Aboriginal funding

Funding for programs and projects to celebrate Aboriginal culture and preserve history and traditions.

On this page

Aboriginal Arts Commissioning Fund

Providing opportunities for Aboriginal artists to share their stories through the development of new, large scale work.

Funding delivered through the Aboriginal Arts Commissioning Fund is intended to: 

  • encourage the expression and preservation of traditional and contemporary regional Western Australian Aboriginal cultures, communities, and identities through the arts
  • support the development of significant and large-scale works created and produced by Aboriginal artists in regional Western Australia
  • enable employment opportunities for regional Aboriginal artists, arts workers and communities
  • showcase the unique stories of Western Australia’s First Nations peoples and engage new and diverse audiences.

Available for

  • Community organisations
  • Regional organisations
  • Individuals
  • Groups
  • Aboriginal communities

Categories and amounts

  • Aboriginal Arts Commissioning Fund (Up to $300,000)

Aboriginal Business Development and Capacity Building

Providing business development support for planning and skill development in the regional Aboriginal arts and culture sector.

The program intends to:

  • support Aboriginal arts and cultural organisations based in regional and remote Western Australia to develop strategic, business, succession, sustainability, and/or governance plans
  • increase support for the development of the Aboriginal arts and cultural industry in regional and remote Western Australia
  • support cultural tourism, audience development and economic diversification by strengthening Aboriginal arts and cultural organisations in regional and remote Western Australia
  • support long-term skills development goals for Aboriginal arts workers, artists and communities in regional and remote Western Australia
  • improve economic and employment growth in regional and remote Aboriginal communities.

Available for

  • Aboriginal arts and cultural organisations
  • Organisations
  • Regional organisations

Categories and amounts

  • Aboriginal Business Development and Capacity Building (Up to $30,000)

Arts 15k-plus

The Arts 15k-plus grant program offers between $15,000 and $60,000 funding for artists, creative industry professionals and organisations to deliver a one-off project or a program of activity.

The program supports the development and growth of a vibrant sector that promotes the participation and active engagement of Western Australian communities in high quality arts and cultural experiences.

Available for

  • Community organisations
  • Individuals
  • Groups

Categories and amounts

  • Sector Development (Over $15,000)
  • Creative Development (Over $15,000)
  • Commercial Development (Over $15,000)
  • Aboriginal Arts (Over $15,000)

Arts U-15k

The Arts U-15k grant program offers up to $15,000 for artists and creative industry professionals to deliver a one-off project or program of activity.

The program supports the development and growth of a vibrant sector that promotes the participation and active engagement of Western Australian communities in high quality arts and cultural experiences.

Available for

  • Community organisations
  • Individuals

Categories and amounts

  • Creative Development (Up to $15,000)
  • Commercial Development (Up to $15,000)
  • Aboriginal Arts (Up to $15,000)

Connecting to Country

Supports projects that enable Western Australian Aboriginal people and organisations to undertake on Country activities that foster the intergenerational transfer of knowledge, preservation of culture and strengthening of communities.

The program intends to:

  • facilitate sharing of cultural knowledge and skills between generations, such as the preservation of language, stories and dance
  • recognise Aboriginal cultural leadership within the Aboriginal community and support leadership development in young people
  • contribute to stronger community mental health and wellbeing
  • strengthen, protect and maintain traditional ways of maintaining cultural knowledge.

Available for

  • Community organisations
  • Individuals
  • Local governments
  • Groups
  • Industry representative bodies
  • Education institutions
  • Aboriginal communities

Categories and amounts

  • Connecting to Country (Up to $25,000)

Contemporary Music Fund Short Notice Activity Program

The Contemporary Music Fund (CMF) assists homegrown contemporary music artists with projects that enable them to produce and promote their work, along with building links nationally and internationally.

The program provides funding support to the WA contemporary music sector across a range of activities.

Available for

  • Community organisations
  • Groups
  • Individuals

Categories and amounts

KidSport

KidSport helps Western Australian children take part in community sport and swimming lessons.

KidSport enables eligible Western Australian children aged 5 to 18 years to participate in community sport by offering them financial assistance of up to $300 per financial year towards club fees.

Available for

  • Individuals

Categories and amounts

  • KidSport application ($300)

Partnership Acceptance Learning Sharing (PALS)

Grants for WA schools to promote and advance reconciliation.

Funding assistance is available for your school to complete a PALS project. PALS projects are varied, and your school may already be involved with initiatives that are eligible for PALS funding. PALS funding is available to all WA primary and secondary schools and encourages schools with and without Aboriginal students to participate.

PALS is an initiative of the department which encourages WA schools to develop projects that promote reconciliation in their local community. PALS is based on the core attributes of:

  • Partnership between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people based on trust, mutual respect and understanding.
  • Acceptance of and respect for diversity and valuing Aboriginal perspectives.
  • Learning more about each other, Aboriginal histories, languages and cultures; and how we can build strong partnerships with Aboriginal people.
  • Sharing a common journey towards healing and reconciliation.

PALS projects must focus on reconciliation and align with one or more of our six categories. In addition, an in class learning component is mandatory and must feature with your grant.

Available for

  • Primary schools
  • Secondary schools

Categories and amounts

  • Connecting to Country and Culture
  • Community Relationships
  • History
  • Arts
  • Inclusive Environments
  • Language

Playwright Partnership Program

Assists Western Australian playwrights to partner with established producers in commissioning new theatre scripts that tell Western Australian stories. The program offers grants for applications up to $30,000.

Playwrights are asked to develop proposals in partnership with a producing partner who will commission the work and submit the application. The producing partner must demonstrate the commitment and capacity to develop the commissioned work into a fully professional production within a reasonable timeframe. The producing partner is expected to match funding on a dollar for dollar basis. This may include in-kind support.

Available for

  • Community organisations
  • Individuals
  • Groups

Categories and amounts

  • Playwright Partnership (Up to $30,000)

Western Australian Theatre Development Initiative

Supports the production and performance of outstanding professional theatre and non-traditional theatre in Western Australia.

The Western Australian Theatre Development Initiative (WATDI) encourages the development of a vibrant and sustainable Western Australian theatre sector by supporting high quality professional productions that include a clear audience development strategy, provide professional development opportunities for WA theatre practitioners and have the potential to tour regionally and/or nationally.

Available for

  • Community organisations
  • Groups
  • Individuals

Categories and amounts

  • Theatre (Up to $150,000)
Page reviewed 02 March 2022