What grants are available to individual WRITERS AND VISUAL ARTISTS?
Individuals may apply for the following grants and fellowships, summarised below, however, please refer to the specific details for each grant/fellowship on our website:
- Create Grants are for the creation and development of new work for Australian writers and visual artists
- Reading Australia Fellowship is for teachers of English and Literacy and teacher librarians who have a minimum of five years’ teaching experience to undertake professional skills development and career-enhancing opportunities
- Frank Moorhouse Fellowship for Young Writers will support a writer aged 18-35 years to write a new work of fiction
- Author Fellowship is for the creation of new work by established authors
- Fellowship for Non-Fiction Writing will support an author to create a new work of creative non-fiction which will engage with key issues and topics for a broad readership
- Copyright Agency Partnerships supports major commissions for mid-career and established visual artists in partnership with leading cultural organisations around Australia
You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident to be eligible.
If you live outside Australia, you can still apply, provided you are an Australian citizen or have permanent residency status. For more specific eligibility requirements, please refer to the terms and conditions on each of the grant webpages.
Do I need to be a member of Copyright Agency to apply for a grant or fellowship through the Cultural Fund?
- No, however we encourage writers and visual artists to become members of the Copyright Agency. Please find more information on our website on how to join and the benefits of membership.
- Alternatively, contact our Members Services team directly memberservices@copyright.com.au and they will assist.
Do you support mentorships for authors and visual artists?
- No, the Cultural Fund has refreshed its priorities and we no longer support organisations to run professional development programs, mentorships and masterclasses for writers and visual artists.
- You can refer to our Projects Supported – Individuals page to see what programs have previously received our support although our focus has changed over the last few years.
Do I need an ABN to apply for a Cultural Fund grant?
- You don’t need an ABN to apply, however, if you are successful, the grant will be considered as part of your earned income for the year and is taxable. Therefore, if you don’t have an ABN, we will deduct withholding tax from your grant.
I have started work on my project. Can I still apply for funding?
Yes, but please keep in mind that if you are applying for support for a specific component of your project, this cannot be completed before you find out whether your application has been successful.
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What do I need to know when applying for a grant or fellowship?
The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund provides a variety of funding opportunities for organisations and individuals. When applying for support, it is useful to consider the following:
How many applications can I submit to each round?
- You can submit one application to each funding round, provided you meet the grant’s eligibility criteria
For what kind of activity can I seek funding?
- You can apply for a range of activities. Please refer to the Activities Supported page as our priorities have changed.
Please refer to the specific eligibility requirements for each grant for further details of the supported activities.
What questions do I need to answer in the application?
- You can preview the application questions and see more information regarding the details required when you click the apply button, before commencing your application
- You must answer all questions in the application form
When does the project have to start by?
- The project must begin within the financial year that the grant is given
- If you are applying for support for a specific component of your project which is already underway, please note that this cannot be completed before you find out whether your application has been successful
Who assesses the applications?
- The Copyright Agency Cultural Fund grants and fellowships are assessed by the Cultural Fund committee and peers from the writing, publishing and visual arts sectors
- Together they provide varying perspectives and understandings of the sector in order to assess projects for their literary and artistic merit
What time is the application due?
- The closing dates of each grant or fellowship round will be advertised on the respective pages on our website
- You must submit your completed application by 1pm (AEDT/AEST) on the advertised closing date
- Late applications will not be accepted or considered, and applications may not be updated after submission. This includes late submissions of supporting material.
Can I send in my support material separately or ask my referee to send it in on my behalf?
- No, all support material must be submitted with your application by the advertised closing date
Is there a limit to how much money I can apply for?
- There are different amounts available for each grant and fellowship
- When applying for one of our grant rounds, the amount you apply for is up to you and depends on the work involved and time required
- You can look through our past Projects Supported – Individuals page to guide you or contact the Cultural Fund to discuss your proposal
When will I be notified of the outcome of my application?
- We will notify you within three months of the closing date for applications
Do you provide feedback on applications?
- Given the high volume of applications submitted to the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, we cannot provide individual feedback
- If your application is unsuccessful in one round, we invite you to contact us prior to submitting a new application for further advice
Support material
- For equity purposes with other applicants your sample should be up to 10 pages
Are published short films and film scripts included in the eligibility criteria for Cultural Fund grants/fellowships?
- No, published short films and film scripts do not meet the eligibility requirements for the Cultural Fund
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I can’t log in to the grants portal, what should I do?
- Please check that you are logging in to SmartyGrants applicant login and not to the Copyright Agency’s online account for members
- If you have not registered with SmartyGrants then you will not be able to log in
- If you have registered, and are still experiencing problems, please contact SmartyGrants:
- Phone: +61 3 9320 6888 (Australia or international customers) or +64 4889 3068 (New Zealand)
- Email: service@smartygrants.com.au Website: www.smartygrants.com.au
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What do I need to know when applying for the AUTHOR FELLOWSHIP?
I have a contract/LOS from an overseas publisher, am I eligible to apply for a Fellowship?
- You must have support from an Australian–based publisher for your application to be eligible. This is to ensure the book is available in Australian bookstores and can be purchased in Australia.
- The publisher can be a multinational publisher (for example, HarperCollins) or a publisher which has an Australian distribution arm.
- Ideally the work would be published here, as we are also trying to support Australian publishers, as well as supporting Australian writers.
I’ve published five books which includes a co-authored book. Am I eligible to apply for the Author Fellowship?
- No, to be eligible to apply for this Fellowship you must have previously published/presented at least five full-length works of your own creative writing
I’m a published poet/children’s writer, am I eligible to apply for an Author Fellowship?
- Yes
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AUTHOR FELLOWSHIP: Children’s book illustrators
To be eligible to apply, illustrators must have published at least five books of their own writing/illustration work.
I have illustrated over 20 books am I eligible to apply?
- No, as these are collaborations with authors and for the purpose of equity, applicants must have published at least five books of their own writing/illustration work
I’m working on the first in a series of books. Do all the books within a series need to be completed in the timeframe of the fellowship?
- It depends on the type of work undertaken, however there is no expectation that it must be completed or published during the fellowship period
- The panel will be interested to see the publication date in the letter of support
Does the work have to form part of a series?
- It depends on the length of the work. If you are working on a series, it would be a more competitive application given the value of the fellowship and over the twelve-month timespan
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AUTHOR FELLOWSHIP: Playwrights
I am applying for a series of plays to be written over a one-year period. Is this eligible as a significant new work?
- Yes, as the Fellowship is generally for a year you will need to explain what you’ll be doing over this timeframe
Can I apply to develop a play I’ve already written but needs further work?
- Potentially, yes. It depends on how much work needs to be done to the existing play. As the Fellowship is generally for up to a year, you need to explain your activities over this time.
Does the support letter from the theatre company need to commit to a presentation? I have a theatre company interested in supporting a new play, however they want to see the final draft before agreeing to include it in the program.
- Yes, you must have a letter of intent to present your play from a theatre company to be eligible to apply
- If a firm commitment isn’t available, as with some authors and their publishers, you can supply a letter of intent to present the work if the work is satisfactory
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AUTHOR FELLOWSHIP: Poets
- If a book is published online and has gone through an editorial process, it is eligible
- If a book is self-published online, it is not eligible
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What do I need to know when applying for the FELLOWSHIP FOR NON-FICTION WRITING?
I have a contract/LOS from an overseas publisher, am I eligible to apply for a Fellowship?
- You must have support from an Australian–based publisher for your application to be eligible. This is to ensure the book is available in Australian bookstores and can be purchased in Australia.
- The publisher can be a multinational publisher (for example, HarperCollins) or a publisher which has an Australian distribution arm
- Ideally the work would be published here, as we are also trying to support Australian publishers, as well as supporting Australian writers
I’ve published two books which includes a co-authored book. Am I eligible to apply for a Fellowship?
- No, to be eligible to apply for this Fellowship you must have previously published at least two full-length books of your own creative writing
What is a full-length work of your own creative writing?
- A full-length work can be a work of fiction or literary non-fiction, a children’s or young adult book, a book of poetry, a chap book, a novella, a play etc all written by the one author. We don’t make exceptions or allowances for the length of the actual book.
What isn’t a full-length work of your own creative writing?
- A full-length work of your own creative writing is NOT:
- one story/chapter in an anthology
- one story/article in a literary journal
- one story in a published book of short stories
- a co-authored/co-edited book
- writing for film/tv/screen
What constitutes a self-published work?
- Making any financial contribution to the cost of publishing the book, including editorial and marketing costs
Can I apply for a Fellowship to write for an academic journal?
- No, Fellowships support the writing of creative work and are not intended to support the writing of academic or scholarly work
Can I apply for a Fellowship to write a self-help book?
- No, works of self-help and ‘how to’ books are not supported by the Cultural Fund
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What do I need to know when applying for the FRANK MOORHOUSE FELLOWSHIP FOR YOUNG WRITERS?
Does the project have to be a piece of long-form fiction, or would a collection of short stories also be eligible?
- This Fellowship is to support a new work of fiction, which can include a new collection of fiction short stories
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What do I need to know when applying for a Create Grant?
- Please find more information about Create Grants on the FAQ webpage
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What do I need to know when applying for a Reading Australia Fellowship?
- Please find more information about the Reading Australia Fellowship on the FAQ webpage