Opportunities – quick links:
Awards and competitions
The Darebin Art Prize is back in 2026 celebrating the outstanding work of contemporary Australian artists. The Darebin Art Prize is a national multi-medium acquisitive art prize awarding excellence in contemporary visual art. A $10,000 acquisitive prize and $1000 People’s Choice Award are on offer.
Applications close 30 October; learn more and apply.
South Australian Literary Awards
With a total prize pool of $167,500, the Awards span six national and six South Australian categories, including the Premier’s Award valued at $25,000 for best published work. Alongside national recognition, the Awards shine a spotlight on South Australian writers through dedicated fellowships – and for the first time, new awards supporting the next generation of young local writers.
Entries close 15 November; learn more and enter.
Liverpool Powerhouse’s Blake Prize is not just about spirituality or religion, but the universal search for meaning. The Blake provides a platform for art that sparks reflection and opens up conversations often avoided in everyday life. Newly launched is the Blake Next Gen Scholarship which will support an emerging artist to present their first institutional solo exhibition at Liverpool Powerhouse in 2027-8.
Entries close 15 November; learn more and enter.
Grants and funding
Pitch Music & Arts are encouraging emerging and established visual artists from across Australia to apply for the chance to present their work at Pitch in on Eastern Maar Country at Moyston, Victoria in March 2026. Two opportunities in the Pitch Music & Arts Program are available, the first dedicated to a First Nations artist and the second an open call. Artists will receive up to $10,000 to realise their vision across concepts, design materials, production and delivery.
Applications close 17 October; learn more and apply.
City of Yarra Grants Program (Vic)
The Yarra Grants Program funds community driven projects that improve access to, and the quality of, social, economic and cultural life across the neighbourhoods, shared spaces and communities of the City of Yarra. There are three tiers of funding and six funding streams, starting at $4000 of grant funding.
Applications close 19 October*; learn more and apply.
Small/quick response grants of up to $4000 are open until allocation exhausted.
Contemporary Music Development Grants (NSW)
The Contemporary Music Development Grants will support career sustainability for artists and acts to create and promote new music, enable music organisations to deliver significant sector development projects, and offer dedicated programs to support First Nations artists, acts and organisations essential to the contemporary music sector in NSW. Artists and acts can apply for up to $30,000 and organisations can apply for up to $150,000.
Applications close 27 October; learn more and apply.
Commissions
2026 CS Gallery Window Decals Commission (Vic)
Melton City Council is seeking artists to create digital designs for a large-scale installation to be displayed in the windows of CS Gallery, Caroline Springs in 2026. Artist fee $5000 + GST.
Applications close 19 October; learn more and apply.
Firstdraft micro commission (NSW)
Sydney-based early-career artists with limited exhibiting experience are invited to pitch new works to be developed with the assistance of experienced arts workers and temporarily installed throughout non-gallery areas at Firstdraft. This can include vinyl decal, banner installations, sculpture/activations and small architectural interventions.
Applications close 24 October; learn more and apply.
City of Whittlesea Public Art Opportunity
The City of Whittlesea is seeking Expressions of Interest from female artists for a major public artwork for the newly developed Regional Sports Precinct in Mernda. Up to four artists will be shortlisted and paid a fee for concept development.
EOIs close 17 November; learn more and enter.
Callouts
2026 Craft + Design Canberra Festival
Independently funded exhibitions, talks, tour, performances or events that align with the Festival theme of ‘Dissent’ are invited for the 2026 Craft + Design Canberra Festival (5-15 November 2026). An online information session will be held on 22 October 6pm.
Submissions close 3 December; learn more and submit.
Artists are invited to create a new visual identity system for Sydney Lunar New Year. A budget of up to $100,000 will be available to the successful applicant and the visual identity system will be used for up to five years.
Applications close 24 October; learn more and apply.
Professional development
Year of the Novel Scholarships 2026
Writing NSW is welcoming applications from First Nations writers, CALD writers and young writers under 30 for the 2026 Year of the Novel program. Each scholarship provides a fully funded place in the 2026 intake to the course, designed to offer emerging writers structured, long-term support.
Applications close 12 October; learn more and apply.
Want more? Visit our Opportunities page for more open competitions, prizes, EOIs and call-outs.
