Copyright Agency Partnerships

Copyright Agency Partnerships (CAP) is an annual series to support major commissions for mid-career and established visual artists in partnership with leading art galleries and cultural organisations around Australia.

From 2025 to 2028, the Copyright Agency will partner with the following galleries to create and present significant new opportunities for visual artists

• UNSW Galleries, Sydney. Heather B Swann: The Forests of Symbols 4 September – 22 November 2026
• Edith Cowan University Art Gallery, ECU Gallery, Perth (apply 2026/exhibit 2027)
• Gertrude Contemporary, Melbourne (apply 2027/exhibit 2028)

In 2026–27, the Copyright Agency will partner with Edith Cowan University to create and present a significant opportunity for visual artists, with an exhibition from 12 February – 7 May 2027. To find out more about past CAP exhibitors and artists, please visit this webpage.

ABOUT THE GRANT

One visual artist or collective will be selected from a competitive application process to develop and present a major new commission for an exhibition from 12 February – 7 May 2027 at ECU Gallery and to undertake an aligned month-long residency in Perth.

Mid-career and established visual artists working in all media and mediums are eligible to apply. A mid-career or established artist is generally understood to have developed an independent body of work and practice over several years, or to have reached a high level of achievement in their career, gaining recognition and acclaim for their contributions to their discipline and sector.

Amount of Grant

The total value of this grant is $80,000, inclusive of artist fee and project funds towards the development and presentation of a new commission.

In addition, ECU in partnership with North Metropolitan TAFE will contribute in-kind support of up to $8,000 towards accommodation and access to studio facilities.

WHO CAN APPLY

• Mid-career and established visual artists are eligible to apply for this grant
• If applying as a group, all visual artists must identify as mid-career or established visual artists
• Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents
• Applicants must have acquitted any overdue Copyright Agency Cultural Fund grants

HOW TO APPLY

• Applications will be submitted to the Copyright Agency via SmartyGrants online system by the closing date of 1pm AEDT 16 March 2026
• If your application is successful, Edith Cowan University’s Art, Culture and Collections team will manage the grant alongside the curatorial development and presentation of the commission
• Applicants may submit only one application per round
• Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered

We encourage all applicants to become members of the Copyright Agency before applying as preference will be given to our members. As a membership organisation our priority is to create new opportunities for members. We regularly make payments to creators for the use of their work and there are many benefits from membership. Please find more information on our website and the Payments to Visual Artists page.

YOUR APPLICATION

More information and contact details about your application

For further enquiries please contact the Art, Culture and Collections team at collections@ecu.edu.au with the subject line ‘Copyright Agency Partnership enquiry’. The Art, Culture and Collections team will seek to address all enquiries in a timely manner.

Please email the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund if you have any questions about the application form, closing dates, or general enquiries about your eligibility via culturalfund@copyright.com.au

Copyright Notice

The Copyright Agency supports creators of copyrighted content in Australia and New Zealand. If your work incorporates material (such as songs or music, still or moving images, logos or text) created by a third party we encourage you to speak with a member of our staff. Please contact memberservices@copyright.com.au

Works that include third party material may not be eligible to apply.

About ECU Gallery

ECU Gallery is a new and dynamic public facing gallery in the heart of Perth. Strategically located on the ground floor of ECU City campus at the bustling intersection of Roe Street and Yagan Square, the Gallery stands as a beacon of artistic excellence and experimentation on the doorstep of Perth’s cultural precinct. The 268-square-meter space gallery, with a capacity for up to 130 people, will be a dynamic canvas for local and national artists’ work, activation and innovative educational programs. Equipped to showcase 3D, 2D, and digital works, this premier exhibition space redefines the traditional gallery experience. What sets this space apart is its permeable connection to the urban landscape beyond. The Gallery’s expansive windows act as portals that connect art, culture, and performance with the pulsating energy of the city, making art more visible and accessible to the community. Dependant on the artist’s practice there is an opportunity to use the new LED screen located in the ECU city campus foyer as an additional platform. The flexibility of these spaces will support a broad range of media and practice.

ECU Gallery is led by Clothilde Bullen OAM, Manager Arts, Culture and Collections, and a specialised team, including a Collection Manager, Registrar, Senior Curator and a Cultural Coordinator. An acclaimed Wardandi and Badimaya curator, writer and advocate, Clothilde is a trailblazer in the Australian arts and cultural landscape, who has spent her career championing the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and arts workers, advocating for their inclusion, development and representation across the arts sector. Since joining ECU, Clothilde has been instrumental in shaping the University’s cultural identity, finalising the Cultural Narrative strategy and framework. Working in collaboration with Clothilde is Professor Katya Johanson, Associate Dean, Creative Humanities in the School of Arts and Humanities and Professor of Audience Research. Disciplines in the Creative Humanities include Visual Arts, Design and Screen Production.

ECU has a long history of training artists who’ve gone on to develop a significant national profile. Katya and Clothilde work together to ensure that ECU Gallery provides opportunities to shape the professional knowledge and networks of student artists, from undergraduate to doctoral students, and that the School’s curriculum and senior leadership provide the space for genuine industry learning opportunities the Gallery will bring. The Creative Humanities also houses Spectrum, an experimental gallery space at the City Campus that provides opportunities for collaborative programming with ECU Gallery.