Regional Aboriginal Arts Development

Overview

The Regional Aboriginal Arts Development grant program provides funding for projects that support the development of Aboriginal artists and the Aboriginal arts and cultural sector in regional Western Australia.

The 2 categories are:

1. Creative Development
2. Business Development and Capacity Building

The key dates calendar has opening and closing dates, activity start dates and draft review deadlines.

Please apply using the Online Grants web portal.

More information about how to apply can be found in the application manual.

Acknowledgement

The department acknowledges the Traditional Custodians throughout Western Australia and their continuing connection to the land, waters and communities. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal people, communities and cultures; and to Elders both past and present.

The department acknowledges the diversity, uniqueness and strengths of Western Australian Aboriginal cultures and identities.

Objectives

This funding is for Aboriginal arts and cultural projects in regional and remote WA that align with one or more of the following objectives:

• support the development of significant and large-scale works created and produced by Aboriginal artists in regional Western Australia
• showcase the unique stories of Western Australia’s Aboriginal peoples and engage new and diverse audiences
• support regional Aboriginal arts and cultural organisations to develop strategic, business, succession, sustainability and/or governance plans
• support audience development and economic diversification by strengthening Aboriginal arts and cultural organisations and industry
• support long-term skills development goals for Aboriginal arts workers, artists and communities
• enable employment opportunities and improve economic growth for regional Aboriginal artists, arts workers and communities.

Funding categories

Creative Development

Funding for the development and production of new, large scale Aboriginal artworks in regional Western Australia.

What can be applied for

Applications can be for one or more of the following:

• creating new work in dance, music, writing, theatre, craft and/or visual arts
• research, development, presentation and/or production of a new work
• collaborations (individuals, groups and/or organisations) to produce new work in one or several art forms.

Creative developments that involve collaborations with young people, Western Australian organisations or artists, Cultural Statutory Authorities and national or international arts companies, organisations or festivals will also be highly regarded.

Business Development and Capacity Building

Funding to develop the capacity and sustainability of Aboriginal arts and cultural organisations and creative businesses in regional Western Australia.

What can be applied for

Applications can be for one or more of the following:

• skills training or professional development for artists and art workers
• professional consultant fees
• development and creation of strategic plans
• collaborations between organisations
• development and creation of strategic marketing and promotional tools
• networking and presenting opportunities
• research and development.

If your project does not correspond in some way to either category, contact a project officer for advice before starting an application.

Who can apply?

It is recommended that the application is prepared and submitted by the party that will take the lead coordinating the project.  

If successful, the applicant will be issued with the contract and responsible for receiving payment and acquitting the grant.  

Creative Development

Applications are open to Western Australian based:

• Aboriginal artists, producers, storytellers, performers, writers and arts and cultural organisations; and
  
• organisations that work with Aboriginal artists, producers and arts organisations whose applications demonstrate:
• evidence of significant Aboriginal involvement in the project, including concept planning, development of the work, decision making and management
• partnerships underpinned by Aboriginal self-determination and cultural and creative control and articulated via an appropriate agreement, such as a Memorandum of Understanding.

The artist/s undertaking the work must be based in regional or remote Western Australia. Where a work draws on culture or stories local to a particular area, the application must demonstrate that the key personnel are representative of the area, or that appropriate consultation has occurred.

Business Development and Capacity Building

Applications are open to Western Australian based:

• Aboriginal arts and cultural organisations.
• Other organisations may be eligible to apply if they are able to demonstrate direct benefit or partnership with regional Western Australian based Aboriginal arts and cultural organisations.

How much can I apply for?

You can request up to 80% of your total project cost. You must demonstrate at least 20% income from other sources (this can include in-kind income) or your application will be ineligible.

Creative Development Category

Up to $150,000 to support the direct costs of developing and producing new large-scale work.

Business Development and Capacity Building Category

Up to $50,000 to support business development and/or capacity building activity.  

When can I apply?

The key dates calendar has application opening, closing and activity start dates.

You are encouraged to submit your application before the closing date to ensure you have plenty of time to allow for technical or eligibility/resubmission issues.

All times are in AWST (for Perth, Western Australia).

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately 12 weeks after the closing date.

Processing of grant payments to successful applicants will not start until after the grant contract is signed and returned. Depending on the activity start date, we cannot guarantee notification and/or availability of grant funds before the activity begins.

What can’t I apply for?

• projects or activities that do not involve or benefit regional Western Australian Aboriginal artists, creatives, arts or cultural workers, or communities
• purchase of capital equipment (including instruments, equipment, software, computers, tablets (iPads) and/or uniforms) above $3000 and not a critical resource specific to the project/activity being undertaken. The total amount of capital equipment per application cannot exceed $3000 
• capital works such as construction or purchasing of studios, work spaces or gallery spaces
• activities already funded by Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries’ culture and the arts grant programs
• activities relating to radio broadcasting
• display, restoration or conservation of cultural and/or historical material
• costs of manufacturing and/or producing prototypes
• fundraising, competitions, prizes and trophies
• the work of State or Federal government departments
• activity that will be academically assessed or any school curriculum-based activity
• facsimiles, genealogical works and histories of local governments, clubs, districts and organisations
• activities related to an individual’s membership in a national organisation
• ongoing staffing costs
• digital games development activities
• film and television activities such as:

• the development or production of narrative shorts or features, pilots for television series, mainstream animation for example, conventional character-based narrative cartoons
• documentaries, including documentaries on the arts
• screenwriting activities or script development for film and television
• stand-alone documentation activities
• education activities, or activities where members of the public take part, where the main or only artform being used is film, unless it’s in support of an artist’s work
• film festivals, unless they support works created by practicing artists.

What will make my application ineligible? 

Your application will be ineligible and will not go through to assessment if you:

• do not include the mandatory support material
• do not adhere to budget requirements including requesting more than 80% of your project cost   
• start the activity before the eligible start date
• submit an application late
• exceed application limits
• have any key personnel with an overdue acquittal
• are a staff member of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) (staff of cultural statutory authority may apply subject to meeting the code of conduct and secondary employment policy)
• request funding that exceeds the funding cap
• apply for activity that is delivered as part of an educational institution’s curriculum or will be academically assessed
• are a metro-based cultural statutory authority of DLGSC
• are not a Western Australian group, organisation or an individual.

How many times can I apply?

Applicants can apply once to each category per round.

Applications to this program do not count towards the general DLGSC culture and the arts grants 2 application limit (which applies to the Arts Projects for Organisations and Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups programs).

Applications to the Creative Development category must be completed within 24 months of the eligible start date.

Applications to the Business Development category must be completed within 12 months of the eligible start date.

How do I apply?

Please apply using the Online Grants web portal.

More information on how to apply can be found in the application manual.  

The  key dates calendar has opening and closing dates, activity start dates and draft review deadlines.

For your reference, the core application questions are required.

4 components of your application

There are 4 components of a grant applications

1. core application questions
2. project outputs
3. financial information
4. support material.

Each plays a significant and distinct role in creating a whole picture about your activity.

Core application questions

Your answers to the core application questions should give assessors an overview of your activity.

Each question has a 1500-character limit. If you need more information on how to prepare your application, please read the application manual.

You can extract a copy of your draft application in Online Grants at any stage to share with others for their feedback.

Please ensure your activity meets the most current COVID-19 health guidelines.

1. What is the activity you are seeking funding for?

Provide an overview of your planned activity. Your overview should identify the artform/s, type of activity, when and where it is taking place, and who is involved.

2.  Why do you need to undertake this activity and why do you need to do it now? 

Explain the strategic or cultural significance of this activity for your organisation and community.

For creative development, describe why the themes of the new work are relevant in the context of regional Western Australia and how the work will attract a broader audience.

Further information can be provided in your support material through the inclusion of letters of support from participating communities and groups.

3.  Who will deliver your project and describe their roles and expertise?

Describe the roles and relevant expertise of the key project coordinators (organisations and/or individuals) and creative professionals responsible for delivering the activity.

Further information can be provided in your support material through the inclusion of artist biographies, organisation profiles, examples of artwork, and media excerpts, reports or reviews that demonstrate previous relevant work or experience.

4.  What outcomes will be achieved, and how will they be evaluated?

Outline the expected outcomes of your activity. Consider how your outcomes align with some or all of the program objectives. Explain how you will measure or evaluate your outcomes.

5.  What regional employment and/or professional development opportunities will be created?

Describe any paid work or professional development opportunities that will be undertaken by regional artists, arts workers, Elders and communities to deliver this activity. This includes opportunities for creatives, production staff, technical crew, project coordinators, cultural workers and mentees.

Also describe any opportunities that will be provided to regional Aboriginal artists, arts workers and communities for professional development.

6.  How will you plan, manage and deliver your activity?

Outline the key processes and stages of your project. Include when and where the key stages will occur and who is involved.

Further information can be provided in your support material through the inclusion of project plans and timelines. 

Project outputs

You are required to provide relevant project outputs. An output is a specific measurable thing that is generated by your project. This information will be considered as part of your application and provide further clarity about your project for the assessor. The outputs also provide important data for the department for research, analysis and advocacy purposes. 

You only need to provide outputs for the categories and items relevant to your project.  

If your application is successful, you will be required to report against your planned project outputs in your acquittal report. 

Refer to the application manual for an explanation of the project output questions.

Please contact us if you have any questions. 

Financial information

The financial information in your budget helps to demonstrate that all elements of your activity have been considered, thoroughly researched and costed. A good budget also provides confidence for the DLGSC that your activity will be a sound investment for the State of Western Australia.

You should indicate which expenditure items you want the DLGSC to support. List those items in the ‘Additional Notes’ section of the application budget page.

If you are registered for GST you should not include GST in the budget figures. All amounts should be in Australian dollars.

Your funding request is the difference between your expenditure minus your income. To ensure this amount is calculated accurately, seek quotes for all expenditure items (whether or not you intend to include these as support material) and include all costs associated with the activity, even if they are supplied in-kind.

Many activities will include in-kind contributions in the form of offering something for free or at a discount. More information on in-kind expenditure and income as well as an example of how to demonstrate your in-kind support follows this section.

For each expenditure or income item you add to the budget, use the notes area alongside the item to explain how that item relates to the delivery of your activity and how the cost was calculated.

Expenditure

Expenditure items can vary significantly from one activity to another. Any legitimate expense that is eligible may be included in the budget.

Do not duplicate costs in the budget form. For example, if you receive a quote for advertising which includes design, do not add an additional item for design. Simply use ‘advertising’ as the expenditure item and add a note explaining that the cost includes design.

Make sure you check the list of what you can’t apply for.

Eligible expenditure items

Administration

Expenses related to the management and administration of the activity. For example, telephone/internet, insurance, postage and stationery. Eligible expenditure items in this category may also include audit costs and accessibility costs (expenditure associated with making your activity accessible to participants or audiences with a disability).

Marketing, promotion and distribution

Costs associated with marketing to your target audience. For example, information, promotion and audience engagement activities, advertising, graphic design, merchandise photography, videography, public relations and production of marketing collateral.

Preparation, development, production and exhibition/presentation

Costs related to the production and delivery of the activity or its deliverables, including the costs of presentation and exhibition. Eligible items may include venue hire, lighting hire, set construction, manufacturing costs, recording fees, rehearsal space hire, props and audio-visual costs.

Salaries, fees and living allowances

Expenditure in this category should include salaries, fees and allowances for all key personnel, with separate components itemised in the budget notes. We support appropriate rates of pay for all people involved in your activity. Refer to the following websites for information on industry standard payment rates:

• National Association for the Visual Arts
• Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
• Australian Society of Authors
• Australian Writers' Guild
• Museums Australia.

If these standards do not apply to your activity, then you must outline how reasonable rates have been calculated. For long-term activities, it may be appropriate to pay artists a rate based on a yearly salary for a similar kind of work. If this is the case, you need to clearly explain the rationale for the pay rate in your budget notes.

All rates should be relative to level of experience.

Please note that organisations, such as Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, predominantly provide information on minimum base rates for employees engaged on a full-time, part-time or casual basis. Rates for artists and arts workers engaged as contractors will include a loading to cover the costs of being self-employed. Full-time, part-time and casual rates do not factor in these costs and should not be used when engaging contractors.

Travel and freight

Costs associated with transporting people, equipment or goods. Eligible items may include fares (taxi, airplane, bus etc.), tolls, land or air freight, and vehicle hire.

Income

This program does not fund 100% of your activity costs so you must demonstrate at least 20% income, which may include in-kind support, or your application will be ineligible.

Eligible income Items

Earned income 

May include ticket sales, product sales, performance fees, royalties, artwork and/or merchandise sales. For performances, this amount should factor in the number of performances, average ticket price and projected venue capacity.

Corporate sponsorship

List any income received through sponsorship from corporate bodies or businesses. Income received through government sponsorship should be included in the relevant government income category. 

Philanthropic donations

May include contributions from fundraising, crowdfunding, donations, gifts and bequests.

Creative Australia, other Commonwealth Government, other State Government, local government

All grants and sponsorship being sought from local government, State Government, Commonwealth Government, Creative Australia, and other government sources must be included, whether or not this support has been confirmed. If your application is to be assessed by a peer assessment panel, we will attempt to confirm the status of any pending funding applications directly with the funding body prior to the panel assessment. Do not include department grant funds being requested as part of this application.

Other income

If you are making a cash contribution, or someone is providing cash to the activity, list this item as a cash contribution or similar. Include any other income source that does not fit within any of the above categories and provide enough detail to identify the income source.

In-kind expenditure and income

Some expenses may be offered to you for free or at a discount. This might be borrowed equipment, the use of a rehearsal space, donated or discounted goods or services, volunteers (including you), negotiated discounted fees and allowances. Anything given to your project at no expense to you is considered in-kind. 

All in-kind items must be included as a budget item under the in-kind expenditure category. The corresponding recognition of in-kind income is created automatically in your online application, and you do not need to enter any in-kind income budget items. The total in-kind expenditure must always equal the total in-kind income. 

If, for example, you are hiring a venue, which would normally charge $2000, and you have successfully negotiated an $800 (40%) discount, you would include venue hire fee as a budget item under the expenditure category of $1200 and $800 under the in-kind expenditure category. 

Additional notes

This section of the budget provides an opportunity for you to detail any additional information you feel may help to clarify items within your budget. For example, for fees and salaries you can indicate in this section how you calculated your amount.

You should use this section to indicate which expenditure items you want the department to support.

Taxation

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) considers any grant payment to be taxable income for the purposes of your annual income tax return. You are encouraged to discuss your tax implications with your tax agent or the ATO prior to applying for a grant.

Registered for Goods and Services Tax

If you are registered for GST, you must show your expenditure items exclusive of the GST component. For example, you have been quoted $550 including GST for lighting hire. In your expenditure budget you would only show lighting hire of $500. If your activity is funded, the department payment will include a 10% GST component to cover those items on which GST is payable.

Not registered for Goods and Services Tax

If you are not registered for GST, you must show your expenditure items inclusive of the GST component. For example, you have been quoted $550 including GST for lighting hire. In your expenditure budget you would show lighting hire of $550. If your activity is funded, the department payment will include the GST component for those items on which GST is payable.

Support material

Support material is essential to allow assessors to fully gauge the value of your activity. The support material you choose should provide further information and evidence to support the project outlined in your application.

Your choice of support material should help to demonstrate the four assessment criteria: quality, reach, good planning and financial responsibility, as well as how your project will meet the objectives of the program. See How will my application be assessed.

Support material summary

• text — maximum 20 A4 pages
• images — maximum 10
• audio/video — maximum 12 minutes

Mandatory support material

For this program, the following items are mandatory and must be included within the limits noted above.

• Biographies and profiles — short biographies or profiles for key creatives/artists, personnel or organisations involved. This should include information on the project lead/applicant.
• Applications to the Creative Development category must include artistic/creative materials relevant to your project. This may include materials from previous work, or materials to be further developed for this project.
• Documents of support — documents of support such as letters or emails from partners, peers, industry and target community; and/or reviews, articles or media reports on your previous work.

Further details regarding the Support Material items can be found below.

Support material — mandatory form

For this program, there is one downloadable form which must be included with the application. This form is not counted as part of the support material limits: 

Regional Grant Funding Allocation Form — download and complete the excel spreadsheet. You need to provide a regional breakdown of where the requested DLGSC funding will be spent. If your application is successful, you will be required to report against your planned regional allocation of funding in your acquittal report.

Further details regarding the support material items can be found below.

Please note: 

• the support material formats and limits are required to ensure equality between applications in competitive programs 
• if you exceed the support material limits, the assessor will only watch, listen or read up to the specified limit
• files and links in ineligible formats will be deactivated and not viewed by the assessor
• formats that will NOT be viewed include: .pages, .zip, .excel, MP3s (or similar) and .eml (however screenshots of emails converted to PDF are okay)
• links to support material using file sharing services such as Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive will not be viewed
• weblinks to text and image information online will not be viewed
• where possible, please only upload one document or file per support material type
• items of support material cannot exceed 5 MB file size
• as an Online Grants portal user, you must upload your support materials with your online application

Types of accepted support material you may provide

Text 

Maximum 20 A4 pages of text, in PDF or Word format. Preferably in a single document. Maximum file size 5 MB. All text must be legible at 100%. Weblinks are not accepted.   

Examples of material you may wish to include:   

• applicant CVs, biographies or profiles for key creative or artistic personnel  
• participant confirmation* 
• quotes for major expenditure items/confirmation of fees* 
• letters of peer/industry support (external to your activity) 
• reviews, media reports or articles on your previous work  
• evidence of confirmed events, activities or appointments*  
• confirmation of consultation and/or support from the target community/participants, such as Aboriginal communities or young people  
• evidence of significant Aboriginal involvement, participation and decision making (where required) 
• project plans or activity plan/s such as community engagement plans
• marketing or promotional plan/s 
• synopsis of proposed text/script  
• curatorial statement  
• director’s notes  
• invitations to present, perform, exhibit or showcase* 
• extracts of literary manuscripts, play scripts or other writing samples 
• publishing samples  
• product catalogue  
• safety and contingency plan (ie COVID-19 contingency plan) 

*Can include multiple screenshots of emails and quotes. We suggest taking a screenshot of the essential information and pasting up to 4 per A4 page so they are still legible when viewed at 100%. 

Images

Maximum 10 images in a PDF or Word document, or up to 10 image files. Maximum file size 5 MB with one line of text caption permitted for each image.  Weblinks are not accepted. 

Examples of material:

• examples of previous work or activities.  

Audio and video 

Maximum four links to audio and video content not exceeding 12 minutes combined listening or viewing time.  

Audio and/or video files must be uploaded to file streaming sites like Vimeo, YouTube, Bandcamp or SoundCloud that do not require a log-in to access. Do not use Spotify. 

You can find instructions on how to use these sites at the following links:   

• YouTube
• Vimeo
• Soundcloud    
• Bandcamp    

Examples of material: 

• examples of previous work or activities
• interviews, recordings, or presentations that support your activity
• a recorded explanation of your proposed project
• testimonials of support for the project. 

Draft reviews

Applicants to this program can request a draft review when the application is complete. Check the key dates calendar for the draft review deadline date.

You can request a draft review any time before the draft review request deadline. Only one request for review can be submitted per application.

You are strongly encouraged to make the request for a draft review well before the deadline to give staff enough time to provide feedback as well as time for you to update your application on receipt of the review.

Contact onlinegrantsupportca@dlgsc.wa.gov.au if you require assistance requesting a draft review in Online Grants.

How will my application be assessed?

Applications to this funding program are assessed by peer assessment panel(s). A high volume of applications may require multiple peer panels for assessment.

All applications are assessed against 4 criteria: 

1. quality 
2. reach 
3. good planning 
4. financial responsibility. 

Each has a subset of dimensions and weightings which can be found below. 

More information about the dimensions and definitions, which have been developed by artists and creatives representing their sector, can be found in the application manual. You are not expected to address all dimensions and definitions, only those most relevant to your application.

Your activity must meet at least one of objectives of the category to be successful. Assessors will consider your application against the relevant dimensions and definitions and allocate a weighted score for each of the four criteria.

See the application manual for more information about how your application will be assessed.

Final approval of successful applications depends on available budget and approval by the Minister or delegated authority.

Quality — weighting  of 30%

Quality refers to the level of artistic and cultural significance of the activity. Quality may be demonstrated by, but not limited to; examples of previous work, sector support, timeliness of the work and a strong history in your area of practice. It may also be demonstrated through the skills and experience of the people involved in the activity, and the alignment of those skills and experience to deliver the project.

Reach — weighting of 25%

Reach refers to the level of impact the activity is likely to have. Reach may be demonstrated by including information for; networking opportunities, relevant marketing and promotional strategies, number of participants and the potential increase in audience or markets.

Good planning — weighting of 25% 

Good planning refers to the level of consideration which has been given to practically undertaking the activity. Good Planning can be demonstrated by, but not limited to; carefully considered preparation, confirmation of key personnel, a realistic timeline and achievable outcomes, documented research and/or consultation, and a process of evaluation.

Financial responsibility — weighting of 20% 

Financial responsibility refers to the sound management of the budget. Financial responsibility can be demonstrated by but is not limited to; efficient use of resources, reasonable expenses and an accurate and comprehensive budget. Other sources of income have been considered and included where appropriate and the activity goes some way towards self-sufficiency.

Acquittal report

If you are successful, you will be required to complete an acquittal report when your activity has finished. An acquittal report details your activity and how you spent the grant. The acquittal report will be available for you to access in Online Grants, via the Edit/View Report button or Reports tab on the Home page, once a copy of your signed funding agreement has been received. 

Your acquittal report must be submitted within 90 days of the activity completion date as specified in the funding agreement. You will need to attach relevant documents, images and videos that substantiate the delivery of the activity and that may demonstrate the impact and outcomes achieved. As a rough guide please refer to the Support Material formats and limits as listed above for your acquittal report support materials. Refer back to your activity outcomes for guidance in selecting suitable material. 

If possible, please provide your support material in one PDF document (for text and images). Audio and video material must be supplied separately as applicable.

The report will also include your activity budget and you will be required to enter all the actual figures against each budget item and add any additional items not in the original budget. Variations between budget and actual figures are acceptable; however, you must provide an explanation for large variations in the Notes for that item. As you enter actual figures, the activity profit/loss will be automatically updated and displayed at the top of the Financial Information page. 

Assistance for applicants

More information on how to apply can be found in the application manual.

Project officers are available via telephone and email to answer queries about applications and suitability of activities to specific programs.

If you need extra assistance due to disability, language barriers or any other factor that may disadvantage you in completing your application, please contact us.

The advice provided by project officers does not guarantee the success of your application.

Due to the high number of applications received, each funding round is highly competitive.

All applications are considered on their own merits and against the assessment criteria and program objectives.

Contact us

Online Grants portal technical support

For assistance using Online Grants or to report any related technical issues, contact the Online Grants Support Team: onlinegrantsupportca@dlgsc.wa.gov.au

Project officers

For enquiries relating to this funding program, including advice or assistance with your application, contact a project officer:
Telephone 61 8 6552 7400
Toll Free (Country WA callers only) 1800 634 541
Email grantsprogramsca@dlgsc.wa.gov.au

Assistance for people with disability

The department is committed to supporting applicants with disability. Information can be provided in alternative formats (large print, electronic or Braille) upon request.

If you require special assistance in preparing your application, please call 61 8 6552 7400 or toll free for regional WA callers on 1800 634 541.

Family, friends, mentors and/or carers can attend meetings with you.

If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment, contact us through one of the following:

• National Relay Service (NRS) then ask for 1800 634 541 
• Internet Relay Calls
• Captioned Relay Calls
• TTY users phone 133 677 then ask for 1800 634 541
• Speak and Listen users phone 1800 555 727 ask for 1800 634 541.

Interpreting assistance

For interpreting assistance in languages other than English, telephone the Translation and Interpreting Service on 13 14 50 and ask for a connection to 6552 7400 or 1800 634 541.

Regional applicants

Toll Free (Country WA callers only): 1800 634 541.

Email the project officers: grantsprogramsca@dlgsc.wa.gov.au