The Australia Council made simple
After two years of consulting the arts community, the Australia Council (AC) has dramatically changed its grants structure. It has swept aside its plethora of categories and deadlines (one deadline every three days, as someone quipped) and replaced it with a much simpler format – six categories, four dates.
The AC has had many “restructures”, but this one is truly breathtaking in its simplicity.
The New Strategic Plan 2014 to 2019 is set out in a document headed “A culturally ambitious nation”, and outlines four goals -- a kind of mission statement that underlies its funding strategy. Such “motherhood” statements are the usual stuff of government departments but this one is better written than usual – often the AC reads as if it is straining to understand its own reason for being. This time the document expresses its commitment to the development of art, and describes the arts as the “research and development arm of culture” and artists as “heroes”. These are fighting words, especially given the AC had its funding cut by $28.2 million in the May 2014 budget.
The six main categories are:
• Development grants for individuals and groups at $5,000 – $25,000
• Arts project grants for individuals and groups at $10,000 – $50,000
• Arts project grants for organisations at $10,000 – $150,000
• Fellowships valued at $100,000
• Six-year funding for organisations for increased stability
All categories have closing dates on the first Tuesday in March, June, September and December (one or all). All art forms can apply within these six categories. According to the AC website, while “artistic merit and excellence will remain central to grant decision making”, the new model will cater for the “diverse range of artists, artistic practice, organisations and arts activity”.
Of most excitement for dance companies is the expansion of the maximum three-year grant to six. “My initial reaction is positive,” says Natalie Weir. She is the artistic director of Expressions Dance Company in Brisbane, which is currently operating on project funding. “If we were to get into a six year cycle, and the funding was increased, obviously it would be an amazing, wonderful thing. It would give us stability into the future.” However, her enthusiasm is laced with a fair degree of trepidation.“But if we don’t get it, our concern is, where would that leave us?” Would they have to wait another six years?
Well, yes, says Frank Panucci, the Australia Council's Executive Director, Grants Implementation Task Force. “In the interests of a national ecology and to provide a level of stability, we will align the closing dates for all organisations across all areas of practice across the country to one date. But he says “you have to look at the grant programs as a suite”. A company can also “apply for funds for multi-year funding under the project category”which they can apply for at the same time.
To apply for six-year funding, a company needs to be of “significant regional, national or international standing” and “must demonstrate artistic achievement and ambition with a compelling six year strategic vision”. Expressions of interest were being called for (deadline March) with the funding beginning in 2016.
Providing details of plans five to six years in the future could be a challenge, but Panucci says “we realise that no-one is going to be able to project a a program in six years time”. Instead, the company will need to provide an initial short-list of “about four pages of artistic vision, on the viability of the company, its track record and most probably some financial information about its viability over the last couple of years.” A more detailed plan will be required upon acceptance of the initial application.
Another major change is the relinquishing of the requirement to apply several times for different grants (usually “creative development”) to produce a single work. As admits the Australia Council's Dance Director, Carin Mistry: “Currently many dance works are created over extended periods, not always through artistic choice but because of funding restrictions.”
“Under our new model,” she goes on, “funding could now be provided through one application for initial creative development through to final presentation of new dance works.
“There will also be more opportunities for individuals to apply for funding for activities that support their career. Under our current structure the opportunities for gaining funding for self-initiated development activities are fairly limited. Now Individuals and Groups and apply for funding between $5,000 and $25,000 for a range of activities that benefit artist career development. This can encompass a wide range of activities, including professional skills development, showcase opportunities, forum/workshop attendance, residencies, mentorships, arts market attendance and exploration.”
Assessment of applications will still be conducted by panels of peers, grouped into separate art forms, as before. However, grant applicants can nominate which panel they want to be assessed by.
Reactions to the new funding model are cautiously optimistic, such as that from Simone Schinkel, the general manager of Kage Dance Theatre in Melbourne: “I's ambitious,” she says. “It does give the freedom to evolve, in that whatever you are doing in 20 years time will still fit the framework.” But she says “I am not sure how they will compare all these different categories.”
The new structure is designed to recognise the evolving nature of art and artists, that art changes form and merges with other forms, and that categorisation often inhibits rather than supports such a process. Yet by their nature bureaucracies love guidelines and classifications. It remains to be seen how the new system works.
Note: The new structure does not apply to the Major Performing Arts Board.
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