Creative Australia has 20 opportunities closing in September, with funding to support single arts projects, as well as several international residencies. We’ve cherrypicked some of the most exciting but it’s worth combing through the Creative Australia grants and opportunities register this month, particularly if you’re working with an arts organisation and looking for matched funding schemes.
For those in Queensland, there’s also an opportunity to support new research into the wellbeing benefits of the performing arts. If you take part in performing arts activities, the researchers at the University of Queensland would love to hear from you. The short survey takes 10 to 15 minutes and asks about your experiences and the impact on your wellbeing.
Opportunities for creatives – quick links
Multi-artform
Nillumbik Artist in Residence (VIC) – closes 30 August
Residency. Creatives with a connection to the Nillumbik Shire area on the outskirts of Melbourne can apply for short-term artist residencies at three different locations. The Baldessin Studio is open to visual artists working with printmaking, the Eltham Library residency is open to artists working in any medium, and the spot at the Edendale Community Environment Farm is for creatives thinking about the environment, sustainability, biodiversity, climate or the history of the local area.
Applications for the Nillumbik Artist in Residence program close 31 August.
NEW – Creative Australia Arts Project Funding – closes 1 September
Grant. Individuals and groups can apply for funding of between $10,000 and $50,000. The Creative Australia Arts Project Funding supports a range of activities and projects, both national and international, across all arts practices. You’ll need to choose which peer assessment panel you wish to review your application though. The panels are:
- First Nations
- Community Arts and Cultural Development
- Dance
- Emerging and Experimental Arts
- Literature
- Multi-art form
- Music
- Theatre
- Visual Arts
Creative research is also counted as an ‘arts project’ and artists at all stages are encouraged to apply (though the assessment process is pretty rigorous).
Applications close 1 September.
City of Sydney Creative Grants (Sydney) – closes 1 September
Grant. The City of Sydney has just updated its grants programs, with an eye to making the appliation process simpler and more accessible.
The artist support grant is designed to help professional practicing artists from priority communities continue to live and work in Sydney, and it provides funding of up to $25,000. Artists can also apply for a one-bedroom studio apartment in Darlinghurst, with fixed rent of $200 per week.
A third program supports the creation of new works, along with events, festivals and cultural experiences. The creative projects grants provide funding up to $50,000 for each project. This can include up to $10,000 for capital expenditure, which can cover things like investing in technology or buying new equipment.
The opportunities are open to creatives based in the greater Sydney area (not just the City of Sydney local government area) and there’s also funding available for arts venues.
An online briefing about the new City of Sydney grants scheme and what’s changed will be held on 21 July.
Vaucluse House Residency (NSW) – closes 6 September
Residency. This is a non-residential opportunity that gives you 12-month access to a studio in the historic Vaucluse House on Sydney Harbour. It’s a beautiful spot by the water, and four studios share the cottage.
The residency is run by Museums of History New South Wales, and is open to NSW-based creatives and organisations working in most disciplines. (As a historic site, there are some restrictions around noise and mess.) While not mandatory, demonstration of a connection to either the local area or the work of MHNSW is desirable.
Applications close 6 September.
Helsinki International Artist Program – closes 15 September
Residency. Run by Creative Australia, this three-month residency program offers a $15,000 grant, plus time and space for open-ended research and experimentation on Suomenlinna island in Helsinki. It’s the largest international residency centre in the Nordic and Baltic region, which promises lots of opportunity to forge new connections.
While the Helsinki International Artist Program focuses on the visual arts, it’s open to artists and curators from various disciplines, including dance, theatre, literature and music.
Applications close 15 September.
Red Ochre Award – closes 15 September
Prize. Creative Australia’s First Nations arts awards are now open, including the $60,000 Red Ochre Awards for Lifetime Achievement. Nominations can be made for senior First Nations artists, cultural leaders and advocates who have a practice spanning 30 years or more.
There are also awards for established artists, young artists and First Nations arts and cultural businesses.
Nominations need to be in by 15 September.
ArtsHub: Bronwyn Bancroft and Hetti Perkins recognised in First Nations Awards
Visual arts
Woollahra Gallery Program – closes 6 September
Exhibition opportunity. Sydney’s Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf is putting together the exhibition program for the rest of 2026 and 2027 and is open to expressions of interest from artists. The exhibition slots are for five weeks, and artists receive an $800 exhibition fee, as well as the gallery’s marketing support.
Run by Woollahra Council, the gallery is in a historic building near the water. The gallery is open to proposals across all artistic mediums, and from practitioners at all career stages. Individual artists, creatives and curators are invited to apply, alongside collectives, community groups and organisations. There is also a dedicated youth exhibition slot, for an artist aged between 18 and 24.
Applications close 6 September.
Kate Derum and Irene Davies Awards – closes 7 September
Prize. Run by the Australian Tapestry Workshop, the biennial Kate Derum and Irene Davies Awards invites artists from around the world to submit small-scale handwoven tapestry works.
The awards seek work that demonstrate ‘an expressive use of tapestry through materials, concept, colour and design’.
The Kate Derum Award is for established artists, and comes with a $4000 prize. The Irene Davies Award is for those in their first five years of practice, and is worth $1000. There is also an innovation award, and other smaller prizes.
For inspiration, the 2024 exhibition catalogue includes the work of past winners Anna Dunnill from Melbourne and Misako Nakahara from Japan.
Entries to the Kate Derum and Irene Davies Awards are $25 and close 7 September.
Creative Australia International Residencies – closes 15 September
Residency. Visual artists can now apply for Creative Australia’s Acme London Residency and International Studio & Curatorial Program residency in New York.
The Acme program is open to artists, artists, curators and arts writers, and provides $30,000 and six months at the Fire Station residency space in London.
The ISCP is for mid-career artists and curators, and provides four months in New York along with a $35,000 grant.
Applications for both programs close 15 September.
NEW – Outerspace Program (Brisbane) – closes 25 September
Exhibition opportunity. Brisbane artist-run initiative Outerspace is currently putting together its 2027 program and is seeking artists and curators who are ‘working at the edge’.
Applications are open to artists and curators anywhere in Australia, and close 25 September.
Oceania Photo Contest – closes 18 September
Prize. Alongside announcing artist Ben Quilty as its new ambassador, environmental advocacy group The Nature Conservancy Australia has also opened entries for its Oceania Photo Contest.
Open to artists from across Oceania, the prize invites entries across six categories: people and nature; plants and fungi; water; land; climate; and wildlife. The main prize is worth $6000.
As an environmental group, there are naturally some rules about subject matter and participation. Images that cause damage to the environment or involve harrassing wildlife are not eligible. Neither are images of captive animals in zoos or game farms, or images generated with AI.
Entries close 18 September.
Kilgour Art Prize – closes 5 October
Prize. The Newcastle Art Gallery had to shelve this one during the recent redevelopment work, but with the gallery open again, the Kilgour Art Prize is on its way back too. ‘We are thrilled that, as part of our reopening year, we are able to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this nationally significant art prize,’ said NAG Director Lauretta Morton.
The Kilgour celebrates figurative and portrait painting and comes with a $50,000 main prize. Past winners include Nicholas Harding, whose Beach life (pink zinc and figures) is currently on display in the the gallery’s Iconic Loved Unexpected exhibition, as well as Natasha Walsh, Blak Douglas, Michael Bell and Peter Gardiner.
Joining Morton on the judging panel this year will be independent curator Kelli Cole and artist Jason Phu. The award exhibition is set to take place in April next year.
Entries are $50 and close 5 October.
ATW Residency – closes 12 October
Residency. For over 20 years, the Australian Tapestry Workshop has given artists the chance to work in the studio alongside the workshop’s master weavers and dye technicians. The main residency program is open to mid-career artists working in any medium, and provides a workspace with looms, plus dedicated support. Residents are also encouraged to connect with the local communities around ATW, either through exhibitions or public programming.
There are also residencies specifically for regional artists and First Nations artists. Applications close 12 October.
Performing arts
Fringe World Next Act Fund – closes 24 August
Grant. The Next Act Fund is for artists presenting work at Perth’s Fringe World festival next year, and provides a $5000 grant alongside a marketing support package worth $1500. It’s open to individual artists as well as collectives and organisations, and up to five projects will be supported. There were 37 applications for the Next Act Fund in 2026, including The Wetness, which ArtsHub‘s reviewer described as a ‘lush, watery world’.
Applications for the 2027 round close on 24 August.
Helpmann Fellowships (SA) – closes 31 August
Fellowship. The Helpmann Academy is funding three $7500 fellowships for emerging creatives who are recent graduates or final year students at Adelaide University, Flinders University or the University of South Australia.
The Helpmann Fellowships can be used to make or perform new work, take up professional development opportunities (such as residencies or training) or for touring and recording.
There will be an online info session on 4 August, and applications close 31 August.
NEW – Next Up Music Awards – closes 15 September
Awards. The inaugural Next Up Music Awards are about supporting school-aged musicians and helping them find pathways into the contemporary music industry. There are a host of famous names involved, including music theatre superstar Eddie Perfect, who will be mentoring the young winner of the Music Theatre category.
For the grown ups, there’s also a Music Teacher of the Year prize plus prizes for organisations and schools supporting the next generation of talent.
Nominations close 15 September.
Writing, publishing & playwriting
Shane & Cathryn Brennan Prize – closes 27 August
Prize. The Shane & Cathryn Brennan Prize for Playwriting is open to members of the Australian Writers’ Guild. There are two categories, Stage and Theatre for Young Audiences, and each winner will receive $10,000 and see their script made eligible for AWG’s prestigious Pathways for Playwrights program.
There is no minimum or maximum duration for scripts entered, though organisers suggest that playwrights consider ‘theatrical norms’.
The prize is also open to new members, provided they sign up for a minimum of 12 months. Applications close 27 August.
Scarlet Stiletto Awards – closes 31 August
Prize. This short story award is for crime fiction written by Australian women. Aside from the killer name, the Scarlet Stilettos can also boast a lot of sway in the sector, having helped kick off the careers of writers like Cate Kennedy, Tara Moss, Ellie Marney and Dervla McTiernan, among many others.
There are several cash prizes on offer, with the main prize worth $2000. Stories just have be under 5000 words and include an element of crime or mystery, though there’s a lot of scope in how that can be interpreted.
Entries cost $30 for non-members, and close 31 August.
NEW – Writers’ Festival Author Travel Fund – closes 1 September
Grant. This Creative Australia funding, delivered through the new Writing Australia, provides writers festivals with between $10,000 and $30,000 to help with the cost of travel, accommodation, appearance fees and per diems.
The Writers’ Festival Author Travel Fund prioritises authors travelling from or to regional locations, First Nations authors, children’s authors and illustrators, and early to mid-career writers, but will also encourage a broad mix of voices and festivals.
Applications close 1 September.
Natalie Miller Fellowship – closes 4 September
Fellowship. The Natalie Miller Fellowship awards two grants of $10,000 to women pursuing professional development in the Australian screen sector. Over the past 15 years, fellowships have been awarded to figures like Rachel Okine, Head of Scripted at ABC, and Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd, the Film Curator at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
It’s open to women working in both the traditional sectors of the the Australian screen industry (such as distribution, exhibition, production, post-production and financing) as well as the emerging sectors (including immersive media, digital content and gaming).
ScreenHub: Natalie Miller Fellowship awards dual recipients with 2025 grant
President of the Natalie Miller Fellowship Sasha Close said the goal was investing in ‘women with bold ambitions to lead, innovate and shape the future of screen’.
She added that the scheme had built an impressive alumni network ‘spanning exhibition, distribution, production and other sectors of the industry, with fellows going on to make a lasting impact across the Australian screen industry’.
Applications close 4 September. The recipients will be announced at the Australian International Movie Convention, held on the Gold Coast from 26 to 29 October.
BR Whiting Studio Residency – closes 15 September
Resdiency. Creative Australia’s BR Whiting Studio residency is a chance to work in Rome for a period of one, three or six months. It’s for writers who want to develop their practice and networks, and the six-month residency comes with a stipend of $27,500. Entirely unsurprisingly, it’s described as ‘highly competitive’.
Recent recipients include Max Easton, Leanne Hall and Katerina Gibson, and applications for this next round close 15 September.
NEW – Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship – closes 2 October
Fellowship. Coordinated by the Australian Society of Authors, the Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship is for writers of fiction in any genre, as well as writers of biography. The winner receives $35,000 and the runner up $15,000.
Applicants must have published a minimum of two books and be (or become) and ASA member. They must also be working on a new manuscript, and be able to outline how the scholarship will help them achieve their goals.
Applications close 2 October.
Griffin Theatre Submissions – open 2-9 October
Production opportunity. Sydney’s Griffin Theatre has announced plans to hold two open play submission windows each year, with the first slated for this October.
‘Open access matters,’ said a theatre spokesperson in the announcement. ‘It creates pathways for writers at any stage of their career and helps ensure our stages reflect the breadth, complexity and imagination of contemporary Australia.’
These open submission periods are designed to help the company ‘connect with more playwrights and plays outside of our creative programs and their application processes,’ the statement continued.
Griffin Theatre is looking for new full-length work by Australian playwrights who have at least two professional productions behind them.
During these week-long windows, writers will be invited to submit full drafts of plays through an online portal, with feedback then provided within three months.
Submissions will be read by the Griffin Literary and Artistic team, which includes Literary Associate Daley Rangi, Artistic Director Declan Greene and Associate Artistic Director Anthea Williams, but the process may also involve collaborating with other readers and consultants external to the company to ensure that plays are assessed within their context.
The first submission window will be open from 2 to 9 October.
