Skills and Arts Development – Music (April 2010)

Closing date: 1 April 2010
Decisions advised:  June 2010
Projects may start: 18 July 2010

Skills and Arts Development grants support skills development for professional artists and artsworkers and projects that foster skills development for the applicant and/or other participants.

Legally constituted organisations may apply for projects that contribute to the development of music practice in Australia.

There are two types of Skills and Arts Development grants:

• Grants for individuals and groups (established and emerging)
• Grants for organisations (legally constituted).

Individuals and groups

Activities may include:

• Mentorship programs between an emerging artist/group and an established artist/group (either party may apply)
• Attendance at master classes, forums or conferences
• Exchanges between regional and metropolitan-based artists and artsworkers
• Professional development opportunities for instrument makers, musicians or artsworkers in Australia or overseas
•  Artist-initiated residencies or attendance at other professional artist residencies
• Other projects that foster skills development for the applicant and/or other participants.

Study and training

Applications for initial training and undergraduate degrees are not eligible for consideration.

Postgraduate – in exceptional circumstances you may apply for costs relating to overseas postgraduate study in an educational institution. A contribution of up to $5000 will be considered for travel costs, living expenses and accommodation. Course costs will not be covered in a grant. Applicants must clearly demonstrate that such avenues for study are not available in Australia and are vital to the artist’s continuing professional development. Individual applicants must provide evidence of professional experience.

Other overseas study – applicants should demonstrate how this study is vital to the artist’s artistic development and demonstrate that it is not available in Australia.

Organisations

Legally constituted organisations may apply for projects that contribute to the development of music practice in Australia. Partnership proposals that extend the benefits of the activities are encouraged.

Activities may include:

• Professional development programs for musicians through workshops, forums or conferences
• Music projects that engage school-aged students with professional musicians in their community
  
• Other programs that will result in substantial benefits across the artform.

Costs

You may apply to the Music Board for professional fees, associated expenses such as on-costs and travel, and a reasonable level of administrative costs. If you wish to claim administrative costs, you should provide a detailed breakdown of these costs in your project budget.

Individuals and groups

This sub-category is open to individuals, performing or other groups/ensembles/bands.

To be eligible, you must meet the general eligibility requirements.
Recording projects are not eligible in this sub-category.

Organisations

This sub-category is open to legally constituted organisations. To be eligible, you must meet the general eligibility requirements. Grants must benefit artists who are Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents.

How often can you apply?

You can apply to this category only once in 2010.

The following buffer periods also apply to all applicants except for legally constituted organisations:

• If you apply for a Skills and Arts Development grant at either closing date in the 2010 calendar year and are successful, you will not be eligible to reapply for this category in the 2011 calendar year. You will be eligible to reapply at either of the 2012 closing dates
• If you applied for a Skills and Arts Development grant at either closing date in the 2009 calendar year and were successful, you will not be eligible to reapply for this category in the 2010 calendar year. You will be eligible to reapply at either of the 2011 closing dates
• If you apply for a Skills and Arts Development grant at 1 September 2010 closing date, you are not eligible to apply for a Project Fellowship at the same closing date.

Selection criteria

Individuals and groups
Applications will be selected that best demonstrate:

• The quality of key personnel and their suitability to the proposal
• A direct benefit to the artists and/or participants involved
• Good planning and effective use of resources.

Organisations
Applications will be selected that best demonstrate:

• The quality of key personnel and their suitability to the proposal
• Contribution to the development of artform practice
• Good planning and effective use of resources, including quality partnerships where relevant.

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.

For your application to be eligible for consideration for funding, you must include the support material described below with your application at the closing date. 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 copy as 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.

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.