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 (apply 2025/exhibit 2026)
• Edith Cowan University Art Gallery, ECU City, Perth (apply 2026/exhibit 2027)
• Gertrude Contemporary, Melbourne (apply 2027/exhibit 2028)

In 2025–26, the Copyright Agency will partner with UNSW Galleries to create and present a significant opportunity for visual artists, with an exhibition from 4 September – 22 November 2026. Previous CAP partners are 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, the Institute of Modern Art, and Perth Institute for Contemporary Arts.

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 4 September – 22 November 2026 at UNSW Galleries.

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.

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 Monday 18 August 2025 (AEST)
• If your application is successful, UNSW Galleries 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 UNSW Galleries at unswgalleries@unsw.edu.au with the subject line ‘Copyright Agency Partnership enquiry’ or call (02) 8936 0888. UNSW Galleries 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 UNSW Galleries

UNSW Galleries opened in 2013 and builds on the legacy of the former Ivan Dougherty Gallery (1977–2009) at UNSW, which under the leadership of the late Nick Waterlow OAM played an influential role in Australian and international contemporary art and culture. Led by inaugural Director Felicity Fenner, UNSW Galleries established a reputation for staging transformative exhibitions, events and public programs. 2019 marked a reset for the organisation with the appointment of José Da Silva as Director, with a mandate that places artists and designers at the forefront of exhibition-making.

UNSW Galleries brings together the work of leading Australian and international practitioners, curators, and writers working in the fields of contemporary art and design. It is a space for presenting and interpreting contemporary visual and material culture, and a site for gathering and conversation. Our exhibition program stresses the importance of learning through exhibition-making, utilising integrated projects and events throughout the year to engage audiences in conversation with commentators from diverse disciplines. UNSW Galleries is located within the School of Art & Design at UNSW Sydney and is a member of University Art Museums Australia.