Applications have now closed
The Young Creatives Lab funds up to four creative projects annually, including at least one spot reserved for a young d/Deaf or Disabled artist in 2026. The program seeks proposals for new projects led by creatives aged 18 to 25 years.
Successful applicants will have access to:
- project funding between $5000 and $8000
- a two-week creative development residency at SIGNAL
- technical equipment and production support
- one-on-one sessions with a dedicated mentor
- additional funding to assist with access requirements.
Artists of all disciplines are encouraged to apply, as well as inter-disciplinary creatives such as curators, producers, performers, designers, filmmakers, gamers, composers, new media artists and writers.
Proposals may include an exhibition, installation, performance, conversation series, development of a publication, new composition or screen work.
In your expression of interest, you will need to:
- describe your idea
- outline your plan for creative development and a work-in-progress showing at SIGNAL
- present a draft budget including project team fees, production costs, and materials required.
A selection panel made up of industry peers and SIGNAL creative staff will assess each project proposal. SIGNAL’s Young Creatives Lab will ensure that a minimum of 20 per cent of the assessment panel members are d/Deaf or Disabled.
Projects will be assessed and selected based on the following criteria:
- Innovation and point of difference. The proposal must be for a new idea that hasn’t previously been developed or presented.
- Idea is clearly expressed and achievable.
- Impact of participation in the Young Creatives Lab on the applicant’s professional development.
- How the idea / proposal engages with the SIGNAL venue and program.
Frequently asked questions
Expressions of Interest open Friday 1 August at 9am and close Monday 8 September at 1pm via SmartyGrants External link.
There will be an information session available both in-person and online. You will get to see the SIGNAL spaces, hear about the program, and find out about the equipment and materials available at SIGNAL. You can also ask questions about the EOI process.
This session will be Auslan interpreted.
The information session is scheduled for Wednesday 6 August at 6pm in person at SIGNAL and via Zoom. Book your information session External link.
Yes. Please book the information session External link so we can prepare accordingly. However, if you have not booked and decide to come on the day, you are welcome to attend.
You cannot submit an EOI if you are a City of Melbourne employee or volunteer.
You cannot submit an EOI if you are under 18 or over 25 years of age.
Proposals with a primary focus on fundraising or that form part of accredited study will not be funded.
No.
Yes, but proposals must be for different projects or ideas.
No.
Yes, but you need to be able to attend below occasions in person at SIGNAL:
- Induction: 12 and 13 November 2025
- Residency: a 2-week residency block between February to May 2026
- WIP Group Showcase: 16 – 18 September 2026 (dates subject to change).
Projects must use the SIGNAL venue, and any additional public outcomes must take place within City of Melbourne municipal boundaries.
If you are 25 years old before the EOI closes on 8 September 2025, you are eligible to apply.
Four projects will be supported for development in 2026 including one spot reserved for a young d/Deaf or Disabled artist.
SIGNAL and Arts Access Victoria are here to support young d/Deaf and Disabled artists in applying for the Young Creatives Lab Expression of Interest (EOI).
If you are a young d/Deaf or Disabled artist, Arts Access Victoria can assist you with:
- advice and assistance with budgeting
- help compiling support material
- reviewing your responses and providing feedback on your application
- support with submitting your application in an alternative format, if needed.
For access support, please contact Sarah Fiddaman (she/her).
Email: sfiddaman@artsaccess.com.au
Phone (voice only): 03 8640 6007
Phone (text or voice): 0401 224 864
As part of SIGNAL’s Disability Action Plan External link, SIGNAL is committed to reserving at least one spot for a young d/Deaf or Disabled artist every alternate year. On the other year, a place will be reserved for an artist from another underrepresented community.
SIGNAL will encourage d/Deaf and Disabled applicants to apply every year. In the unlikely event that the Young Creatives Lab 2026 spot for a d/Deaf or Disabled artist is not filled, SIGNAL will offer this spot in the next round in 2027.
If you are a d/Deaf or Disabled artist (and meet all other eligibility criteria), it is optional to disclose this information in your application to be considered for the reserved spot. Collaborative groups must consist of a majority of artists with disabilities to be considered.
Disability is a broad category, and can include physical disability, intellectual disability, neurodivergence, mental illness, chronic illness, cognitive disability, and sensory disability (e.g., d/Deaf or blind).
Your proposal must be well articulated and include what you expect the outcomes to be. Please outline what you plan to do, why you want to do it, and how you will use your creative development residency at SIGNAL to explore your idea.
While you may work towards expected outcomes, SIGNAL acknowledges and encourages that the creative process may lead you to an unexpected result.
The Young Creative Lab supports development only. It does not include presentation.
The Young Creatives Lab supports new project ideas that haven’t previously been presented or created. You may have already done some initial research, writing or planning for your project. As long as you can clearly articulate how your project will benefit from development through SIGNAL, your proposal will be considered.
Yes, however SIGNAL understands that your creative team may change over time and as the project develops.
You can contact SIGNAL on 9658 7810 or signal@melbourne.vic.gov.au to talk about the application process but not about your idea.
Attend the free introduction to grant writing workshop at SIGNAL on Saturday 16 August from 1pm – 3pm.
Whether you’re applying for SIGNAL’s Young Creatives Lab or another opportunity, this session will help you take the next step in bringing your ideas to life.
Book the Grant writing for Creatives workshop External link.
SIGNAL provides a basic range of arts and craft making tools and materials (e.g. pencils, glue, scissors, paper, hot glue guns and rulers etc.) These do not need to be included in your budget.
You do need to list specialist materials or equipment (e.g. film equipment, specialised paper, clay, printing costs).
Visit Venue hire and artist resources to see what equipment and infrastructure SIGNAL can contribute. If SIGNAL has equipment that you need for your project, please specify the item in the budget and put the cost as "in kind / zero amount".
Please note, if successful, SIGNAL may renegotiate your budget based on the project needs after initial discussions.
SIGNAL does not have standard artist rates for the Young Creatives Lab.
Artists’ rates could be between $30 and $80 per hour depending on role, task and experience.
As you will be undertaking a 2-week residency, we suggest you propose a weekly rate for your artists, for example $1300 to $1500 per week per artist.
For performing arts projects, please refer to the Live Performance Award External linkas a guide. For visual arts projects, the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) External link has its own guide to fees and wages.
No. However, additional funding for access costs may include travel and accommodation for artists who need it, e.g. regional artists, disabled artists, etc.
Access costs do not need to be included in the budget, as additional funding is available to support access needs.
All SIGNAL Young Creatives Lab projects will have an additional $700 in access funding available (e.g. interpreters, support workers, captioning, transport, access equipment, and other needs as required by the artist). Accessibility consultations will be available to all artists in the program, and support is available to help make as many elements as possible accessible.
The successful applicant for the reserved spot for a young d/Deaf and/or Disabled artist will receive an additional $2,000 for access costs.
There is optional space in the application to identify any access needs and for applicants wishing to be considered for the reserved spot for a young d/Deaf and/or Disabled artist to detail how they would like to spend the additional $2,000 access funds.
Attend the free introduction to a creative budget workshop at SIGNAL on Thursday 28 August from 6pm – 8pm.
Learn how to turn your creative ideas into a well-planned project budget as part of a strong grant application.
Your support material should include examples of your own work. This could be proof of concept for your proposal and/or previous works using similar approaches.
You may also include references or inspiration from other artists’ work with credit.
You may upload a support letter from a collaborator, teacher, or mentor that can speak about your creative process.
You can upload up to three pieces of audio-visual support material. The total length of all your audio-visual support material added together shouldn’t be longer than about five minutes. Please upload and submit as a URL (web link).
You can put up to six images in one .doc or .pdf document, or a URL (web link). Please include descriptions.
Samples of writing should be no more than two pages, submitted as .doc or .pdf.
If you submit longer examples, the assessment panel will only have time to review to short excerpts.
Yes. Successful applicants must be available to attend the Lab Induction on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 November at SIGNAL. Participants will be paid an artist fee to attend the Lab Induction.
Yes. You can suggest a mentor you would like to work with, and SIGNAL will approach them.
Your mentor should be an established or mid-career professional within your field of interest, i.e. not a peer or family member. If you’re not sure, we may also suggest potential mentors based on your project and creative practice for successful applicants.
As this is not a grant, you will not receive total payment for your project upfront.
If you’re successful, we’ll work out a payment plan with you based on your project’s needs. This may include being paid in instalments.
If you are successful and you are an Australian citizen, you will need an ABN. This is available from the Australian Tax Office External link.
No, you do not need to be GST registered to apply. Please refer to the Australian Taxation Office External link regarding GST registration.
You do not need a WWCC to submit an EOI. However, if your project is successful each member of your project team working onsite at SIGNAL will need to have a valid WWCC and provide a copy of their card. It costs $131.60 to apply for a WWCC External link . Please consider this in your project budget.
If you are an individual, you will be contracted through Auspicious Arts and be covered by their public liability insurance.
If you are an organisation, you need to have public liability insurance.
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