Mordant Family/Australia Council Affiliated Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome

Caption: American Academy in Rome Studio window view looking across to Villa Aurelia Scholars Building from artists’ studio at the American Academy in Rome. Credit: Lynne Roberts-Goodwin.

About this opportunity

The Affiliated Fellowship is open to established visual artists with a significant record of exhibitions in public institutions and galleries.

Affiliated Fellows have access to meals prepared by the Rome Sustainable Food project; the opportunity to participate in AAR programming such as exhibitions and talks; and access to the library, gardens, communal spaces, IT support, and program staff and advisors.

The Australia Council and American Academy in Rome will negotiate dates for this two-month residency with the successful applicant.

Mordant Family/Australia Council Affiliated Fellowship

The Mordant Family/Australia Council Affiliated Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome (AAR) is made possible through co-investment by the Mordant Family and the Australia Council. Since 2016 an Australian artist has had the opportunity to pursue their work in an inspiring, collaborative, and supportive environment, with accommodation and studio space in the AAR’s historic building in Rome, thanks to the generous support of the Mordant Family.

Who can apply?

  • Only individuals may apply to this category.
  • You must be a practicing artist and an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident.

Who can’t apply?

You can’t apply if:

  • You received a grant, or administered a grant, from the Australia Council in the past and that grant has not been satisfactorily acquitted
  • You owe money to the Australia Council
  • We will not accept applications from legally constituted organisations.

Applicants must address the following assessment criteria:

  1. Artistic merit
  • suitability of your practice to the residency program and its artistic environment/offer
  • quality of work previously produced, and public and peer response to your work
  1. Viability
  • suitability of your proposal to the residency program
  • the skills and artistic ability of your collaborators and their relevance to the proposed activity
  • realistic and achievable planning, resource use and evaluation.
  1. Impact on career
  • how the proposed activity strengthens your artistic practice
  • the relevance and timeliness of the proposed activity
  • how the proposed activity strengthens your capacity as an arts professional, particularly in relation to international development and collaboration.

Australia Council staff and industry advisors in consultation with the American Academy in Rome will consider applications according to the assessment criteria.

Successful applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by 30 June 2022.

You should submit support material with your application. Assessors may review this support material to help them gain a better sense of your project.

What you should provide

We do not accept application-related support material submitted via post. Application-related material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online, or need advice on what type of material to submit, please contact Ellen Dwyer, International Engagement Adviser, Europe on +61 02 9215 9051 or e.dwyer@australiacouncil.gov.au.

There are three types of support material you may submit:

  1. Artistic support material

This should include relevant, recent examples of your artistic or cultural work.

Types of support material we accept

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).

You can provide up to three URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. This may include video, audio, images, or written material.

These URLs can include a total of:

  • 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording
  • 10 images
  • 10 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of literary writing).

Please note: Our assessors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access.

If you are linking to media files that are private or password protected like Vimeo, please provide the password in the password field on the application form.

Other accepted file formats

If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:

  • video (MP4, QuickTime, and Windows Media)
  • audio (MP3 and Windows Media)
  • images (JPEG and PowerPoint)
  • written material (Word and PDF).
  1. Biographies and CVs

You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in your project.

Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document no longer than two A4 pages in total.

  1. Letters of support

Individuals, groups, or organisations can write letters in support of your project. A support letter should explain how the project or activity will benefit you, other artists or arts professionals, participants, or the broader community. It can also detail the support or involvement of key project partners, or evidence of consultation.

If relevant to your activity, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information.

You can include up to five letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.

Accommodation is in the AAR’s historic building on the Janiculum Hill.

Affiliated Fellows receive a private single room and studio space. A double room will be provided if available.

The Affiliated Fellow and guests will be required to follow all current protocols, including COVID safety protocols, as determined by the AAR.

The Affiliated Fellowship is intended for the artist only. Affiliated Fellows can accommodate their personal guests overnight only in their living quarters on the premises of the American Academy in Rome. A guest policy is in place that will be provided to the Australia Council Affiliated Fellow.

The AAR have a room and a studio that are designed for accessibility. Please note that not all parts of the Academy are accessible. To apply for this grant, you will need to complete an online application form. If you would like to submit sections of your application in accessible formats such as audio or video, please contact us at least two weeks before the closing date.

Current fellowship recipients:

Past fellowship recipients:

Key dates

Closing date: Tuesday 7 June 2022, 3pm (AEST)

Location: Rome, Italy

Art form: Visual Arts

Length of residency: 2 months

Grant amount: $7,500

Website: American Academy in Rome

Technical and administrative support will not be available after 5pm on the closing date.

Contact

Ellen Dwyer, International Engagement Adviser Europe
e.dwyer@australiacouncil.gov.au
02 9215 9051

Frequently asked questions

The Australia Council will negotiate dates for this two-month residency with the successful applicant.

Yes, but this will be at your own cost and the Australia Council will not be able to provide additional funds towards the extension.

Yes, but this will be at your own cost and the Australia Council will not be able to provide additional funds towards the extension.

No. You are not required to provide a budget with your application.

There is no requirement for you to provide a timetable of your activities, unless stated otherwise in the individual residency program guidelines.

The Affiliated Fellowship is intended for the artist only. Affiliated Fellows can accommodate their personal guests overnight only in their living quarters on the premises of the American Academy in Rome. A guest policy is in place that will be provided to the Australia Council Affiliated Fellow.

Yes, the grant to an individual that accompanies a residency is considered income and taxable. Please visit the Australian Taxation Office website for more information.

The International Residencies Program is dynamic and responsive and the programs on offer may vary from year to year.

Yes. If you are looking for some tips on organising your residency or programs in the region you’re interested in, check out the Tips and Links resources on our International Engagement web page.

Yes. Please note, applications to International Engagement funding opportunities do not count as an application to the Australia Council Grants Program.

Yes, as long as you have satisfactorily acquitted the previous residency grant.

The grant is not intended to cover lost income or rent at home and applicants will need to consider their capacity to undertake the residency prior to applying.

The Australia Council partners with established and reputable residency providers and each program is unique. Successful applicants will be provided with detailed information about each residency and introductions to the residency providers who will assist artists with making local connections. Australia Council staff are able to provide further advice and contacts, as requested. Artists are also expected to have their own resources, contacts and project plans for the residency.

The grant is a contribution from the Australia Council toward your travel (including airfares and travel insurance) and living costs during the residency period. Applicants are expected to research the cost of living in the residency location they are travelling to. You may need to supplement the grant with your own funds depending on your projected costs for the residency period.

No. The Australia Council cannot provide any advice on visa or immigration matters. You must contact the relevant country’s visa service to get current information. We suggest you allow plenty of time to apply for all international visas.

The American Academy in Rome have a room and a studio that are designed for accessibility. Please note that not all parts of the Academy are accessible.