International Engagement Fund

The Australia Council’s International Engagement Fund supports a range of activity that fosters people-to people connections; creates opportunities for cultural exchange and knowledge sharing; and showcases Australian creativity, culture and identity internationally.

Activity may take place in any part of the world in line with the Australia Council’s new International Engagement Strategy 2021–2025.

The priorities of the new strategy are, to:

• rethink and expand the concept of mobility through testing dynamic engagement models that include digital, hybrid and in-person connection
• leverage technologies and digital platforms for creation, distribution, networking, and increasing discoverability of Australian work
• activate borderless thinking to build reciprocal and multilateral partnerships across regions and industries, and leverage co-investment
• strengthen First Nations exchange that is First Nations-led and self-determined
• amplify Asia Pacific engagement, and the perspectives of the Asia Pacific diaspora in Australia
• diversify income and revenue streams to foster sustainable careers and business models by increasing access to markets, information and networks and showcase Australian work to global audiences and influencers
• foster risk-taking, experimentation and innovation in creation, distribution, connection and profile-building
• centre equity and access and reflect Australia’s diversity
• embed sustainability through research and investment in best-practice models and frameworks to minimise the sector’s carbon footprint.

You can view the full International Engagement Strategy here.

Our vision is for Australian arts, culture and creativity to be thriving and known globally for its innovation, sustainability and diversity.

If you wish to apply for a literary translation and/or publication overseas please apply to the Australia Council’s Translation Fund for Literature.

Case studies

Below are some examples of Australian work presented internationally since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Theses activities required that also intersect with the priorities of the International Engagement Strategy 2021-2025. These are some examples of activities that are likely to be competitive in this fund, in addition to the list of successful applicants from Round 1 and Round 2. 

• Andrew Undi Lee: Night Bloomers – the webtoon series is an online and intercontinental collaboration between Korean Australian and native Korean webtoon artists, working together to produce a 6-part anthology webtoon series that reflect various Korean Diaspora narratives from Australia. February 2022 to February 2023.
• Miku Performing Arts: Gapu Nguban (Chasing the Rainbow) is a powerful, celebratory new work of song, music and dance being created by First Nations artists – Yolgnu artists from Arnhem Land, NT, and Paiwan tribe from Taiwan. Artback NT and Kath Papas Productions are co-producing the work in Australia, with Dremedreman Curimudjuq as co-producer in Taiwan. August 2022 to August 2023.
• Pony Express: The Live Art duo Pony Express along with Performing Lines and Chronus Art Center Shanghai undertake a mixed-reality, interactive Livestream of Epoch Wars. A 5-hour, experiential, subversive video conference meets radical, immersive performance broadcasting simultaneously with the large-scale premiere at New Annual Festival, Newcastle. September to October 2022
• Arts Project Australia,  Art et al., an inclusive international platform that commissions and presents collaborations between artists from supported studios, artist peers and arts professionals, presented online, from April 2021
• ARP Press, Winnipeg and Art Gallery of South Australia publication of Becoming Our Future: Global Indigenous Curatorial Practice, in collaboration with the University of Winnipeg, the Canada Council, Australia Council and Creative New Zealand, June 2020
• Eliza Hull, attendance at SXSW in Austin, Texas, to speak on a panel on disability and accessibility and perform two showcases with her band, including the Sounds Australia showcase and a disability specific showcase, ‘Accessible all areas’, March 2022
• Genesis Owusu, tour to promote the critically acclaimed ‘Smiling With No Teeth’ album at a series of festivals in the USA and Canada including Lollapalooza Festival, Chicago, OSHEAGA Festival Musique et Arts, Montreal, This Ain’t No Picnic Festival, Los Angeles, and Austin City Limits, Austin, Texas. Alongside his festival schedule, he will be supporting Glass Animals in Nashville, Toronto and Cincinnati in July-August and supporting Khruangbin in Austin, Bentonville, Denver, Las Vegas, Mesa and Santa Fe in September-October 2022
• Robert Andrew,  A Connective Reveal – Nagula, presented at Yokohama Triennale, July-October 2020
• Samara Hersch,  Body of Knowledge at Home, presented at Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Zürich, August 2020; Kampnagel Sommerfestival, Hamburg, August 2020; Schwankhalle, Bremen, November 2020; Brut Theatre, Vienna, March 2021; The Theatre Practice, Singapore, April 2021; Spring Festival, Utrecht, May 2021; Impulse Theater Festival, Cologne, June 2021
• Jamie Lewis,  The Little Old Cooking Club That Could, presented by Drama Box in Singapore, September 2020
• Pari, P2P and P2P Ngariung, a program of virtual sharing with artist-run collectives and spaces Gudskul in Jakarta, and The White Pube in London and Liverpool, presented online, October-November 2020 and November 2021-January 2022
• Luke George and Daniel Kok,  Hundreds + Thousands, presented at National Gallery Singapore, March 2021
• Stephanie Lake Company, Colossus, presented at Chaillot – Théâtre national de la Danse, Paris, June 2021; Taiwan International Festival of the Arts, April 2022; Hong Kong Arts Festival, August 2022.
• Hannah Fox, Byron J. Scullin and Tom Supple,  Siren Song, presented at Theater der Welt festival, Düsseldorf, June-July 2021
• Kimberley Moulton, Melbourne Museum, Museums Victoria,  Naadohbii: To Draw Water, in collaboration with Pātaka Art + Museum in Wellington, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery in Winnipeg, presented at the inaugural Winnipeg Indigenous Triennial, August 2021.

Contact

If you have any other questions or need help with the application process, please contact us at international@australiacouncil.gov.au.

We acknowledge the distress, hardship and isolation felt by artists and cultural and creative workers at this time. For support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Support Act on 1800 959 500.

Support Act facilitates a culturally safe experience for First Nations artists through a dedicated Helpline which is available to access any time of the day or night.