What is Visions of Australia?
The Visions of Australia program is part of the Australian Government’s Arts and Cultural Development Program which supports participation in, and access to, Australia’s art and culture through developing and supporting cultural expression.
Background
The Visions of Australia enables artists and organisations to shape Australia’s cultural landscape, increase cultural diversity, and inspire, educate and entertain audiences across Australia. It seeks to celebrate the intrinsic capacity of the arts to engage, inspire and make meaning for all Australians, while supporting the celebration of place and promoting a sense of community identity.
Program funding is delivered through two streams:
- Development: for the costs of planning and producing an exhibition to tour. This includes research and design.
- Touring: for the costs to produce the exhibition and the costs to transport, install and dismantle the exhibition as well as deliver public programs.
Objectives
The objectives of the Program are to:
- increases access for Australian audiences to exhibitions of quality Australian arts and cultural material, with a particular focus on regional and remote Australia
- encourages partnerships between organisations, particularly collaboration across the collections sector, to form curatorial partnerships and where appropriate, access to mentoring and skills transfer opportunities.
To achieve these objectives, Visions of Australia offers funding for the development and/or touring of exhibitions of cultural material originating, or created, in Australia, as well as cultural material originating from elsewhere that is held in Australian collections. Funding priority is given to material that most strongly reflects Australian cultural life.
Funding
The Australian Government provides approximately $2.5 million each year for the Visions of Australia program. The Program seeks to support projects that deliver national outcomes and a diverse range of quality projects.
There is no limit to the amount of funding that may be sought, however all applications for funding must be reasonable, include realistic budgets and represent value with relevant money. Financial partnerships and co-contributions are strongly encouraged and are a consideration under the assessment criteria.
Funding is available through annual or multi-year grant agreements subject to available funds. Multi-year grant agreements are available for a maximum of four years. If your project occurs over more than one year, you are not required to apply for multi-year funding.
Eligible Projects
Visions of Australia will fund tours to and from regional Australia.
To be eligible for funding a tour must include at least three venues located outside of the applicant’s state or territory, with consecutive exhibition dates. Tours originating in metropolitan areas may include metropolitan venues but regional venues are a higher priority for funding. Visions of Australia supports touring of many types of exhibitions including but not limited to:
- cultural material of historic, scientific, design, social or artistic significance
- the work of contemporary visual or craft artists
- moving image and multimedia.
Eligible expenditure includes but is not restricted to:
- Artist fees in line with industry standards
- Domestic travel expenses including flights, accommodation, per diems
- Marketing and advertising
- Photography / conservation
- Freight
- Crating
- Framing
- Contractors:
- Technical expert
- Curator
- Install/de-install staff
- Designer
- Researcher
- Writer
- Development of public programs/ education kits
- Printing – exhibition labels/ signage
- Both buying and hiring equipment for the presentation of an exhibition is eligible, however, applicants will need to demonstrate that the most cost effective option has been chosen
You can only spend grant funds (either your contribution or the government portion) on eligible expenditure you have incurred on an agreed project, as described in your grant agreement. You must incur the project expenditure between the project start and end date for it to be eligible.
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible for funding, applicants must:
- be an Australian incorporated organisation
- have as their principal purpose the arts and/or cultural heritage (usually defined in the organisation’s Constitution or Articles of Association, and reflected in the Annual Report and Business Plans)
- have an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
- be registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST), if required by the Australian Tax Office
- not have any outstanding reports, acquittals or serious breaches relating to any Commonwealth funding.
Unincorporated groups with an arts or cultural heritage purpose are eligible for funding but must be auspiced by an organisation that meets the above criteria.
Individual business units and entities of local government or state government authorities with an arts or cultural heritage purpose (such as art galleries, museums or performing arts centres) are eligible to apply.
Timing
Applications close 28 February 2020.
