Quick Response Arts Grants

[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.

[Orchestral music plays in the background]

[Speaker: Mia Salsjo – City of Melbourne Grant Recipient]

The project that I'm working on the quietude is about the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre and I'm actually taking the exact system or the geometric shapes and forms of the architectural plans into music notation.

Then in the end it turns into a piece of music that is something quite a mystery and there's a certain kind of beauty to it.

So the City of Melbourne grant has enabled me to employ other arts professionals, so I've been able to work with an orchestrator and it's been wonderful to have worked in a live recording studio with a top professional quintet.

They can bring out parts of my work that I might not necessarily have heard in it.

So the grant has enabled me to realise the full vision of my work

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.)

Within six months of notification.

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

No, but it must be presented at a venue located within City of Melbourne boundaries​.

You must tell us where you plan to present the project and your application will also need to include venue hire costs.

Your application will be strengthened by the inclusion of a tentative venue booking quote or evidence that you have communicated with the venue manager about hiring the space. 

No, you can only submit one application to each round. ​​

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

No. Projects that are currently funded by another City of Melbourne program are ineligible to apply to our arts grant programs.​

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)Opens in new tab – visual arts
• Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA)Opens in new tab – performing arts
• Musicians Union of AustraliaOpens in new tab – musicians
• Australian Society of AuthorsOpens in new tab – writers
• Australian Writers’ GuildOpens in new tab – writers in the areas of television, radio, screen and stage.