Selection criteria - theatre

This commentary is designed to help applicants address the theatre board’s selection criteria.

It is a guide only and we are not suggesting that you must answer each question asked or that you use it as the format for your application. Read it, take note of what is relevant to your project, then tell us in your own way what you want to do.

An artistic rationale for the activity as a vital contribution to the development of high-quality contemporary theatre

This criterion assesses the underlying reason for your proposed activity and the extent to which it develops or promotes contemporary theatre.  We want to know why you want to do it and how you see it interacting with the greater world. 

By contemporary theatre, we mean work that is intensely attuned to your particular time and place, to the extent that this affects the work that you make and the way that you make the work. It means that you are investigating, testing and taking artistic risks in the interests of creating work that is authentic to the present. It means you are relying on established ideas and forms only to the extent that they are pertinent to this task. Contemporary also implies a wider awareness of current and past developments in theatre in particular, and in culture and society more generally.

Think about the following questions:

• Have you clearly stated the artistic aims of your activity?
• Have you helped us understand how and why you make your creative decisions?
• Have you articulated the context in which you create work?
• How is your activity contemporary, as defined above?
• If your activity has a public outcome, what kind of impact do you expect it will have locally, nationally or internationally?
• For professional development activity, have you clearly articulated the relevance of the opportunity to your professional development?

Artistic or professional skills appropriate to the activity

This criterion assesses the skills and experience of the artists and other professionals in the context of your proposed activity. We look at whether the people you are putting together will make a good team. We will be assessing your application on all the skills gathered for the activity and on their interaction, not just on the reputation of particular artists alone.  We also acknowledge that unlikely combinations of people can kindle great work -  if this is your approach, explain your thinking to us. 

In using this criterion, we take into account the biographies within the application. We may also use any knowledge that board members have derived from attendance at performances, your company’s history (if applicable), the evidence within support material you have submitted, and press reviews of previous work.

Think about the following questions:

• Have you clearly outlined the roles and responsibilities of each team member?
• How will less experienced members of your team be supported and their skills developed?
• Are you proposing unusual collaborations that may need more explanation?

Contribution to the diversity of Australian theatre

This is where we assess whether your activity is adding to the rich variety of cultural practices within Australian theatre. Diversity is found in the different cultural backgrounds of the artists, audiences and communities involved, in the multiplicity of regional voices, and in the wide range of artform practices that constitute ‘theatre’ in Australia.

Think about the following questions:

• Are there artists in key creative roles from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds?
• Is their cultural background intended to have an artistic influence on the activity and, if so, what effect will this have?
• Is your activity happening outside of the major metropolitan areas and, if so, will this have an artistic influence?
• Is your activity using or developing artform practices not widely represented in Australian theatre and, if so, what effect will this have?

Good planning and effective use of resources

This criterion assesses your capability to plan, resource and evaluate your activity. This criterion is mainly practical and has a focus on such things as logistics, financial and human resources, project management, marketing plans, evaluation strategies, effective budgeting, appropriate partners and supporters, effective cultural protocols and community liaison.

For key organisations multi-year grant applicants, the criterion also assesses your organisation’s governance and longer term planning.

Evidence is necessary for this criterion. We will carefully consider your budget and any letters confirming other support you have negotiated.

Think about the following questions:

• Have all potential sources of support been identified and sought - if not, why not?
• Is your budget clear, and does it add up?
• Have all artists confirmed their participation?
• Where relevant, have presenting partners confirmed the details of their support?
• If there is a public outcome, what are your strategies for promoting the activity?
• If it is a developmental activity, how will you evaluate the result?
• Have appropriate cultural and community protocols been observed?

Opportunities for young people to collaborate with professional artists and participate in artistic decision-making (program youth arts only)

We want you to articulate the process through which you make work, and tell us how the young people will interact with the professional artists involved in the various phases of the activity.  We are interested in artistic activities that develop and present the voice and stories of young people, and we are also interested in your activity’s potential to help young people become artists or artsworkers beyond your projects.

Think about the following questions:

• Have you described the way you will involve young people in the creative process?
• How will you ensure the young people have ownership of the work?
• Are the professional artists employed experienced in collaborating with young people? If not, explain your thinking to us.
• Does the activity offer leadership opportunities to the young people involved?
• Do your activities have the capacity to help those young people who are interested in a career as artists or artsworkers?

A demonstrated commitment to strong support for the work of a wide circle of companies, groups and independent artists (key organsiations multi-year (artistic hubs) only)

This criterion assesses the quality and extent of support given by the organisation to other independent artists and groups. We will be looking at how your organisation is linking these artists and groups with opportunities. The precise nature of this support is for you to decide, depending on the resources and role of your organisation. It may be professional development or training opportunities, mentorships, co-producing arrangements, access to the key organisation’s equipment or facilities, etc. By ‘other artists and groups’, we mean those other than the organisation’s core or regularly-employed artists.

A record of achievement in the creation of highly distinctive, adventurous contemporary theatre (key organisations multi-year (artistic explorers) only)

In using words like ‘distinctive’ and ‘adventurous’, this criterion assesses the evidence that your organisation produces work that is special, work that is exploring unique artistic territory.  This builds your case for needing your own organisational structure to produce your work, as opposed to being produced by others.

Demonstrated ability to provide high quality essential nationwide services to theatre artists and companies (key organisations multi-year (national service organisations) only)

The criterion assesses three things: the quality of the services offered, the need for these services, and the extent to which they are being delivered nationally.