Peer assessors
Peer assessment and arm’s length funding have been guiding principles of how the Australia Council allocates funding for more than 40 years.
Peer assessment ensures that grants are offered to artists and arts organisations whose proposals, in competition with those of other applicants and within budget constraints, demonstrate the highest degree of merit against the published assessment criteria.
A peer assessor is anyone who has sufficient knowledge or experience of the arts sector to make a fair and informed assessment of applications for funding. This knowledge and experience could be developed as a practising artist, arts worker or industry expert in one or more art forms.
We also need peers who understand all parts of the artistic process - from making work and coordinating tours and exhibitions, to developing new markets and engaging with audiences and communities.
We are committed to forming diverse and balanced panels. We look for peers who are representative of geography, cultural backgrounds, age, gender and ability.
For more information, please download the Peer Handbook for Assessment Panels (PDF).
Download an accessible version of the handbook.
Become a peer assessor
Our initial call for new peer assessors closed on 2 February 2021. We are now looking for additional peers to fill particular representation and skills gaps. Please get in touch at peers@australiacouncil.gov.au to discuss whether you would be a good fit.
Read our frequently asked questions.
Live information and Q&A session
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land and pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.
Host: Pip Wittenoom, Director Project Investment.
Panellists: Kevin Ng and Ali Cobby Eckermann (current peers) and Dane Hunnerup (past peer and Artist Services Officer).
This webinar was held on Thursday 21 January 2021 at 12:30pm.
Contact
To find out more please contact us:
Email: peers@australiacouncil.gov.au
Phone: 02 9215 9000 / 1800 226 912
National Relay Service: 1800 555 677
Image caption: Theatre Assessment Meeting, November 2019 Front left round the table to front right: Tegan Richardson, Sam Routledge, Karen Rodgers, Elena Carapetis, Belinda Locke, Andy Donovan, Kyle Walmsley, Annette Madden, Gary Cooper, Katherine Quigley and Mel Habjan.