Create NSW Changes To Multi-year Arts Funding

Create NSW launches changes to multi-year arts funding

Supporting the needs of small to medium independent arts organisations is at the heart of new guidelines for multi-year arts funding. The funding is the NSW Government’s longer term support for arts organisations providing recipients with financial stability, while enabling them to leverage support from philanthropy, corporate sponsorship and other Government funding.

Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin, said it’s been important to look at how the Government can better support the needs of independent arts organisations;

“We’ve adjusted multi-year funding to make it simpler for a wider range of independent arts and cultural organisations to apply, while aligning with Federal funding timelines to reduce cost and paperwork for the sector. With these refreshed guidelines we can support new ideas, practices and artforms from independent organisations, with programs that are relevant to the sector and flexible enough to respond to their needs.”

Key changes to multi-year funding guidelines include:

-Applicants do not need to have received prior funding from Create NSW to apply for funding

-Tiered funding reporting requirements means that organisations can apply for funding that best suits their capacity and size

-Alignment with Federal funding periods (2 + 2 years) – meaning less administration and reporting for supported applicants The funding refresh will also include new opportunities for supporting Local Government arts and cultural programs.

“Local Government galleries, museums, and performing arts spaces are a source of tremendous cultural offerings. “We are developing new guidelines with clearly defined outputs and a focus on better supporting a wider range of Western Sydney and regional NSW areas – these will be made available from November,” Mr Harwin said.

Create NSW is also undertaking a six-month review of support for professional development services. This will be completed for a program to begin at the start of 2021, with existing support in place for the 2019-20 financial year. “We continue to value the work of NSW service organisations and enjoy strong working relationships. This review will outline a streamlined way for us to support the development of skillsets into the future for arts and cultural success across the State,” said Mr Harwin.

Expressions of Interest for multi-year funding for Independent Arts and Cultural Organisations are now open and close at 5pm AEST 25 November 2019. Full information and guidelines are available here