Annual Arts Grants and Residencies

Ben Juers

Chelsea Wilson

Freya Waterson

Jessica Row

Josh Bennett

MaggZ

Mark Pritchard

Matt Handby

Mish Grigor

Monique Grbec

Phaedra Gunn

[Music with text on screen 'We asked previous arts grant recipients if they had any tips for future applicants] 

[Speaker Joel Bray] Make the effort to go to one of the City of Melbourne's grant writing workshops. They actually really help you. 
[Speaker Rochelle Fong] Dive really deeply into why your project is urgent, who it's for and why it's so important to you.
 

[Speaker Laura Elizabeth Woollett] Be specific about what you want to do and why you're the person to do it. I think it's 

[Speaker Melbourne Women in Film Festival - Sian Mitchell] important to make your proposal sound like something you are uniquely passionate about and uniquely qualified to carry out. 
Make sure your idea is really focused and that the aims and objectives for the project are also really clear, and reflect the strategy for the city of Melbourne. 

[Speaker Sapna Chandu] Start preparing early, I wish I would do that more often rather than ending up at 11:59 trying to submit your application and having a breakdown.
[Rochelle Fong]Make sure that your project is coming from a place of care authenticity and fire.
 

[Speaker Lisa Sewards] Raise any issues or questions that you have so you're fully armed with all the information that you require to complete the application. 
[Speaker Rochelle Fong] You don't have to use fancy bureaucratic language to get your ideas across so just focus on conveying the essence of what you want to say and the stories that you want to tell. 
[Speaker Joel Bray] Make sure anything that you've proposed in your proposal is paid for in the budget and is included in your timeline and vice versa.
[Speaker Sian Mitchell] Having the logistical details down is a really good idea so where are you going to hold your project, what venues are you going to be at, who are your sponsors, who are your partners.
[Speaker Lisa Sewards] I obtained a referee from a peer in the arts industry and i also obtained one from the gallery itself where I was holding the exhibition. 
[Speaker Sapna Chandu] Ask people to read over your application who can give critical feedback on how it sounds. 
[Speaker Rochelle Fong] And whatever the grant outcome remember that is not a reflection on your worth as an artist.

[Music. Text on screen: Sapna Chandu - City of Melbourne Grant Recipient]

Hi, I'm Sapna Chandu. I work with performances to create cross cultural narratives that are influenced by my Australian-Indian upbringing.

These performances can take the form of immersive, public live art events, or may exist as photography, video or sound works. I create cross cultural narratives that blur the lines between fiction and reality. This creates a type of imaginary space to attract an unsuspecting audience to participate in the work. I use human optimism to tell stories that challenge existing power structures, cultural norms and notions of authenticity.

The City of Melbourne. Grant has helped to support me and other artists and creatives to collaborate on my projects. The grant team have supported me in realising these often difficult to coordinate projects in unpredictable public spaces in the city.

[Music]

[Text on screen: City of Melbourne offers a range of grants, residencies and support for artists to develop and deliver work in the city.  Learn more about funding and opportunities for artists at melbourne.vic.gov.au/artsfunding. City of Melbourne logo.)

1 January and 31 December 2026.​

No, but if you are applying for an online project then you must demonstrate a connection to City of Melbourne.

No, but it must be presented at a venue located within City of Melbourne boundaries (another helpful website that will show which local council area an address is located in is the Victorian Electoral Map External link).

You must tell us where you plan to present the project and your application will also need to include venue hire costs. Your application must include either a tentative venue booking quote or evidence that you have communicated with the venue manager about hiring the space.​

Yes. You may need to apply for a permit to use outdoor spaces managed by the City of Melbourne such as a park or laneway, however a permit is not required for the grant application.

To be eligible for a public presentation in an outdoor space you must discuss your project with us before submitting your application. You can contact the arts grants team weekdays 9am to 5pm on 03 9658 9658 or emailing artsgrants@melbourne.vic.gov.au. 

No, you can only submit one application to each round.​ You can submit an application for either a project presentation grant or for a residency. 

Annual Arts Grants recipients will be notified in early September 2025. Successful applicants will receive funding once all required information and documentation is provided (this includes the funding agreement) as promptly as possible.​​

​No. Projects that are currently being funded by another City of Melbourne program are ineligible to apply to our annual arts grants program.

​Students may apply for funding. However, the proposed activity must not be associated with the completion of a course of study.

You can find information on artist fees for different art forms and roles from the following organisations:

• National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) External link – visual arts
• Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) External link – performing arts
• Musicians Union of Australia External link – musicians
• Australian Society of Authors External link – writers
• Australian Writers’ Guild External link – writers in the areas of television, radio, screen and stage.