Lord Mayor's Creative Fellowships Guidelines

These guidelines are for the Lord Mayor's Creative Fellowships, which support Brisbane artists, arts workers, cultural workers or creative producers to grow their creative careers with professional development opportunities.

Learn about the Lord Mayor's Creative Fellowships program:

Introduction

The Lord Mayor's Creative Fellowships Guidelines (the guidelines) establish the rules which govern the administration of the Program (the program) including the application, eligibility and selection process to be followed and the assessment criteria that will be used to select grantees.

These guidelines should be read in conjunction with Council’s Creative Brisbane Creative Economy strategy and A City for Everyone: Inclusive Brisbane Plan 2019-2029.

About the program

Brisbane City Council (Council) is committed to fostering a vibrant and creative city, by supporting the professional development of local artists, arts workers, cultural workers or creative producers wishing to develop and expand their careers in the arts and cultural sector.

Objectives

The program aims to support individual Brisbane based creatives grow their creative careers with professional development opportunities that may include:

  • skills development
  • masterclasses/workshops
  • art residencies
  • attendance at conferences
  • short course training
  • defined mentorships
  • structured learning experiences.

Support of professional development may also include up to 50% of the total project budget to fund travel, accommodation and living expenses as outlined in the eligibility and grant requirement section.

A contingency plan for any unexpected events or risks that may impact the project should also be considered.

Intended outcome

The purpose of the program is to attract, develop and retain our creative workforce to build creative sector sustainability, increase global cultural exchange and promote Brisbane’s creative profile.

The program utilises funds to invest in creative outcomes that align with the Creative Brisbane Creative Economy strategy to cultivate Brisbane’s identity as a global city for creativity.

Council leverages its Sister Cities relationships to foster civic, economic and cultural ties.

Council strongly encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, artists who identify as having a disability, identify as being culturally and linguistically diverse, who are LGBTIQA+, and/or who are under 25 to apply.

Grant amount and key dates

Grants of up to $10,000 per application are available under the program to support individual Brisbane based artists, arts workers, cultural workers or creative producers undertake professional development opportunities.

Applications for this program are closed.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by late April 2024.

For more information, view a recording of the Creative Grants 2023 information session webinar.

Eligibility and grant requirements

Number of applications

Council will only accept one application per individual.

An applicant must not apply for a grant under this program if the applicant has also applied for a grant under the Creative Sparks program (regardless of whether or not the applicant is successful).

Who is eligible to apply?

Applicants must:

  • be an individual professional artist, arts worker, cultural worker, or creative producer
  • be 17 years of age or over at the time of submitting an application,
  • if under the age of 18 years of age, have their application co-signed by their legal guardian, confirming they will take responsibility for managing any funding that may be offered to the applicant,
    • be a resident of the Brisbane Local Government Area (BrisbaneLGA),
    • be a permanent resident or Australian citizen,
    • have an Australian Business Number (ABN) or be auspiced by an Auspice Organisation that is based in Brisbane LGA.

An incorporated Auspice Organisation can only support a maximum of two applications per grant round. The incorporated Auspice Organisation must have an office in and provides goods or services to the residents of the Brisbane LGA.

What activities or projects are eligible to apply?

Council will accept applications for proposed activities or projects that:

  • are for professional development opportunities between 23 April 2024 and 22 April 2025
  • can demonstrate the artistic, cultural, social and/or economic impacts that align with the objectives and intended outcomes of the program,
  • do not exceed the Limitations on Funding of up to 50% of travel, accommodation and living expenses of the total project budget requested (e.g. if an applicant is requesting $10,000 for the total project, 50% or $5000 can be used for travel, accommodation and living expenses).

Travel can include local, intrastate, interstate and international activities.

General eligibility requirements

All applicants must:

  • not have any outstanding reporting or acquittals with Council,
  • hold appropriate insurance(s) to cover the applicant.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural content and communities

Any proposed activity or project reflecting or working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures must be endorsed by the relevant authority from that community. Applicants must show how they will acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural knowledge and intellectual property.

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicants must provide appropriate letters of support from the community who will benefit from the proposed activities or project if the proposed activity or project will be delivered outside the applicant’s community.

For proposed activities or projects that contain cultural material or activity where the applicant is not an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, the applicant must demonstrate that they are working in partnership with the benefited community and provide appropriate letters of support with the application.

Applications which fail to provide appropriate letters of support will be deemed ineligible.

Further details on the protocols and appropriate acknowledgements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures, are available from the Australia Council for the Arts Protocols for working with Indigenous Artists.

Ineligible applications

The program will not fund proposed activities or projects that are:

  • prizes, award ceremonies or competitions,
  • fundraising events, including charitable events,
  • murals and school arts activities, including eisteddfods,
  • conducted by a political organisation or have a political purpose,
  • for any capital expenditure or building works, including minor repairs, maintenance, relocation or refurbishment activities and improvements,
  • for the purchase of any office furniture or equipment, computer hardware and/or software for general administration, promotional or communication purposes,
  • for the development, making or installation of permanent public artwork,
  • for the purpose of debt repayment,
  • part of Higher Education Contributions Scheme (HECS) or for Australian academic course work leading to formal qualifications within Australia
  • for projects that are seeking the majority of funding for publishing and/or printing costs,
  • for projects that are seeking the majority of funding for travel, accommodation or living expenses,
  • for activities that have or are proposed to commence before 23 April 2024.

Further, the program will not fund, and grant funds must not be used for:

  • general operating / recurring costs including core business activities
    i.e. staffing, marketing, business as usual / existing programming, business start-up costs, administrative and other organisational costs not directly associated with the project,
  • projects that do not pay recommended industry rates for artists, arts workers and creative producers (in-kind rates must be calculated at industry standard),
  • general public liability or insurance costs for the individual applicant or proposed activity or project.

Applications will be deemed ineligible if:

  • the submission is incomplete,
  • the proposed activity or project cannot be completed within 12 months from the Notification Date,
  • submitted after the closing date and time,
  • the applicant is:
    • a State or federal government department (including schools) or agencies, foundations or grant making bodies or projects which fall under the responsibility of another tier of government
    • seeking funding for international students wishing to travel to their city of origin
    • an employee of Council
    • an organisation of any kind
    • currently in receipt of creative funding from Council to the value of $10,000 or more in the same financial year that the grant round is open
  • the submission does not have a clearly defined arts or cultural component.

Application process

Making your application

All applications must be submitted via the online application system SmartyGrants.

Preparing an application

The online application system will allow applicants to save, develop and print out applications before they are submitted. Supporting material can be attached to the applicant’s online application. Creative Grant application tips are available to assist.

A budget table is required to support your application. This is a critical aspect of your submission. Before you apply, it is highly recommended you review a budget table example to assist you with developing your budget.

Once an applicant has submitted an application:

  • the applicant will receive an email confirming receipt of the application,
  • submitted applications will be kept confidential and the contents will not be disclosed to any person outside the application and assessment process,
  • the applicant will receive notification advising whether the application was successful or unsuccessful,
  • the list of successful applicants will be published on Council’s website.

Assessment process

What is the assessment process?

Council will review all applications against the eligibility criteria.

Council may determine whether an application meets the eligibility requirements in these guidelines at any stage during the assessment of the application.

If an application is ineligible, the application will not be progressed through the assessment process.

The assessment process

All applications which meet the eligibility criteria will be assessed and merit ranked using the following assessment criteria.

This table provides information on the assessment process including criterion number, criterion and percentage weighting.
Criterion numberCriterionPercentage weighting
1

Merit

  • Creative skills in their chosen art form.
  • Previous achievements in the arts and cultural sector and strength of career.
35%
2

Reach

  • Potential contribution to the arts and cultural sector in Brisbane.
  • Potential to grow audiences and understanding of the art form.
  • Contribution to diverse artistic practice with consideration of access and inclusion principles to the project and adherence to relevant cultural protocols.
15%
3

Benefit and Value

  • Potential to enhance the skills and/or professional reputation of the applicant and their career.
  • Demonstrates cultural, artistic, social, or economic returns on investment including contributing to artistic, cultural and heritage outcomes.
  • Value for money.
35%
4

Capacity

  • Evidence of good planning and resource use, including budget estimates.
  • Achievable objectives.
  • Skills, abilities and roles of partners or collaborators (if relevant), including confirmation of their involvement.
  • Evidence of the structured learning experience from the professional development opportunity.
15%

If Council considers that an application is inaccurate or contains false or misleading information, the application will not be progressed through the assessment process.

The program is a competitive grants program and not every application that meets the eligibility criteria and the assessment criteria will receive a grant.

In some instances, successful applicants may not receive the full amount of the funding sought but will be offered a percentage of the total sought. In that situation, successful applicants will be required to confirm which of the project outcomes are still achievable and submit a revised budget as a special condition of their Funding Agreement.

Who will assess applications?

All eligible applications will be assessed by an external Assessment Committee who is responsible for providing a shortlist of meritorious applications to the Comparative Assessment Committee.

The Comparative Assessment Committee is responsible for reviewing the shortlist provided by the Assessment Committee and making a recommendation about proposed successful applications to Council’s delegate.

Council’s delegate is responsible for making the final decision regarding all grant allocations under this program.

Successful applicants

The Funding Agreement

Successful applicants must enter into a legally binding grant agreement with Council (the Funding Agreement). Council will not release any funds from the grant to a successful applicant unless and until the Funding Agreement executed.

You must:

  • ensure that you continue to comply with these guidelines,
  • deliver the approved project in accordance with the contents of the submitted applications approved by Council for the provision of a grant,
  • comply with the Funding Agreement (including any applicable special conditions and appropriate acknowledgement of Brisbane City Council's contribution to the approval purpose), and
  • fully acquit the grant to Council in accordance with the Funding Agreement.

Any decision by Council to grant funding under this program does not amount to Council’s consent or approval for the carrying out of the approved activities or project.

Successful applicants are responsible for ensuring all other consent and approvals required to conduct the approved activities or project are obtained.

Acquittal

All funds must be acquitted within 12 months of the Notification Date by completing and submitting a project acquittal form online through SmartyGrants.

This document must detail the outcomes of the project and how the funds were spent. It must demonstrate that funding has been used for the purpose for which it was provided, include a report of financial transactions and provide evidence that the project achieved its intended objectives.

Successful applicants will receive a link to the Acquittal Form that will be attached to their application in SmartyGrants.

If a successful applicant fails to properly acquit the funds in accordance with the Funding Agreement, the applicant will be ineligible to apply for another grant from Council for a period of two years.

Unsuccessful applicants

Failure to receive funding is not necessarily due to a poor application but may be the result of a high volume of applications. Unsuccessful applicants may seek feedback on their application by contacting a Council Grants Officer and may be encouraged to resubmit their application for consideration in a future grant round.

Enquiries

Further information is available by contacting Council, where you can speak with a relevant Council Grants Officer.

Applicants with a hearing impairment or speech impairment can contact Council through the National Relay Service (NRS):

  • Teletypewriter (TTY) users can phone 13 36 77 then ask for 07 3403 8888
  • Speak and Listen users can phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 07 3403 8888
  • Internet relay users can connect to the NRS and then ask for 07 3403 8888.

This information is available in other languages by contacting the Translating and Interpreter Services on 13 14 50 and asking to be connected to Council on 07 3403 8888. All enquiry services are free.

Refer to the SmartyGrants help guide for technical assistance when submitting an application. The SmartyGrants support desk is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday on 03 9320 6888 or by email.

Glossary

This Glossary contains terms and phrases applicants may need to be familiar with when planning an application.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural and Intellectual Property means Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' interests in their culture, heritage and knowledge and includes the intangible and tangible aspects of cultural practices, cultural expressions, resources and knowledge systems that have been, and continue to be, developed, nurtured and refined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as part of expressing their cultural identity. It excludes Intellectual Property Rights and Moral rights.

An Aboriginal person is someone who is of Aboriginal descent, identifies as an Aboriginal person and is accepted as such in the community where he or she lives or comes from.

Ensuring accessibility means designing a project to make sure it is as easy as possible for a person with a disability to take part, preferably with the same degree of ease and convenience as a person without a disability. Refer to Councils accessibility guidelines.

The Acquittal Form is due within 12 months from the Notification Date and explains the outcomes of the project and how the funds were spent. It must demonstrate that the funding has been used for the purpose for which it was provided, including a certified report of financial transactions and provide evidence that the project achieved its intended objectives. Successful applicants will receive a link to the Acquittal Form that will be attached to their application in SmartyGrants.

Art form refers to the different creative industry sectors as outlined in the ANZSCO occupations and ANZSIC industry classes.

An Artist or cultural worker is a creative person who has specialist training in their field (not necessarily in academic institutions), committed to devoting significant time to their creative activity or practice and who creates art or cultural value as identified with their profession.

An Arts worker is a person who manages or facilitates the development of arts and cultural activity.

The Assessment Committee is a group of peers and industry experts who assess applications for funding with advice from art form peers and other industry experts as required. Assessment Committee members are selected for their experience and knowledge. The Assessment Committee recommendations are reported to the Comparative Assessment Committee for review before presentation to Council’s delegate for endorsement.

An Auspice Organisation is an incorporated not-for-profit organisation with an ABN that accepts and manages the legal and financial responsibility of the funding on behalf of the unincorporated not-for-profit organisation. It may also be an individual with an ABN that manages the legal and financial responsibility of the funding on behalf of an individual or an unincorporated group or entity. An Auspice Organisation is responsible for providing a financial report on the completion of a project. It is not responsible for the artistic direction or quality of the project. If an applicant states in their application that they are being auspiced by an Auspice Organisation, a letter from that Auspice Organisation must be provided, signed by the chair, president or chief executive officer (or equivalent) of the organisation, agreeing to auspice the proposal.

Australian Business Number (ABN) is a unique 11-digit number that identifies your business to the government and community.

Paying Award Rates/Industry Standard means the applicant must be able to demonstrate that award rates or industry standard are paid to arts and cultural workers involved in the proposed activities or project. For further information please refer to the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Arts Law, Artour, National Association for the Visual Arts, Theatre Network Australia, Ausdance Queensland, Australian Writers’ Guild, Australian Society of Authors, MEAA, Access Arts, BlakDance, Museums and Galleries Queensland.

The Comparative Assessment Committee is an internal Council group whose role is to undertake a review of the assessment process and funding recommendations.

Core business refers to the activities of an entity that incur fixed costs or discretionary costs which cannot be attributed to a specific project. Fixed costs are costs that would be incurred by the entity, even if the entity’s projects did not eventuate.

Creative producer is the term applied to someone who enables the making of a creative product including management of finances, marketing, associated legal and royalty issues. A creative producer may or may not have a technical role in the development of creative product (e.g. a music producer may not necessarily produce the music).

Culturally and linguistically diverse people are people who were born, or whose parents were born in a non-English speaking country and from communities with diverse language, ethnic background, nationality, dress, traditions, food, societal structures, art, and religious characteristics.

Development opportunities are cultural activities that have a development intention, for emerging or established artists of any age and skill level.

Eligible means that the applicant or project satisfies the conditions for funding.

Fellowship is funding awarded to applicants for purpose of professional development in their chosen art form.

The Funding Agreement is the binding agreement between Council and a successful applicant under this grant program and which contains obligations relating to the grant of funding including any special conditions that may be applicable. 

GST stands for Goods and Services Tax. If an applicant or Auspice Organisation is GST registered, Council will pay the grant amount plus relevant GST supported by a taxable invoice. If an applicant or Auspice organisation is not GST registered, the relevant GST will be added to the grant, but not itemised as GST. For advice on GST, please contact a tax advisor or the Australian Taxation Office on 13 24 78 or visit their website.

In-kind support are goods and services you receive but do not pay for including volunteer labour, administrative support, furniture, equipment, materials, venue and office space, professional services (e.g., legal, financial) and technical services. These contributions should be given a dollar value and must be included in the proposed budget.

Intellectual Property Rights includes all present and future rights in relation to copyright, trademarks, designs, patents, trade, business or company names, trade secret, confidential or other proprietary rights, or any rights to registration of such rights whether created before or after the date of this Funding Agreement, and whether existing in Australia or otherwise, but excludes Moral Rights.

Moral Rights means the right of integrity of authorship, the right of attribution of authorship and the right not to have authorship falsely attributed, more particularly as conferred by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), and rights of a similar nature anywhere in the world, whether existing before or after the date of the Terms and Conditions.

Notification Date is the date that Council notifies the applicant, in writing, of the application outcome. 

Public Liability insurance is third-party insurance designed to protect not only members of the public but visitors, trespassers, sub-contractors, or anyone else who may be physically injured and/or whose property may be damaged whilst you undertake your project. It does not usually cover employees or volunteers. For further information about insurance, visit the Arts Law Centre of Australia

Professional development is the upskilling of a person and may include skills development, attending masterclasses/workshops, art residencies, attendance at conferences, short course training, defined mentorships and structured learning experiences.

Sister Cities are relationships established for their strategic relevance to the City of Brisbane and its residents. Sister Cities share commonalities and synergies with Brisbane across various fields. For example, the existence of any trade ties, economic characteristics and key industry sectors to maximise the best possible business outcomes for Brisbane.

A Torres Strait Islander person is someone who is of Torres Strait Islander descent, identifies as a Torres Strait Islander person and is accepted as such in the community where he or she lives or comes from.

Travel, accommodation and living expenses refers to the mode of travel (air, road, rail) and their associated costs (e.g. petrol), the type of accommodation required (e.g. hotel, house rental) and the day-to-day living expenses (e.g. food, bills).

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