Program - Music

Closing date: 5 May 2010
Decisions advised: July 2010
For funding from: 1 January 2011

Program grants provide funding for a limited number of dynamic organisations with a track record of achievement in presentation, service delivery, youth training or other relevant areas.

Eligible organisations will be considered on their merits each year to ensure that new and vibrant organisations have access to operational funding for a one-year period.

Successful Program grant recipients have no guarantee of future funding in this category. For organisations re-applying to this category in 2010, the Music Board will not take into consideration previous funding levels.

Program grants represent one of an organisation’s possible two applications to the Australia Council per year. A second application must be for an activity that is not currently funded through an organisation’s Program grant.

Organisations can neither apply for, nor be currently funded by, a Key Organisations - multi-year grant and a Program grant at the same time, except in specific circumstances where an organisation has multi-arts status.

Applicants to this category can apply for operational costs and the costs of the program of activities.

New applicants to this category must discuss their application with Music staff before applying and other applicants are strongly encouraged to do so.

This category is open to legally constituted organisations only. To be eligible, applicants must meet the general eligibility requirements.

Applicants must also demonstrate that they have been legally constituted for at least two years prior to application.

Selection criteria

Applications will be selected that best demonstrate:

• Artistic merit and/or the quality of the services provided
• Direct benefits to artists and the artform
• A high level of artistic skills or other professional skills appropriate to the activities
• Good planning and effective use of resources, including an achievable annual operational plan covering artistic, financial and governance matters.

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.

You must submit evidence of your eligibility and the required support material as part of the application.

All applicants to the Program grant category must use the Program budget template regardless of whether applying online or by post, and should only provide budget information for the 2011 activities which are the subject of the application (we do not require your organisation’s entire annual budget).

Your support material should be your own work and the work of other key artists involved in the project. Support material should be recent and relevant to the project for which you are applying. All applicants are encouraged, where possible, to include Australian content in the support material submitted.

The Music Board will review no more than a total of 10 minutes of support material for each application submitted.

Examples of work

All applicants must submit up to three examples of their work and that of the key artists represented in a format listed below:

• Up to a total of 10 minutes of audio material, to be uploaded with your application, or submitted in hard copy as a single audio CD or
• Up to a total of 10 minutes of audio visual material, to be submitted only in hard copyas three identical DVDs or data discs or
• Up to three URLs linking to audio or visual material.

When uploading support material, please provide details of the contents of the uploaded material in the comments space provided. For audio material, this should include title, duration, composer/songwriter and performer details, and a brief explanation of the material’s relevance to the application.

Additional material to be provided with your application

The following additional material should be submitted with the audio or audio visual material and your application form by the closing date, as relevant to the project.

Please confirm the names and availability of key artists.

Applicants for some specific activities require additional material to be submitted.

Proposals that involve companies funded by the Major Performing Arts Board - a letter of agreement between the applicant and the MPAB-funded company must be provided to both the MPAB and the Music Board. For further details please contact MPAB staff directly.

In line with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts policy and its underpinning principles, the Australia Council requires that applications for projects containing representations of artistic/cultural practice or intended outcomes relating to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists or communities must provide letters from relevant communities or artists. 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.

Letters of support are not required in this category.

Any material supplied in addition to the required support material will not be considered in the assessment of your application.

Support material formats

Support materials can be submitted in the following digital formats:

• Audio files – .mp3 (192.1 kb/s)
• Documents – .pdf
• Video - must be submitted in hard copy format.

The Music Board does not accept notated scores or video cassettes and will not assess them, if provided.

Please contact Music Board staff with any questions related to support material requirements.

Please submit any hard copy support material to:

Music Board

PO Box 788

Strawberry Hills NSW 2012

Please ensure the support material is clearly labelled, with the applicant’s name, application ID and the category. All hard copy support material must be postmarked no later than the closing date.