Arts and Disability Mentoring Initiative FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What types of activities can I apply for?

  The initiative is designed to support a wide variety of arts project or career development activities, including the creation of new work, career development, residencies, research and development, presentation. Funds from this grant can be used for any of these activities, provided that the proposal includes a mentoring component. 
  

• What is mentoring?

  Mentoring is any supportive relationship that encourages the sharing of knowledge, skills and experience. Mentoring can be structured or informal and can include peer-to-peer mentoring. For the purposes of this initiative, it is interpreted very broadly and informed by the needs and priorities of the applicant. The Australia Council for the Arts Guide to Mentoring is a useful reference. 
  

• What is peer-to-peer mentoring?

  Traditional approaches view mentoring as someone more experienced imparting knowledge. However, all mentoring involves two-way learning. Peer-to-peer mentoring assumes an even playing field and exchange of knowledge in the relationship, where everyone involved contributes and learns from different perspectives and experience. Equality in mentoring relationships is important in a disability context to ensure lived experience is valued and recognised. It is also important to collaborations across different art forms or between the arts and other industries. 
  

• Should artists with disability be paid?

  The Australia Council expects that artists professionally employed or engaged on Australia Council-funded activities will be remunerated for their work, including artists with disability. Peers assessing applications for the Arts and Disability Mentoring Initiative will consider remuneration when they look at the viability of projects. You should make provision in your budget for appropriate payment of artists and project participants. For more information, refer to the Australia Council policy on the payment of artists: https://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/funding/payment-of-artists/
  

• Does the mentor need to identify with disability?

  Not necessarily. The applicant must identify as a person with disability and can be either the mentee or the mentor. The guidelines have been designed so the applicant with disability can identify who is best placed to work with them on their collaboration. 
  

• How can I get assistance with my application?

  Australia Council staff are available to assist you in understanding the purpose of the grant, application requirements, and submitting your application. Staff can assist over email, phone, Skype, and, where possible, in person. 

  Unfortunately we cannot review application drafts. Additional support can be discussed where needed. Where the additional support required is beyond the scope of what our staff can provide, we may recommend engaging an administering (auspicing) body or speaking to an appropriate arts and disability body, member organisation or other sector based agency. Contact the Artists Services team.

• Who can I go to if I need help with my application?

  Contact the grants team to discuss your project and ask any questions you have about the initiative and application process.

  If you need help writing your application, we also encourage you to contact one of the arts and disability peak bodies:  https://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/about/resources/

• Can I submit my application in an accessible format?

  Yes. We encourage you to submit your application using our online system. However you are welcome to submit your application in any way that is accessible to you (for example other formats can include Auslan, audio, video, printed, dictated, electronic and handwritten formats. Contact the Artists Services team to discuss your needs. 
  

• Who will assess my application?

  Applications to the Arts and Disability Mentoring Initiative will be assessed by the Arts and Disability panel. The panel is made up of artists and arts professionals across art forms and across states and territories. Most of the assessors will identify as an artist or arts professional with disability.

  How competitive will it be?

  As a national arts funding body, all Australia Council funding is highly competitive. Across the previous two rounds in 2019 and 2020, the Arts and Disability Mentoring Initiative success rate was 10%.

• Will I need to specify what my disability is in the application form?

  No. You will be asked whether or not you identify as a person or group with disability. However, you may be asked to provide more details of your disability to the Australia Council, or provide a medical certificate/letter of support. 
  

• What if I am an artist with disability, but don’t want to publicly identify as such?

  If you are successful in receiving this funding, you will have the option of not publishing your name as a recipient of the Arts and Disability Mentoring Initiative. Please contact the grants team if you do not want to be publicly identified. 
  

• I am in a group, which is run through an organisation. Can we apply as a group to the arts and disability panel?

  The initiative is not designed to provide indirect funding to organisations. Applications are only open to individuals and groups. Contact the grants team if you are unsure. Contact the Artists Services team if you are unsure. 
  

• Can I apply to work with an organisation as part of my Mentoring Initiative proposal?

  Yes, but note that the initiative is not designed to provide indirect funding to organisations. Your proposal must demonstrate that the artist/arts worker with disability will have creative control of the project. Contact the grants team to discuss your application if you are unsure. 
  

• Someone is helping me write my application, and I am unable to physically sign or submit myself. How do I complete the application form?

  If you are unable to complete the application form, a support worker or other person helping you with the application can sign on your behalf.  
  

• When completing the application form, what panel do I select?

  If you wish to be considered for the arts and disability specific funding, please select ‘Arts and Disability funding panel’ on the application form.