Australia Council to adopt new grants model
The Australia Council is changing the way it awards grants.
The changes will be implemented from January 2015.
‘The new grants model will support a more diverse range of artists, artistic practice, organisations and arts activity, while making it easier and simpler to apply for grants,’ an Australia Council spokesperson told Books+Publishing. ‘It will consist of four major areas within which artists and arts organisations can apply, reducing the current 150 grant categories, which have specific requirements.’
‘This [new] structure will enable the artist or organisation to pitch the projects they want to make, rather than modify them to fit a narrow grant category,’ said the spokesperson. ‘Alongside these four categories the Council will continue to offer market- and audience-development support, capacity-building programs, strategic collaborations and partnerships, both in Australia and overseas, as well as a range of strategic activities and government initiatives which we deliver on the Minister’s behalf.’
‘We will maintain our commitment to investing in excellence and projects with significant impact, so the grants process will remain competitive.’
The Australia Council plans to roll out a ‘comprehensive communications plan … using print, digital and online channels’ and will undertake a national roadshow ‘to engage with artist and arts organisations across the country, including regional areas and key stakeholders such as philanthropists as well as federal, state, territory and local government partners’.
The Australia Council has also developed a new peer-assessment model ‘which ensures a larger and more diverse representation of peers are available to assess grant applications’. The spokesperson said the call for expressions of interest for peer assessing was ‘overwhelming’. Nearly 850 nominations were received and 600 people ‘will now form part of the assessment pool’.
The new grants model is the result of a ‘comprehensive review’ of the Australia Council’s arts program, including ‘consultation with the sector over the past two to three years’.
Tags: australiacouncil
Category: Local news
