Australia Council invests more than $9.5 million in culture that connects us
Strong First Nations and disability-led projects, and creative experiences for young people are among the highlights of the latest arts projects investment delivered by the Australia Council.
Culture and the Gender Pay Gap for Australian artists
New research by Macquarie University and the Australia Council sheds light on ‘triple penalty’ for artists based on gender and cultural background, and builds on research showing the gender pay gap in the arts is higher than that of the overall workforce.
2022 National Arts and Disability Awards
Three outstanding artists have been announced as recipients of the National Arts and Disability Awards, delivered by the Australia Council for the Arts and Arts Access Australia (AAA). Meet the recipients and join the celebration.
Australia Council Awards 2022
The 2022 Australia Council Awards will be showcased on this page on 8-12 August 2022. We invite all Australians to celebrate and share the stories of these extraordinary artists with us and your families and friends. Each of these artists in their own way reflect the vibrancy of Australia’s diverse cultural life.
Four Year Investment for Organisations
Four Year Investment provides multi-year investment for arts and cultural organisations. This will enable organisations to plan with longer-term certainty and increase their capacity to leverage other support and collaborations.
First Nations Arts Awards 2022
The recipients of the 2022 First Nations Arts Awards were announced during a special event streamed here and on National Indigenous Television (NITV) on Friday 27 May at 9pm.
The First Nations Arts Awards are delivered by the Australia Council for the Arts each year on May 27, marking the anniversary of the 1967 referendum and the start of National Reconciliation Week.
The awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding work and achievements of First Nations artists.
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Venice Biennale 2022
Marco Fusinato’s DESASTRES, curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor is an experimental noise project that synchronises sound with image and takes the form of a durational solo performance as installation.
Four Year Investment for Organisations
Four Year Investment provides multi-year investment for arts and cultural organisations. This will enable organisations to plan with longer-term certainty and increase their capacity to leverage other support and collaborations.
BR Whiting Studio, Rome
The BR Whiting Studio residency is an opportunity for writers to direct their own program of activity and expand their practice and networks. There are 3 residencies on offer of varying duration: 1-month (with $5,000 support), 3-months (with $10,000 support), and 6-months (with $20,000 support).
Image: Northern part of Trastevere in Rione XIII, Trastevere, Rome. Seen from Via Garibaldi below the monastery San Pietro in Montorio. Credit: Joadl.
Governance training courses
Australia Council for the Arts is delighted to offer world-class governance training with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) through multiple programs.
Image credit: Perth leadership exchange.
Arts & Minds
Arts & Minds is a new annual event produced in partnership between the Australia Council and the ABC as part of ABC Arts Week.
Arts & Minds showcases a series of talks from artists and creatives. The 2022 line-up included Wesley Enoch, Melissa Lucashenko, Debra Keenahan, Lizzy Hoo and Sisonke Msimang.
Venice Biennale 2024: Expressions of Interest for artistic proposals
Expressions of Interest (EOI) are now open for artistic proposals to represent Australia in the category of National Participation for the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (Venice Biennale 2024).
Image caption: Australia Pavilion.
Vivid Ideas: What the arts did next
This visionary session explores the changing conditions for arts and creativity, new social and community roles for the arts, and recent innovations in digital engagement. By telling stories from artists who are working in non-traditional ways and environments, What the Arts Did Next showcases the contributions that artists are making to social cohesion, innovation and healing.
CINARS 2022 Biennale
The Australia Council will support a delegation to attend this event. We also welcome any Australian artists and companies attending on a self-funded basis to join the delegation and any related networking activities.
Photo: Blood on the Dance Floor by Jacob Boehme. Credit: Dorine Blaise.
Fellowships
Australia Council Fellowships of $80,000 support outstanding, established artists’ or arts workers’ creative activity and professional development for a period of up to two years.
Image: Maree Clarke at Melbourne Now.
Space to Create
Space to Create is an intensive music residential program. The delivery of the program will be flexible to adapt to each of the participants’ requirements. The aim of the program is to create a dedicated space to take the time to enable participants to sustain and grow creative ideas, and to provide professional development for the future.
Photo: Yil Lull studio technician and leader Will Kepa. Credit: ANU Media..
UKARIA Residency
The Australia Council and UKARIA invite applications for a residency at UKARIA in 2022.
The successful applicant/s will be in residence at UKARIA for a maximum of ten days for the purpose of developing new creative projects led by musicians and composers.
Arts and Wellbeing Forum
Watch the recording of the Arts and Wellbeing Forum where we discussed the positive effects of arts and creativity for mental health and wellbeing, and the potential for the arts to help address a major policy challenge.
We know that arts and creativity are among our most powerful assets, playing essential roles in our health and wellbeing.
Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups
This program funds a range of activities that deliver benefits to the arts sector and wider public, including national and international audiences.
Image: We Live in Explosive Times 2020, promotional image for performance of the same title, image courtesy of the artists Emily Parsons-Lord & Sara Morawetz under collaborations name {the empty set}, produced by Tulleah Pearce.
Timothy Cook
Recipient of the 2021 Australia Council National Arts and Disability Award for Established Artist.
Coming up through the Ngawa Mantawi (Our Friends) disability support program established at Jilamara Arts and Crafts in the 1990s, Timothy has fulfilled the ambitions of the original program in establishing a significant contemporary art career through working at the centre.
Georgia Scott
Recipient of the 2021 Australia Council National Arts and Disability Award for Young Artist
Georgia Scott is one of the most outstanding composers of her generation as attested to by numerous high-profile commissions and performances here and internationally.
Eliza Hull
Recipient of the 2021 Arts Access Australia’s National Leadership Award.
Eliza Hull is a contemporary musician, audio producer and disability activist based in regional Victoria. Her music has been described as ‘stirring, captivating and heartfelt.’
A new vision: how a critical tech lab is pushing the limits of VR
At the time, Australian new media artist and academic Josh Harle had just returned from a residency in Austria, and decided to head along to the local VR and augmented reality (AR) meet-ups in Sydney. But for Harle, although the meeting was well attended, something felt a bit off.
Image credit: Nic Cassey and Josh Harle / Tactical Space Lab.
Leadership programs
The Australia Council Leadership Program is dedicated to transforming the cultural and creative industry’s knowledge, skills and capabilities by investing in emerging, mid-career and established leaders. Our program recognises the diverse nature of leadership and builds on the rich knowledge and experience across the industry.
Applications are now open.
Caption: Mandingalbay Yindinji Deadly Dinner, 2017 Arts Leaders Program. Credit: Australia Council.
Annual reports
In a year of unprecedented challenges for Australian arts and creativity, the Australia Council has been resolutely focused on delivering against the objectives set out in our corporate plan.
Emily Crockford
Recipient of the 2020 Australia Council National Arts and Disability Award for an Emerging Artist
Emily Crockford’s broad creative practice encompasses painting, textiles and soft sculpture. Her work can be seen in large scale across Sydney and in high profile institutions.
Don’t forget to watch this year’s awards!
COVID-19 Audience Outlook Monitor 2022
An additional ‘pulse check’ short questionnaire was delivered between the fifth (July 2021) and sixth (November 2021) phases of the survey, designed to ‘take the temperature’ of audiences in light of rapid changes to outbreak conditions and planned lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in some states/territories.
Between 28 September and 1 October 2021, over 2,000 audience members responded to the ‘pulse check’ (2,146), from all over Australia. Results for the three outbreak-affected states (NSW, ACT and VIC) were reported separately to the rest of the country.
International Curators Program: Asia Pacific Triennial x TarraWarra Biennial
Curators, creative and cultural producers who identify as First Nations and/or of the Asia Pacific diaspora based in Australia are invited to apply for funding support to participate in a series of online and in-person exchanges in partnership with the 10th Asia Pacific Triennial (APT10) in Brisbane in 2021-22 and TarraWarra Biennial in Healesville in 2023.
Image: Gordon Hookey, Waanyi people, Australia b. 1961, MURRILAND! (detail) 2017, oil on canvas, 200 x 1000cm. Click on the link to see full image caption.
Sector response to COVID-19
Stay up to date with the latest COVID-19 sector and government updates. New guide to Government COVID-19 Assistance for the Arts 2021 is available now.
Private: Digital Business Model Innovation Lab – discontinued
An opportunity for arts organisations to transform and innovate digital business models in partnership with Tata Consulting Services.
Image credit: Soft Centre Festival 2018. Artist: Meagan Streader. Photo: Charl Anfield.
Australia Pavilion Invigilation Program participants – Venice Biennale 2022
For the Venice Biennale 2022, the Australia Council is inviting applications for invigilators of the exhibition in the Australian Pavilion. Marco Fusinato is the artist commissioned for Australia’s national representation at the Venice Biennale 2022. The exhibition is curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor.
Australia Pavilion Invigilation Program participants – Venice Biennale 2022
A diverse group 14 Australian creative and cultural workers living in Europe and the United Kingdom will oversee the day-to-day visitor experience of Marco Fusinato’s exhibition during the Venice Biennale, curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor.
Sync Australia Online Leadership Program
Sync Australia – Online is a new online leadership and coaching program exploring d/Deaf and disabled leadership in arts, culture, heritage and media. Founded over 10 years ago by Sarah Pickthall and Jo Verrent, two disabled leaders in the UK, this disability-led program combines leadership theory with one-on-one coaching and support for participants to reflect and progress their leadership potential. Sync Leadership programs have been successfully rolled out globally, including Australia in 2014 and 2015 and now in a new modular format, as an online program is 2021.
The Australia Council is the Australian Government’s principal arts investment, development and advisory body.
We champion and invest in arts and creativity to benefit all Australians through an integrated suite of activities.
We invest in artists and organisations through grants, fellowships and awards that enable art to be created and experienced.
We build capacity, skills, networks and digital mobility that increases markets and audiences for Australian creative work.
We advocate for the social, cultural and economic value of arts and creativity.
We advise government on matters connected with the arts.
We deliver government policy initiatives and frameworks in support of the arts.
We research and analyse data and insights that deepens the understanding of the role and value of arts and creativity.
We collaborate with state, territory and local governments to develop strategic responses that support our creative sector.
We partner with others to extend the public value of arts and culture for all Australians.
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