Applications open on Monday 4 March 2024
Applications close on Sunday 14 April 2024 at 11:59pm
For activity occurring between 1 May 2024 and 31 July 2024
ABOUT
Our Creative Boost Grants provide emerging creatives with a quick boost of cash up to $500, to support you when you’re just starting out.
Eligible emerging artists can use the funds to purchase essential services and materials or pay for immediate costs. You may be developing small projects, building digital skills or developing your audience. It may be to support you to continue your creative practice.
These funds can be used for activities such as:
- The purchase, hire or upgrade of technology or equipment, training in new skills that will enable you to continue or adapt your practice (such as computer software or programs, cameras and associated equipment, sound equipment, workshops and seminars)
- The purchase of materials and tools pertinent to a creative practice (such as paints and brushes, metals, timber, and textiles, printing and framing, materials to create merchandise)
- Paying for costs associated with your practice (such as studio rental, website hosting fees etc)
- Building your audience (e.g. advertising, creating an online business, running workshops etc)
BEFORE YOU START YOUR APPLICATION
Make sure you read this Information for Applicants guideline thoroughly.
Read our Grant Writing Tip Sheet here!
WHO CAN APPLY?
Applications are invited from graduates of supported degrees from our partner institutions – the University of Adelaide, University of South Australia, and Flinders University – within 5 years from graduation. Final year students are not eligible to apply for this round.
Honours students and graduates (up to five years following the final year of study) are also eligible to apply, provided Honours were undertaken directly following their undergraduate degree.
Please note that Masters and PhD graduates and candidates are not eligible to apply, unless they still qualify through their undergraduate or honours study.
To check your eligibility please visit the Who We Support page on our website.
ACTIVITIES ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING
The Creative Boost Grants will support emerging creatives with grants of up to $500.
This funding will enable emerging creatives to purchase essential services and materials or pay immediate costs, develop small projects, build digital skills, develop their audience and support them to continue their creative practice.
These funds can be used for activities such as:
- The purchase, hire or upgrade of technology or equipment, training in new skills that will enable you to continue or adapt your practice (such as computer software or programs, cameras and associated equipment, sound equipment, workshops and seminars)
- The purchase of materials and tools pertinent to a creative practice (such as paints and brushes, metals, timber, and textiles, printing and framing, materials to create merchandise)
- Paying for costs associated with your practice (such as studio rental, website hosting fees etc)
EXCLUSIONS
- Funding is not provided for any support directly related to a student’s current course requirements.
- Funding will not be granted for projects embedded within educational programs and coursework.
- Funding is not provided for projects already started or completed (i.e. there is no retrospective funding).
- Funding cannot be used for purchases or expenses that have occurred prior to the return of your signed funding agreement. Any purchases or expenses that occur prior to the return of your funding agreement will not be reimbursed.
- Applicants who are ineligible to complete their academic qualifications or single subject students.
APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT PROCESS
Application
Applications are due by Sunday 14 April 2024 at 11:59pm.
Applications must be lodged via the Helpmann Academy website.
We aim to make our application process as accessible as possible. If you need to submit through alternative means, e.g. video submission, please get in touch with our team to discuss arrangements.
You will be asked to provide a brief description of your project, answer two questions and provide images/examples of your work.
Applicants are required to provide responses to the following questions:
- Please tell us about yourself and your practice.
- How will you use the funds, and in what way will they help your practice?
The following support material is required:
- Artist CV – maximum two pages
- Official Academic Transcript – this must be your official transcript, showing your conferral date
- Images and/or audio-visual demos of your work
- Project Budget – please provide a simple budget outlining the amount being requested, and how it will be used. Budgets must be formatted using the Helpmann Academy budget template
The following support material is optional and may be included with your application:
- Letters of support, project timeline, reviews/press coverage of past work, show reels or audio/visual demos
Assessment
Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Continued development of the artist and their practice.
- The capacity to forge new pathways for the artist and sector development.
- The capacity to develop new networks, collaborations and partnerships.
The panel reserves the right to award an alternative amount to the sum requested. All funding decisions are final.
CONDITIONS OF CREATIVE BOOST GRANTS
The following conditions apply to all successful applicants:
- Applicants must not have any overdue acquittals for previous projects. Funding will not be provided if the recipient has an overdue acquittal.
- Recipients must undertake the activity between 1 May 2024 and 30 July 2024
- If there are any changes to the recipient’s proposed project or budget, they must notify the Helpmann Academy immediately, and obtain approval before commencing any revised plans or spending.
- Recipients will be required to provide the Helpmann Academy a financial acquittal report within four weeks of the completion of the program.
- Recipients may be asked to supply images and content throughout the project for use on our social media channels.
- Recipients will be required to acknowledge Helpmann Academy in any publicity, signage or other distributed material relating to the project for which the fellowship is awarded. This includes logo placement on all promotional material including print and online material and verbal acknowledgement of the Helpmann Academy at any publicly accessed events (including online activity). Recipients will be provided with the Helpmann Academy logo for this use.
- All funding decisions are final and at the discretion of the panel.
GET IN TOUCH
Interested applicants are encouraged to get in touch to discuss how we can help with your application.
Please contact the Helpmann Academy on (08) 7089 0720 or info@helpmannacademy.com.au to make an appointment.
Phone or Teams meetings are welcome.