Cardinia Arts Small Change Grants

About the grant

  • Cardinia Arts Small Change Grants aim to support new ideas and high quality initiatives that contribute to the development and promotion of the local arts sector. 
  • With a maximum funding amount of $1,000 per project, applicants are encouraged to pitch projects of a small scale that are achievable within that budget.
  • Applications are now open! Apply by Saturday 31 August at 11.59pm here.

More information

The Cardinia Arts Small Change Grants aim to:
  • support new ideas and high quality initiatives that contribute to the development and promotion of the local arts sector,
  • support the growth of creative enterprise and individual arts practices,
  • provide opportunities for the community to experience and participate in the arts, and 
  • foster partnerships and collaborations between local artists, residents, and local community groups. 

Selection criteria

Applications will be judged against the following criteria:

  • Artistic merit (innovation, individuality, track record and/or proven ability);
  • Proposed project (outcome, approach, plan);
  • Relevance to community (ability to connect with locals and/or promote interest in the arts); and
  • Feasibility (budget, timeline, risk, scale).

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must:  
  • have a demonstrated connection to Cardinia Shire (such as resident, work, study, family, community group, creative organisation, etc.);
  • be aged 18 years or above;
  • be focused on growing arts engagement in Cardinia Shire;
  • have the time and ability to deliver the project successfully within the calendar year;
  • have demonstrated experience, or proven ability, in a specific artform or artforms;
  • have a current Working with Children Check (if applicable to the project); and
  • provide public liability insurance to the value of $20 million.

Project criteria

Successful projects will: 

  • utilise the arts (any medium) as the primary focus
  • have demonstrated local community and/or industry support
  • be a feasible and financially viable proposal
  • encourage community participation and accessibility
  • have some level of community outcome, and 
  • commit to the utilisation of local artists, arts groups, and cultural services where possible.

Priority will be given to new projects and ideas. Projects that have been previously funded may be reconsidered after a few years, provided there is a demonstrated change in membership of the group or change in the target audience. 

Ineligible projects

We will not fund:  

  • projects which require recurrent funding
  • projects which receive funding from other Council grants or funding programs
  • projects that require retrospective funding
  • general administration costs, routine or cyclical maintenance
  • cash prizes or commercial gifts, and 
  • any proposals deemed not to comply with the overall intent of the program. 

Funding information

Grants of up to $1,000 will be provided to successful applicants. 
  • Please note that Council generally receives more applications for financial assistance than funds available, and therefore not all applications can be supported. Priority will be given to new projects, and applications from diverse communities are encouraged. Artists from all career stages are welcome to apply. At least one emerging artist will be selected to receive a grant* (pending eligible applicants meet the criteria).
  • Applicants are also welcome to demonstrate partnership with other artists e.g. local, interstate and/or international. Applicants are encouraged to utilise one of Cardinia Shire’s creative venues for all or part of their project (such as Cardinia Cultural Centre or Hills Hub).
  • Funding decisions are at the discretion of Cardinia Shire Council. Fulfilling the assessment criteria does not guarantee funding.

Enquiries

To discuss the program, please contact the Arts team at arts@cardinia.vic.gov.au or phone 1300 787 624.

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