Skills and arts development - visual arts
Skills and arts development grants promote excellence in the arts by providing professional development opportunities for craftspeople, designers, media artists, visual artists, arts writers and curators.
Closing date: 1 August 2008
Decisions advised: November 2008
Projects may start: 1 January 2009
About this category
There are two types of skills and arts development grants.
Studio residencies
Only practising craftspeople, designers, media artists and visual artists may apply for a visual arts board overseas studio residency. The residencies are allocated in set time-blocks, which are determined by the relative ranking of the successful applicants. You can apply for:
- $10,000 three-month residencies in Barcelona, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris, Rome or Tokyo
- $20,000 six-month residencies in New York
- $35,000 12-month residency in Berlin.
General professional development
The visual arts board supports applications from individuals and groups for activities where the main focus is professional development. This may include self-organised residencies, writing projects, curatorial projects, mentorships, participation in conferences or workshops and research projects. Your project may span more than 12 months.
Who is eligible to apply?
Skills and arts development grants are open to individuals and groups. Applicants must meet the general eligibility requirements.
Applicants may apply in 2008 to only one of the funding categories – new work or skills and arts development or fellowships.
Applicants for mentorship programs must have completed initial training such as a tertiary studio-based degree or equivalent. Applications are not accepted from people currently undertaking undergraduate studies.
Applications are not accepted for participation in art fairs.
How often can you apply?
The following buffer periods apply:
- Recipients of new work or skills and arts development grants in 2007 cannot apply to this category in 2008
- Recipients of new work or skills and arts development grants in 2008 may not apply for another grant until 2010
- Recipients of fellowships since 2004 may not apply to this category in 2008.
What are the selection criteria?
Applications will be selected that best demonstrate:
- A high degree of artistic merit in the applicant’s work to date
- The potential for the project to contribute to the applicant’s professional development.
What should you submit?
You must submit the required support material in addition to the application form.
Important information
Please note that some studios discourage or do not allow partners or children to accompany the artist during the residency. Some studios are specific about the artforms they accept. Applicants for studio residencies should obtain an overseas studio fact sheet by contacting visual arts board staff.
Studios are booked far in advance and there are limited options regarding the timing of such residencies. If you are unable to take up the residency at the time offered, it may be offered to another applicant.
The selection process for the Berlin residency at Kunstlerhaus Bethanien is in two stages. Applicants are short-listed by the visual arts board, but the Kunstlerhaus Bethanien makes the final decision.
Out of time applications are no longer available for visual arts skills and arts development grants
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