in the development and delivery of projects and to use resources efficiently.
· Welcome projects that take place at any time of the day or night.
· Welcome projects and venues to be accessible for people with disability.
· Encourage projects that reflect the City of Melbourne’s objectives and priorities for A Creative City [1](page 20 of the Council Plan 2013-2017).
3. Relationship to Council Plan 2013-17
The City of Melbourne Council Plan 2013-17 [2]establishes a framework for Council’s role in supporting a creative city through the arts.
Council’s vision is for Melbourne to be a creative city: a place that inspires experimentation, innovation and creativity and fosters leaders of ideas and courage. It will build upon long-standing heritage and embrace Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture.
The annual Arts Grants Program relates in particular to Council’s Goal 2: A Creative City and the following 2013–17 creative city priorities:
· Increase access to and participation in creative expression and arts and cultural experiences, including music.
· Strengthen our national and international artistic and cultural connections.
· Support emerging artists.
· Contribute to artistic, cultural and heritage outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
· Build on the municipality's cultural heritage in creative and dynamic ways, ensuring appreciation by future generations.
4. Arts funding
Funding for arts activities is offered through the following key programs:
Theannual Arts Grants Program [3]offers one funding round per year to individual artists, arts organisations and community agencies. Annual grants are specifically for one-off projects.
Expressions of interest [4]are available for artists, individuals and organisations who are interested in working on projects atArts House [5] ,Signal [6] and ArtPlay [7].
Applicants cannot apply to the annual Arts Grants Program and Expressions of Interest for the same project.
TheTriennial Arts Grants Program[8]supports a diverse mix of arts and cultural organisations and is offered every three years.
Details of other grants and sponsorship opportunities available through the City of Melbourne can be found here [9].
5. Arts Grants Program
The City Of Melbourne annual arts grants program supports a diverse mix of individual artists and organisations across all art forms. The purpose of the program is to:
· Support artists and arts organisations to work and present locally;
· Support artists at all stages of their careers;
· Support artists and arts organisations to develop and present work across a diversity of art forms and practices;
· Increase access to creative expression and arts and cultural experiences;
· Contribute to artistic, cultural and heritage outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
· Encourage residents, workers, students and visitors of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to participate in creative expression and attend arts and cultural activities;
In 2015 the program provided $805,000 funding to 58 successful applicants.
6. Accessibility
Applying for funding to assist artists or groups with disabilities
Individuals or groups may contact a City of Melbourne Program Manager to discuss additional support that may be required to complete an application. Applications must be completed and submitted online.
In addition to your application, and if requested by City of Melbourne Program Managers or assessors, your application may be assessed in conjunction with alternative format such as a phone call, Skype call etc.
Watch Council’s Arts Grant Program disability access video[10].
Applying for funding to assist with the project’s accessibility
Individuals and groups may apply for funds within the application budget to assist with access requirement such as Auslan/captioning etc with regard to:
· Participation of artists or arts workers with disabilities in delivery of the project, or
· Access for audiences with disabilities
Contact
For information and any questions relating to access requirements, please contact our Program Managers:
Phone (voice): (03) 9658 9983 or (03) 9658 8601.
National Relay Service: Phone: 1800 555 677 or visit National Relay Service [11] website.
The National Relay Service offers a range of options for making a phone call or make contact via email[12].
Skype: please email12 and arrangements will be made for a Skype call.
7. How to apply
Step 1: Read the guidelines
· Read the Arts Grants Program guidelines.
· Read the City of Melbourne’s objectives and priorities for
A Creative City [13] (page 20 of the Council Plan 2013-2017).
Step 2: Attend a briefing
· First time applicants in particular are encouraged to attend one of the grant briefings. Dates and times are detailed in Section 9.
Step 3: Preparation and research
· Go to SmartyGrants[14] and start your application. Save as you go. Refer to the SmartyGrants help guide [15] for technical assistance.
· Explore such things as venue options; obtain tentative quotes; confirm artists and fees; seek support letters and compile your support material; develop your budget; make inquiries with relevant Council officers if necessary; etc.
· Consider access for artists and audiences with disabilities
· If your project is to take place or be sited in an outdoor space/public realm, you must contact an Arts Grants Program Manager before submitting an application.
Step 4: Complete and Submit
· Complete the online application form through SmartyGrants[16]
· Ask a friend to review and edit your application.
· Your application will not be successfully submitted unless you have addressed all the required questions. You will be alerted to any changes that need to be made to your application when you press ‘review and submit’.
· To avoid experiencing last minute technical issues, it is recommended that you submit your application as early as possible.
· Submit by the close date of 5pm, Monday 15 June 2015.
8. Grant categories
Arts Projects
Grants of up to $20,000 are available in this category
The Arts Projects category is open to all artists, arts organisations and community agencies. Arts Projects grants are available for support towards one-off arts projects/activities, in any artform or practice, taking place in the City of Melbourne in the 2016 calendar year.
Projects in this category must result in some form of public outcome.
Indigenous Arts Projects
Grants of up to $20,000 are available in this category
The Indigenous Arts Projects category is open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, arts organisations and community agencies. Indigenous Arts Projects grants are available for support towards one-off arts projects/activities, in any artform or practice, taking place in the City of Melbourne in the 2016 calendar year.
Projects in this category must result in some form of public outcome.
The City of Melbourne may request confirmation of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity.
Other arts grant opportunities available:
2016 Arts Residencies
The arts residencies support individual artists, arts organisations, collaborations and partnerships to advance their practice. The following residencies are available:
· Creative Spaces: Boyd Studio 1 - $10,000 grant and studio space
· Creative Spaces: Carlton Connect Lab 14 Studio - $5,000 grant and studio space
· Arts & Heritage Collection: a $10,000 grant is available in this category
Please find the guidelines and application details for the 2016 Arts Residencies.[17]
9. Briefings
The City of Melbourne encourages applicants to attend a briefing session if you are a first time applicant.
Please let us know in advance if you will need an interpreter, including Auslan.
The following briefings and workshop will be held for applicants:
Tuesday 12 May
Time: 6 to 8pm
City Library (Seminar Room) **
253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
For bookings, please email[18]
Wednesday 13 May
Time: 2.30 to 4.30pm and 5.30 to 7.30pm
Staff from Multicultural Arts Victoria will be in attendance
South Melbourne Town Hall (Theatrette)**
Ground Floor, 208-220 Bank Street, South Melbourne
For bookings, please email18
Monday 25 May
Time: 6 to 7.30pm
Library at the Dock (Performance Space) **
107 Victoria Harbour Promenade, Docklands
For bookings email18
Thursday 14 May
Time: 10am to 4pm
Grant writing – building a project budget
The Multicultural Hub **
506 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
For bookings email18.
Thursday 4 June
Time: 5 to 6.30pm
Mezzanine Level, Council House 2 **
240 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
For bookings email18.
All venues accessible with ramp and lift available.
Email18 two weeks prior to identify other access requirements.
Other briefings may be available, please check the Annual Arts Grants Program[19] for details
10. Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:
· projects must take place within the City of Melbourne - refer to the City of Melbourne boundary map[20]. A map showing the municipal boundary of the City of Melbourne, which includes the suburbs of Melbourne, East Melbourne, South Yarra, Southbank, South Wharf, Docklands, Fishermans Bend, Port Melbourne, West Melbourne, Flemington, Kensington, North Melbourne, Parkville, Carlton and Carlton North
· applicants must have acquitted previous grants and have no outstanding debts to the City of Melbourne
· applications must be submitted online by the published close date and time. Late submissions will not be accepted
· propose a one-off project
· projects must take place between 1 January and 31 December 2016
· only one application per artist, arts organisation or community agency can be submitted
· submit relevant support material
· applications which give consideration to projects and venues that are accessible for artists and audiences with disabilities are desirable.
· applicants proposing projects that take place or are sited in outdoor spaces/public realm must speak with an Arts Grants Program Manager prior to submitting an application
· projects in outdoor spaces/public realm must not be sited for longer than three months.
11. Exclusions
The Arts Grants Program cannot support:
· organisations funded through the Triennial Arts Grants
· applicants who have not acquitted previous grants at the time of closing
· permanent works in outdoor spaces / public realm (including works on private and public buildings)
· proposals with a primary focus on fundraising
· international travel and accommodation
· projects that are part of an accredited course of study
· projects taking place outside of the City of Melbourne boundaries
· projects that are already funded or are seeking funding from another City of Melbourne grants or Expression of Interest (EOI) program
· projects (development or presentation) in contract or formal agreement with another City of Melbourne arts program
· activities, projects, programs and events that have a political purpose, or applications made by political organisations
· proposals from City of Melbourne employees
· capital works, facility maintenance and improvements.
12. Lobbying
Canvassing or lobbying of Councillors, employees of the City of Melbourne or assessment panel members in relation to any grant application is prohibited during the application process.
No further consideration will be given to an application submitted by an applicant that canvasses or lobbies a Councillor, City of Melbourne employee or assessment panel member in relation to their application.
13. Successful recipient conditions
If your application is successful, you will be required to:
· Sign a funding agreement or a letter of agreement with the City of Melbourne and provide an acquittal report at the end of the project.
· Negotiate with the grants Program Manager and provide program information, budget and venue confirmation.
· Issue the City of Melbourne with a tax invoice for the grant amount. If the applicant is GST registered, the City of Melbourne will pay the grant plus GST, subject to receipt of a valid tax invoice.