Regional Arts Venues Support

Program guidelines

On this page

Overview

The Regional Arts Venues Support program provides funding to support the expansion of annual programs delivered by arts venues in regional Western Australia over a three-year period.

The key dates calendar has opening and closing dates, activity start dates and draft review deadlines. 

Please apply using the Online Grants web portal. 

More information about how to apply can be found in the application manual. 

Objectives

The primary objective of the Regional Arts Venues Support program is to support the development of regional arts venues by enhancing their reach and engagement. 

Supporting objectives:

  • Raise the quality, scale and profile of the arts in regional Western Australia
  • Boost employment and tourism opportunities in regional Western Australia  
  • Enable regional arts venues to better leverage investment and generate income
  • Increase opportunities for regional communities to participate in arts and cultural activities and contribute to the liveability and vibrancy of regional communities.

To be successful your application must align with the primary objective and where relevant, the supporting objectives.

Funding categories

Performing Arts Venues

Funding to support expanded programming by performing arts venues in regional Western Australia.

Public Art Galleries

Funding to support expanded programming by public visual art galleries in regional Western Australia.

What can I apply for?

  • Expansion of the venue’s existing annual program to enable a diverse range of contemporary professional visual arts exhibitions or performing arts productions.
  • Community engagement activities, public programs and residencies that are clearly aligned to the annual program.
  • Some operational costs associated with delivery of the expanded annual program including additional staffing.

Who can apply

Applications are open to arts organisations, performing arts venues and public art galleries located in regional Western Australia which are operated by local government authorities or not-for-profit organisations.

Applicants must have a proven track-record of receiving government funding.

Competitive applications should be able to demonstrate:

  • ongoing capacity to deliver programs, for example, venue and income security for the period of the investment/grant
  • capacity to manage and report on a multi-year funding agreement
  • significant commitment to delivering a diverse, high quality annual arts program
  • consistent prior audience and community engagement
  • genuine willingness to diversify programming.

How much can I apply for?

You can request up to 80% of your total project cost. You must demonstrate at least 20% income from other sources (this can include in-kind income) or your application will be ineligible.

Eligible applicants can apply for up to $70,000 per annum for 3 years.

The amount requested should be based on the following:

  • organisation’s level of staffing
  • number of productions or exhibitions in annual program
  • track record of managing multi-year funding
  • quality of arts programming presented in the proposed expanded program.

Please note:

  • The funding request should be proportionate to the proposed expanded program.
  • Applicants should note funding through this program is intended to supplement rather than replace existing sources of funding or revenue. (It is not expected that all productions/exhibitions/activities planned for the annual program be supported through this grant).
  • Accordingly, applicants must demonstrate that funding from local government or other main sources will be maintained at a level which will ensure continuation of base operations and annual programming. 

When can I apply?

The key dates calendar has application opening, closing and activity start dates.  

You are encouraged to submit your application before the closing date to ensure you have plenty of time to allow for technical or eligibility/resubmission issues. 

All times are in AWST (for Perth, Western Australia). 

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately 12 weeks after the closing date. 

Processing of grant payments to successful applicants will not start until after the grant contract is signed and returned. Depending on the activity start date, we cannot guarantee notification and/or availability of grant funds before the activity begins.

Funding rounds

Round Open Draft review Close Projects beginning Category
December 2023 9:00am 19 December 2023 4:00pm 15 February 2024 4:00pm 29 February 2024 1 July 2024
  • Performing Arts Venues
  • Public Art Galleries

What can’t I apply for

  • projects or activities that do not involve or benefit regional Western Australian artists, creatives, arts or cultural workers, or communities
  • purchase of capital equipment including instruments, equipment, software, computers, tablets (iPads) and/or uniforms
  • capital works such as construction or purchasing of studios, work spaces or gallery spaces 
  • activities already funded by the department through any of our funding programs
  • activities relating to radio broadcasting
  • display, restoration or conservation of cultural and/or historical material
  • costs of manufacturing and/or producing prototypes
  • activities relating to podcasts and audiobooks that do not involve creative arts practitioners
  • fundraising, competitions, prizes and trophies
  • the work of State Government or Commonwealth Government departments
  • activity that will be academically assessed or any school curriculum-based activity
  • facsimiles, genealogical works and histories of local governments,
    clubs, districts and organisations
  • activities related to an individual’s membership in a national organisation
  • ongoing staffing costs that are not linked to the expanded program supported through this application
  • digital games development activities
  • film and television activities such as:
    • the development or production of narrative shorts or features, pilots for television series, mainstream animation e.g. conventional character-based narrative cartoons
    • documentaries, including documentaries on the arts
    • screenwriting activities or script development for film and television
    • stand-alone documentation activities
    • education activities, or activities where members of the public take part, where the main or only artform being used is film or digital, unless it’s in support of an artist’s work.
    • film festivals.

What will make my application ineligible?

You will make your application ineligible and will not go through to assessment if you:

  • do not adhere to support material limits and format requirements
  • do not adhere to budget requirements including requesting more than 80% of your project cost
  • start the activity before the eligible start date
  • submit an application late
  • have any key personnel with an overdue acquittal
  • are a staff member of the department (staff of portfolio organisations may apply subject to meeting the Code of Conduct and Secondary Employment Policy)
  • request funding that exceeds the funding cap of the program
  • apply for activity that is delivered as part of an educational institution’s curriculum or will be academically assessed
  • are a portfolio organisation of the department
  • are not a Western Australian organisation based in regional Western Australia.

How many times can I apply?

You can only submit one application per category.

Applications to this program do not count towards the general DLGSC culture and the arts grants 2-application limit (which applies to the Arts Projects for Organisations and Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups programs).

Activities must be completed within 36 months of the eligible start date.

How do I apply?

Please apply using the Online Grants web portal.

More information on how to apply can be found in the application manual.

The key dates calendar has opening and closing dates, activity start dates and draft review deadlines. 

4 components of your application

There are 4 components of a grant application: core application questions, project outputs, financial information and support material. Each plays a significant and distinct role in creating a whole picture about your activity.

Core application questions

Your answers to the core application questions should give assessors an overview of your activity.

Each question has a 1500-character limit. If you need more information on how to prepare your application, please read the application manual.

You can extract a copy of your draft application in Online Grants at any stage to share with others for their feedback.

Please ensure your activity meets the most current COVID-19 health guidelines.

1. What is your proposed expanded annual program?

Outline the key elements of your expanded annual program. Outline the additional resources (e.g. additional programming budget or employment of additional staff) that are required to deliver the expanded programming. Remember to attach the full annual program with your support materials.

2. Explain the expected impact of the proposed expansion to your annual program for your venue and your regional community

Outline the rationale for your programming proposal and why the proposed additions or expansions to the program are important for the venue, organisation, audience, local community and/or region. Refer to any research on past attendance/participation or other evidence to support your proposal. Identify expected longer-term implications of this expanded programming. Explain how you intend to measure the impact of this funding to demonstrate the potential reach of your project.

3. Who are the key people involved and what is their role in delivering the expanded program?

Describe the background and experience of the key personnel involved and explain how they will contribute their expertise and experience to the development and delivery of the expanded program.

4. What regional employment and professional development opportunities will be created through the proposed expanded annual program?

Describe any paid work that will be undertaken by regional people to deliver the expanded program. This can include work undertaken by technical crew, production staff, creatives, and any other regional people whose employment directly relates to the expanded program. 

Also describe any opportunities that will be provided to regional people for professional skill development as part of the expanded program. This can include work experience placements/internships, workshops and any activity in which there is knowledge exchange related to the expanded program. 

5. How will you plan, manage and deliver the expanded program?

Outline the key planning, management and programming methodology, structures and/or approaches you will use to plan and deliver the expanded annual program.

6. How do you plan to engage and involve the community?

Describe strategies for engaging and encouraging involvement of members of your community. Provide details of any community engagement or participatory activities that will be delivered as part of the expanded program.

Provide a summary of your future marketing, promotion and/or audience development strategy, and describe how or why your project will attract interest from your target audience.

You must include a marketing and community engagement plan in your support material.

Project outputs

You are required to provide relevant project outputs. An output is a specific measurable thing that is generated by your project. This information will be considered as part of your application and provide further clarity about your project for the assessor. The outputs also provide important data for the department for research, analysis and advocacy purposes.

You only need to provide outputs for the categories and items relevant to your project.

If your application is successful, you will be required to report against your planned project outputs in your acquittal report. 

Refer to the application manual for an explanation of the project output questions.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Financial information

You are required to input financial information to OGMS for year one of your expanded program. Please refer to the support material section for details on additional financial information to be provided.

The financial information in your budget helps to demonstrate that all elements of your activity have been considered, thoroughly researched and costed. A good budget also provides confidence for the DLGSC that your activity will be a sound investment for the State of Western Australia.

You should indicate which expenditure items you want the DLGSC to support. List those items in the ‘Additional Notes’ section of the application budget page.

If you are registered for GST you should not include GST in the budget figures. All amounts should be in Australian dollars.

Your funding request is the difference between your expenditure minus your income. To ensure this amount is calculated accurately, seek quotes for all expenditure items (whether or not you intend to include these as support material) and include all costs associated with the activity, even if they are supplied in-kind.

Many activities will include in-kind contributions in the form of offering something for free or at a discount. More information on in-kind expenditure and income as well as an example of how to demonstrate your in-kind support follows this section.

For each expenditure or income item you add to the budget, use the notes area alongside the item to explain how that item relates to the delivery of your activity and how the cost was calculated.

Expenditure

Expenditure items can vary significantly from one activity to another. Any legitimate expense that is eligible may be included in the budget.

Do not duplicate costs in the budget form. For example, if you receive a quote for advertising which includes design, do not add an additional item for design. Simply use ‘advertising’ as the expenditure item and add a note explaining that the cost includes design.

Make sure you check the list for ineligible items.

Eligible expenditure items

Administration

Expenses related to the management and administration of the activity. For example, telephone/internet, insurance, postage and stationery. Eligible expenditure items in this category may also include audit costs and accessibility costs (expenditure associated with making your activity accessible to participants or audiences with a disability).

Marketing, promotion and distribution

Costs associated with marketing to your target audience. For example, information, promotion and audience engagement activities, advertising, graphic design, merchandise photography, videography, public relations and production of marketing collateral.

Preparation, development, production and exhibition/presentation

Costs related to the remount, production and delivery of the activity or its deliverables, including the costs of presentation and exhibition. Eligible items may include venue hire, lighting hire, set construction, manufacturing costs, recording fees, rehearsal space hire, props and audio-visual costs.

Salaries, fees and living allowances

Expenditure in this category should include salaries, fees and allowances for all key personnel, with separate components itemised in the budget notes. We support appropriate rates of pay for all people involved in your activity. Refer to the following websites for information on industry standard payment rates:

If these standards do not apply to your activity, then you must outline how reasonable rates have been calculated. For long-term activities, it may be appropriate to pay artists a rate based on a yearly salary for a similar kind of work. If this is the case, you need to clearly explain the rationale for the pay rate in your budget notes.

All rates should be relative to level of experience.

Please note that organisations, such as Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, predominantly provide information on minimum base rates for employees engaged on a full-time, part-time or casual basis. Rates for artists and arts workers engaged as contractors will include a loading to cover the costs of being self-employed. Full-time, part-time and casual rates do not factor in these costs and should not be used when engaging contractors.

Travel and freight

Costs associated with transporting people, equipment or goods. Eligible items may include fares (taxi, airplane, bus etc.), tolls, land or air freight, and vehicle hire.

Income

This program does not fund 100% of your activity costs so you must demonstrate at least 20% income, which may include in-kind support, or your application will be ineligible.

Eligible income Items

Earned income

May include ticket sales, product sales, performance fees, royalties, artwork and/or merchandise sales. For performances, this amount should factor in the number of performances, average ticket price and projected venue capacity.

Corporate sponsorship

List any income received through sponsorship from corporate bodies or businesses. Income received through government sponsorship should be included in the relevant government income category. 

Philanthropic donations

May include contributions from fundraising, crowdfunding, donations, gifts and bequests.

Australia Council, other Commonwealth Government, other State Government, local government

All grants and sponsorship being sought from local government, State Government, Commonwealth Government, the Australia Council, and other government sources must be included, whether or not this support has been confirmed. If your application is to be assessed by a peer assessment panel, we will attempt to confirm the status of any pending funding applications directly with the funding body prior to the panel assessment. Do not include department grant funds being requested as part of this application.

Other income

If you are making a cash contribution, or someone is providing cash to the activity, list this item as a cash contribution or similar. Include any other income source that does not fit within any of the above categories and provide enough detail to identify the income source.

In-kind expenditure and income

Some expenses may be offered to you for free or at a discount. This might be borrowed equipment, the use of a rehearsal space, donated or discounted goods or services, volunteers (including you), negotiated discounted fees and allowances. Anything given to your project at no expense to you is considered in-kind.

All in-kind items must be included as a budget item under the in-kind expenditure category. The corresponding recognition of in-kind income is created automatically in your online application, and you do not need to enter any in-kind income budget items. The total in-kind expenditure must always equal the total in-kind income. 

If, for example, you are hiring a venue, which would normally charge $2000, and you have successfully negotiated an $800 (40%) discount, you would include venue hire fee as a budget item under the expenditure category of $1200 and $800 under the in-kind expenditure category. 

Additional notes

This section of the budget provides an opportunity for you to detail any additional information you feel may help to clarify items within your budget. For example, for fees and salaries you can indicate in this section how you calculated your amount.

You should use this section to indicate which expenditure items you want the department to support.

Taxation

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) considers any grant payment to be taxable income for the purposes of your annual income tax return. You are encouraged to discuss your tax implications with your tax agent or the ATO prior to applying for a grant.

Registered for Goods and Services Tax

If you are registered for GST, you must show your expenditure items exclusive of the GST component. For example, you have been quoted $550 including GST for lighting hire. In your expenditure budget you would only show lighting hire of $500. If your activity is funded, the department payment will include a 10% GST component to cover those items on which GST is payable.

Not registered for Goods and Services Tax

If you are not registered for GST, you must show your expenditure items inclusive of the GST component. For example, you have been quoted $550 including GST for lighting hire. In your expenditure budget you would show lighting hire of $550. If your activity is funded, the department payment will include the GST component for those items on which GST is payable.

Support material

Support material is essential to allow assessors to fully gauge the value of your activity and your readiness to undertake the activity. The support material you choose should provide further information and evidence to support the project outlined in your application.

Your choice of support material should help to demonstrate the four assessment criteria: quality, reach, good planning and financial responsibility, as well as how your project will meet the objectives of the program. See How will my application be assessed.

Support material summary  

  • Text — maximum 20 A4 pages 
  • Images — maximum 10
  • Audio/video — maximum 12 minutes.

Support material — mandatory

For this program, the following items are mandatory must be included within the limits noted above.  

  • Marketing and community engagement plan — a plan outlining how you will engage, market and promote your activity to your target audiences and participants. 
  • Annual program plan — annual program plan, outline and identify your existing artistic program and proposed expanded programming 2024-25 to 2026-27.
  • Past annual budgets — include copies of your last two years actual/ estimated budgets.
  • Confirmation of support — A confirmation letter from your main funder confirming that funding will be maintained over the period of this requested funding.

Support material — mandatory form for Regional Arts Venues Support 

For this program there is one downloadable spreadsheet which must be included with the application. This spreadsheet is not counted as part of the support material limits.

  • Budget forecast — complete the provided template, outlining your planned budgets for the period of expanded programming 2024-25 to 2026-27.

Further details regarding the support material items can be found below.

Please note: 

  • The support material formats and limits are required to ensure equality between applications in competitive programs.
  • If you exceed the support material limits, the assessor will only watch, listen or read up to the specified limit.
  • Files and links in ineligible formats will be deactivated and not viewed by the assessor.
  • Formats that will not be viewed include: .pages, .zip, .excel, MP3s (or similar) and .eml (however screenshots of emails converted to PDF are okay).
  • Links to support material using file sharing services such as Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive will not be viewed.
  • Weblinks to text and image information online will not be viewed.
  • Where possible, please only upload one document or file per support material type.
  • Items of support material cannot exceed 5 MB file size.
  • As an Online Grants portal user, you must upload your support materials with your online application. 

Types of accepted support material you may provide:

Text 

Maximum 20 A4 pages of text, in PDF or Word format. Preferably in a single document (maximum file size 5 MB. All text must be legible at 100%). Note: weblinks are not accepted.

Examples of material you may wish to include:

  • applicant CVs, biographies or profiles for key creative or artistic personnel 
  • participant confirmation* 
  • quotes for major expenditure items/confirmation of fees* 
  • letters of peer/industry support (external to your activity)
  • reviews, media reports or articles on your previous work, or previous presentations of the proposed work
  • evidence of confirmed events, activities or appointments*
  • confirmation of consultation and/or support from the target community/participants, such as Aboriginal communities or young people
  • evidence of significant Aboriginal involvement, participation and decision making (where required)
  • project plans or activity plan/s such as community engagement plans
  • marketing or promotional plan/s
  • synopsis of proposed text/script
  • curatorial statement 
  • director’s notes
  • invitations to present, perform, exhibit or showcase*
  • extracts of literary manuscripts, play scripts or other writing samples
  • publishing samples
  • product catalogue
  • safety and contingency plan (for example, COVID-19 contingency plan) .

*Can include multiple screenshots of emails and quotes. We suggest taking a screenshot of the essential information and pasting up to 4 per A4 page so they are still legible when viewed at 100%.  

Images 

Maximum 10 images in one PDF or Word document or up to 10 image files (maximum file size 5 MB with one line of text caption permitted for each image) .

Note: weblinks are not accepted. 

Examples of material :

  • examples of previous work or activities.
Audio and video  

Maximum 4 links to audio and video content not exceeding 12 minutes combined listening or viewing time.

Audio and/or video files must be uploaded to file streaming sites like Vimeo, YouTube, Bandcamp or SoundCloud that do not require a log-in to access. Do not use Spotify. 

You can find instructions on how to use these sites at the following links:

Examples of material:

  • examples of previous work or activities
  • interviews, recordings, or presentations that support your activity
  • a recorded explanation of your proposed project
  • testimonials of support for the project.

Draft reviews

Applicants to this program can request a draft review when the application is complete. Check the key dates calendar for the draft review deadline.

You can request a draft review any time before the draft review request deadline. Only one request for review can be submitted per application.

You are strongly encouraged to make the request for a draft review well before the deadline to give staff enough time to provide feedback as well as time for you to update your application on receipt of the review.

Contact onlinegrantsupportca@dlgsc.wa.gov.au if you require assistance requesting a draft review in Online Grants.

How will my application be assessed?

Applications to this funding program are assessed by peer assessment panel(s). A high volume of applications may require multiple peer panels for assessment.

All applications are assessed against 4 criteria:

  1. quality
  2. reach
  3. good planning
  4. financial responsibility.

Each has a subset of dimensions and weightings which can be found below.

More information about the dimensions and definitions, which have been developed by artists and creatives representing their sector, can be found in the application manual. You are not expected to address all dimensions and definitions, only those most relevant to your application.

Your activity must meet at least one of objectives of the category to be successful. Assessors will consider your application against the relevant dimensions and definitions and allocate a weighted score for each of the four criteria.

See the application manual for more information about how your application will be assessed.

Final approval of successful applications depends on available budget and approval by the Minister or delegated authority.

Quality

Weighting 20%

Quality refers to the level of artistic and cultural significance of the activity. Quality may be demonstrated by, but not limited to; examples of previous work, sector support, timeliness of the work and a strong history in your area of practice. It may also be demonstrated through the skills and experience of the people involved in the activity, and the alignment of those skills and experience to deliver the project.

Reach

Weighting 30%

Reach refers to the level of impact the activity is likely to have. Reach may be demonstrated by including information for; networking opportunities, relevant marketing and promotional strategies, number of participants and the potential increase in audience or markets.

Good planning

Weighting 25%

Good planning refers to the level of consideration which has been given to practically undertaking the activity. Good Planning can be demonstrated by, but not limited to; carefully considered preparation, confirmation of key personnel, a realistic timeline and achievable outcomes, documented research and/or consultation, and a process of evaluation.

Financial responsibility

Weighting 25%

Financial responsibility refers to the sound management of the budget. Financial responsibility can be demonstrated by but is not limited to; efficient use of resources, reasonable expenses and an accurate and comprehensive budget. Other sources of income have been considered and included where appropriate and the activity goes some way towards self-sufficiency.

Acquittal report

If you are successful, you will be required to complete an acquittal report when your activity has finished. An acquittal report details your activity and how you spent the grant. The acquittal report will be available for you to access in Online Grants, via the Edit/View Report button or Reports tab on the Home page, once a copy of your signed funding agreement has been received.

Your acquittal report must be submitted within 90 days of the activity completion date as specified in the funding agreement. You will need to attach relevant documents, images and videos that substantiate the delivery of the activity and that may demonstrate the impact and outcomes achieved. As a rough guide please refer to the Support Material formats and limits as listed above for your acquittal report support materials. Refer back to your activity outcomes for guidance in selecting suitable material.

If possible, please provide your support material in one PDF document (for text and images). Audio and video material to be supplied separately as applicable. 

The report will also include your activity budget and you will be required to enter all the actual figures against each budget item and add any additional items not in the original budget. Variations between budget and actual figures are acceptable; however, you must provide an explanation for large variations in the Notes for that item. As you enter actual figures, the activity profit/loss will be automatically updated and displayed at the top of the Financial Information page.

The funding acquittal report also includes the option to provide feedback to help us to continually review and improve the service we provide.

Assistance for applicants

More information on how to apply can be found in the application manual.

Project officers are available via telephone and email to answer queries about applications and suitability of activities to specific programs.

If you need extra assistance due to disability, language barriers or any other factor that may disadvantage you in completing your application, please contact us.

The advice provided by project officers does not guarantee the success of your application.

Due to the high number of applications received, each funding round is highly competitive.

All applications are considered on their own merits and against the assessment criteria and program objectives.

Contact us

Online Grants portal technical support

For assistance using Online Grants or to report any related technical issues, contact the Online Grants Support Team: onlinegrantsupportca@dlgsc.wa.gov.au

Project officers

For enquiries relating to this funding program, including advice or assistance with your application, contact a project officer:
Telephone 61 8 6552 7400
Toll Free (Country WA callers only) 1800 634 541
Email grantsprogramsca@dlgsc.wa.gov.au

Assistance for people with disability

The department is committed to supporting applicants with disability. Information can be provided in alternative formats (large print, electronic or Braille) upon request.

If you require special assistance in preparing your application, please call 61 8 6552 7400 or toll free for regional WA callers on 1800 634 541.

Family, friends, mentors and/or carers can attend meetings with you.

If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment, contact us through one of the following:

Interpreting assistance

For interpreting assistance in languages other than English, telephone the Translation and Interpreting Service on 13 14 50 and ask for a connection to 6552 7400 or 1800 634 541.

Regional applicants

Toll Free (Country WA callers only): 1800 634 541.

Email the project officers: grantsprogramsca@dlgsc.wa.gov.au

Page reviewed 14 December 2023
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