Artform Development - Dance

Closing date: 27 August 2010
Decisions advised: November 2010
Projects may start: 1 December 2010

Artform development grants provide organisations with funding for programs that develop Australian dance.

These grants support programs that benefit a range of artists. These can include, but are not limited to: national and international reciprocal partnerships; professional development programs such as mentor programs; masterclasses; workshops; international exchanges; management support and peer evaluation. Infrastructure costs will not be supported.

Programs can be short term or extend up to twelve months.

Only organisations can apply for artform development grants. Applicants must meet the general eligibility requirements.

Selection criteria

Your application must demonstrate:

• Artistic innovation with a creative rationale
• Artistic or professional skills appropriate to the activity
• The benefit of the activity and audience development potential
• Good planning and effective use of resources
• Contribution to the cultural diversity of Australian dance

You can find detailed information about each selection criteria here.

Information about the assessment process is available here.

You can apply online for all Australia Council grants. If you would like a hard copy application form, contact Australia Council staff on (02) 9215 9000 or 1800 226 912.

Required support material

You must submit the following support material by the closing date:

• up to 15 minutes of video or audio media of recent and relevant work - please see below for further details
• summary of biographies of key artists, up to two pages total
• for projects containing representations of artistic/cultural practice or intended outcomes relating to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists or communities, support letters from relevant communities and artists are required according to the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Policy and its underpinning principles. Letters must show clear evidence of support and agreement for the activities undertaken. In preparing your application, you may wish to consult the Indigenous protocol guides in song, performance, writing, new media and visual arts.

You must also provide the following confirmation materials by the closing date:

• letters of confirmation from key participating artists and, if relevant, acceptance letters from institutions, individuals or international invitations
• when proposals involve Australia Council major performing arts board-funded companies, you must provide a letter of agreement between the applicant and the MPAB-funded company to both the MPAB and the Dance Board
• you may provide additional information up to 10 working days before the assessment meeting.  

Media material

You must provide up to 15 minutes of support material on one non-authored DVD or CD. This should be recent and relevant work, including an unedited section of footage from performance or rehearsal. You may also add media from other sources, including audio, text or multimedia material.  Accepted formats:

• video – .mp4 or Quicktime .mov files only, must be standard codec and PC/Mac compatible

• audio – .mp3 128-44.1kb/s

Please note that authored discs and alternate media formats will not be accepted as support material.

You should also upload a pdf document detailing your support material, including:
1. name of work
2. length of item
3. name of choreographers
4. name of key performers
5. performance details
6. a statement about the support material’s relevance to your proposal

Written material

Applicants who are not producing arts (for example, service providers, or proposals for conferences and journals) must provide 3–10 A4 pages of written material. This may include annual reports, media coverage or letters of support, as .pdf documents and .jpg images only.

Budgets

Some applications will be for a project involving a number of stages. You are encouraged to present separate budgets for each stage in addition to the overall budget for the project. This will help the Dance Board understand the resources involved in the development of the work. The Board will assess the whole proposal, but in the end may only support specific stages of the project. Any additional budget materials must be uploaded with your application as a .pdf document.

A detailed budget is not required for the fellowship grant category.

Support materials supplied in addition to these requirements will not be considered in the assessment of your application. If you need assistance in determining the support material you are required to submit or when it must be submitted, please contact Australia Council staff.