Resilience Fund FAQ's

General FAQ's

• When will I be notified about the outcome of my application?
  • All Survive applications – expected by 14 July
  • All Adapt and Create applications – expected by mid-August 
• Who is eligible to apply?

  Individuals can apply for themselves or on behalf of a group. You must be a practicing artist or arts worker, and an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident.

  Australian organisations that create artistic work or provide a service to the arts sector can apply.

• Why are multi-year funded organisations (those funded through the National Performing Arts Partnership, Four Year Funding and Visual Arts and Craft Strategy) ineligible to apply?

  We acknowledge there is great need in the sector from both individuals and organisations and expect there will be high demand for the Resilience Fund. Current multi-year funded organisations have guaranteed funding at this point and we have already announced we will be flexible in repurposing these funds and agreements, while many other organisations and individuals do not. For equity, we have chosen to focus our limited resources on the parts of the sector who do not currently have guaranteed funding. 
  

• How does the Australia Council define practising artist, group, arts worker and arts organisation?

  Practising artist – someone who creates art and considers art making their main profession.

  Group – a group of artists who create art together.

  Arts worker – someone who assists in the creation or delivery of art and culture, including but not limited to: administration; management; programming and curation; production; technical and specialist.

  Organisation – an organisation that creates artistic work or provide a service to the arts sector.

• Are non arts organisations eligible to apply?

  Yes. Non arts organisations that deliver artistic activity or provide a service to the arts, particularly for the benefit of artists and/or communities are eligible to apply. 
  

• Can international organisations apply for the fund?

  International organisations cannot apply as the primary applicant. An eligible applicant can partner with an international organisation for either stream. These partnerships must be strategic in nature in order to be competitive.

• Can I apply to support fees for international artists from this fund?

  The fund is designed for the benefit of Australian artists and arts organisations. If you make a strong case that the primary nature of funds paid to international artists is to benefit Australian artists; for example in a mentoring role, then yes it is eligible. If travel is required. You will need to demonstrate consideration for the current travel restrictions and in place how this affects the viability of your project or activity. 
  

• How will it be assessed

  Australia Council staff will review applications against the assessment criteria. 

  In allocating funding, we will moderate decisions to ensure equity for artists and organisations by geography, arts practice, cultural background and ability. 

• How long do I have to wait for the outcome of my application?

  We are expecting to pay successful applicants within six weeks for Adapt and Create, and Survive applicants within four weeks.
  

• Will receiving a Resilience Fund grant affect payments I receive or anticipate receiving from Centrelink?

  We are unable to give specific advice on Centrelink payments. It is often the case that grant payments to individuals are considered as taxable income. Please refer your enquiry to Services Australia or the Australian Taxation Office for the correct information. 
  

• Is there a supplement to grants available to artists with particular access requirements?

  There is no supplement, however it is encouraged that you factor in access costs to the budget of your application as required. 
  

• I have a project or activity that is currently funded by the Australia Council and has been impacted by COVID-19 cancellations or postponement. What should I do? 

  Lower priority will be given to activities already funded by the Australia Council, however you should contact us to discuss any variation and how you can repurpose your funding.
  

• Will feedback be provided to unsuccessful applicants?

  No. 
  

• When is it safe to program an activity that requires people to gather?

  We do not know and cannot make a recommendation about this. It is safest to program activities that do not require gatherings for the purpose of these grants. Follow the latest advice from the Australian Government here. 
  

• Does my application to the Resilience Fund count as one of my three allowable applications? 

  No. Applications to the Resilience Fund are exempt from the Australia Council’s limit on allowable applications in a calendar year. 
  

• Can I apply to more than one stream at once?

  Yes, although you can only receive a grant from each stream, once.
  

• I have never applied to the Australia Council before, how do I access the Application Management System?
  Go to https://australiacouncil.fluxx.io/. In the bottom right corner, click on the ‘Create An Account’ button and fill out the registration form. Once submitted it can take up to 48 hours to receive your login credentials. 
  

Survive

• Can I apply for a grant to cover cancellations, non-refundable expenses and income lost for a project or activity that is currently funded by an Australia Council grant?

  Lower priority will be given to activities already funded by the Australia Council, however you should contact us to discuss any variation and how you can repurpose your funding.
  

• My regular gig as a musician/performer at a live or public venue has been cancelled due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Can the Survive fund supplement my current and ongoing loss of income?

  You can apply to Survive to recoup or offset lost income. Your application must respond to the published criteria and provide samples of your work.

  Survive is not intended to provide an ongoing income supplement. Please refer to Services Australia for information on Australian Government income support programs.

• The regular public marketplace for my art and craft work has been cancelled due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Can the Survive fund supplement my current and ongoing loss of income from sales?

  You can apply to Survive to recoup or offset lost income. Your application must respond to the published criteria and provide samples of your work.

  Survive is not intended to provide an ongoing income supplement. Please refer to Services Australia for information on Australian Government income support programs.

• Will the Australia Council require an acquittal for Survive grants?

  No. You will not be required to acquit a Survive grant.
  

• Is there a percentage of lost income and sunk costs I need to adhere to in my application?

  No. Please provide actual amounts for what you have lost and explain how you arrived at the amounts.
  

• I don’t have a contract or formal letter of engagement, what should I do to provide evidence for the work I have committed to and lost?

  A confirmation email and/or copies of receipts are sufficient evidence for this fund.
  

• Can I apply for reimbursement of my home office costs as I was developing a work at the time? Including childcare and living expenses?

  Yes, these are legitimate expenses to request in this grant.
  

• If I have received or applied for stop-gap or emergency response funding from another source, will I still be able to apply for this grant?

  Yes. If you receive funding from another source to cover the same costs you have applied to Survive for, please let us know. We can withdraw your grant request. This will not penalise you from making any future grant applications

  Please keep in mind that our resources are limited, and we want to fairly support as many applications as possible.

Adapt

• I am an art or music teacher. Can I apply for and Adapt grant to support moving my lessons into an online setting?

  Our grants do not support art or music teachers delivering private or school-based lessons.

  The adaptation of specific skills, development programs and activities that benefit practising artists, creative or cultural community are more appropriate for this grant.

• What do you mean by ‘adapt practice’?

  This is any adjustment you need to make in how you make, develop or share your artistic work – so that you may continue to make, develop or share work.

  An example would be where you had a live performance prepared to present, and now you intend to change it to an online presentation. This is only one example however, and we encourage creative interpretation.

• Does my proposed project need to have a digital component?

  No. In your application you should explain or describe how you would deliver your Adapt project or activity considering current social safety measures. If your project has a public outcome, it may make use of digital components and platforms, or other methods that allow for social distancing.
  

• What types of equipment can I purchase using this grant?

  You can purchase any equipment required to realise your project or activity, making sure that it is in line with the ‘What you can apply for’ section of the grant you have chosen.
  

• What do you mean by ‘subscriptions’?

  Many modern technology products require subscription payments instead of one-off payments. Examples including video-conferencing subscriptions, office and accounting software.
  

• If I am proposing a project that involves streaming or using another creator’s work, do I need to get permission first?

  Yes. Adhering to copyright is the law. To find out about securing permissions for use of work, contact the Arts Law Centre of Australia. You can use the Adapt grant to pay a copyright specialist to assist you with this work as well. 
  

• Can I use this grant to pay artist and arts worker fees?

  Yes. We encourage you to pay industry standard rates.
  

• As an arts organisation, can I apply for a grant to support employees to work remotely?

  Yes. Describe what your relevant needs are and what steps or resources you require to provide this access to your employees, artistic collaborators or contractors.
  

• Can I apply for a grant to set up an e-commerce platform for my work?

  Yes. You can apply for expenses to set up an e-commerce platform, this includes strengthening digital infrastructure, accessing the appropriate software and advice, making content accessible, advisor fees, subscriptions and equipment. 
  

• Can my project or activity involve local or international travel?

  This grant is being offered to counter the impact of current public safety measures and travel restrictions on art making and arts presentation. You need to evidence your planning around these considerations and the viability of your travel plans. 
  

• I would like to collaborate with a group or artists and/or artworkers on a project, can we apply together?

  Yes, however one person needs to be the lead applicant.
  

• I would like to collaborate with a community, what support do I need from them?

  Evidence of their willingness to participate is essential. You should also describe your track record of working with this community, and explain what the community’s role will be, your process of working with them and what the artistic, creative or cultural benefits will be.
  

Create

• My work is not necessarily impacted by social distancing measures. Can I still apply for a grant to continue developing, creating or making new work?

  Yes. The Create fund is there for artists to continue making work. We understand are a range of situations and circumstances faced by artists and organisations. If you work alone or your work is not necessarily impacted by social distancing measures, you are still eligible to apply for this grant.
  

• Does the work I create need to be an artistic response to COVID-19?

  No. We have not nor will we be prescriptive about the themes or ideas any new work needs to address.

  However, we do understand that many artists, organisations and groups may be moved to create work that is a direct artistic response to the local and global implications of COVID-19 – and that’s OK too.

• Can I apply to create online content for children at home?

  We encourage work for children made by practising artists. It is important to keep in mind that art should be the centre of the application, and that educational outcomes are a secondary consideration. Note that TV, documentaries, film and games are generally the funding domain of Screen Australia.
  

• Can I apply for support to run a fundraiser for unemployed artists?

  Whilst eligible, such applications are extremely unlikely to be successful as it is the intent of these grants to support artists directly, by empowering them to recover and to create work.
  

• Can I apply to develop a new digital platform that will promote and share the work of Australian artists?

  Yes. Your application must address the selection criteria clearly to be competitive.

  Artists and arts workers should be at the centre of the proposal, and among the key beneficiaries of the platform.