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 (e.g. computer software or programs, cameras and associated equipment, sound equipment, workshops and seminars)
- The purchase of materials and tools pertinent to a creative practice (e.g. paints and brushes, metals, timber, and textiles, printing and framing, materials to create merchandise)
- Paying for costs associated with your practice (e.g. studio rent, website hosting fees)
- Building your audience (e.g. advertising, creating an online business, running workshops)
BEFORE YOU START YOUR APPLICATION
Before you get started, please check your eligibility here.
We strongly recommend reading our Grant Writing Tips and FAQs before you start writing your application. Make sure you read these guidelines thoroughly!
Interested applicants are encouraged to make an appointment with Helpmann Academy to discuss your application. We’re happy to provide guidance and advice on how you might be able to refine your proposed project and application.
You can book a consult directly here! Alternatively, you can email us at debbie.pryor@helpmannacademy.com.au or call (08) 7089 0720 to make an appointment.
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 study was 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 (e.g. computer software or programs, cameras and associated equipment, sound equipment, workshops and seminars)
- The purchase of materials and tools pertinent to a creative practice (e.g. paints and brushes, metals, timber, and textiles, printing and framing, materials to create merchandise)
- Paying for costs associated with your practice (e.g. studio rent, website hosting fees)
- Building your audience (e.g. advertising, creating an online business, running workshops)
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 must be submitted via the Helpmann Academy website form.
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 us to discuss arrangements.
Applicants are required to provide responses to the following questions:
- 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
- Project budget – outline all expenses associated with your project and how it will be used. Please clearly specify which expenses will be covered by Helpmann Academy. Budgets must be formatted using the Helpmann Academy budget template
- Images and/or audio-visual demos of your work
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.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome within four weeks of the application close date.
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.
- Funding will not be provided for current course requirements or any formal qualifications.
- Funding will not be provided retrospectively, and expenses cannot be covered until a completed and signed agreement form has been returned.
- Recipients must undertake the activity between 1 May 2025 and 31 July 2025.
- Recipients will be required to complete a final survey within four weeks of completion of their project.
- Recipients will be required to acknowledge Helpmann Academy in any publicity, signage, or other distributed material relating to the project for which the grant is awarded. This includes logo placement on all promotional material, including print and online material, and verbal acknowledgement of Helpmann Academy at any publicly accessed events, including online activity. Recipients will be provided with the Helpmann Academy logo for this use.
- Recipients may be asked to supply images and content throughout the project for use on our social media channels.
- 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.
- All funding decisions are final.
GET IN TOUCH
Got questions or want to have a quick chat? Get in touch on (08) 7089 0720 or via email at info@helpmannacademy.com.au.