Artform festivals and events sponsorship

Celebrates, develops and engages our communities.

Crowd of people watching stage performers at a festival

Applications are now closed

Recommendations to Council: 27 June 2022

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About this program

This program supports festivals and events that celebrate, develop and engage the city’s communities.

Festivals and events make an important contribution to the economy and cultural ecosystem of the city, locally and internationally. They may provide forums to share knowledge, create opportunities for active community participation and celebrate the unique social and cultural character of a village.

We also provide support for festivals and events under the village and community category.

We prioritise artform-focused festivals and events that demonstrate:
- creative activation of public spaces, business or nightlife precincts and local neighbourhoods in the local area
- employment opportunities for diverse local artists and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, organisations and businesses
- opportunities to connect diverse audiences to local culture including linguistically diverse audiences, people with a disability, low-income earners and communities experiencing hardship
- collaborations with local cultural and community organisations and businesses
- resource sharing and collaboration to maximise the use of existing infrastructure or create new or temporary cultural spaces
- innovative offerings that drive the visitor economy, with a focus on attracting residents from across Sydney, intrastate and interstate visitors
- ideas and initiatives for recovery from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and how our city can be more resilient in the future.
Festivals and events can contribute to one or more of the following outcomes. Festivals and events seeking more than $100,000 in cash and/or value-in-kind per year must contribute to all of these outcomes:
- increased visibility and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures
- improved sustainability for Sydney’s cultural sector through the creation of opportunities, such as employment or professional development, for local creative practitioners and cultural organisations
- development of new and diverse audiences, and opportunities for participation and attendance by local residents, workers and visitors
- increased participation and accessibility for audiences through free or low cost opportunities
- increased visibility and understanding of the history, stories and character of the city and its villages through creative projects
- increased opportunities for international collaborations and knowledge sharing between visiting and local creative practitioners.
Applications are assessed against the funding priorities and expected program outcomes. The assessment panel will also consider:
- evidence of audience and/or community support for the festival or event and its proposed outcomes
- the quality and uniqueness of the artistic program and the appropriateness of the artists involved
- evidence of partnerships with other government agencies, business, community organisations or individuals
- the skills and experience of the organisation and its management relative to the size of the proposed project
- a realistic budget showing that the festival or event will be appropriately resourced, including payment of artist fees
- evidence of a program or event evaluation plan
- evidence that the event can grow to be self-sustainable
- relevance and outcomes specific to the local area
- other required supporting documentation (for further information see supporting documentation in the grants and sponsorship guidelines).

Funding available

Funding is available up to $30,000 per year, for a 1-year program or a program of up to 3 years. Funding for established or other festivals and events are negotiated on consultation.

At our discretion, we may offer a multi-year funding sponsorship agreement based on demonstrated audience attendances, ongoing demand, the applicant’s organisational and financial performance and the quality of its programs.

This program also includes value-in-kind support in the form of street banners and venue hire fee waiver for City of Sydney owned facilities.

For-profit organisations requesting support must match the funding requested with cash. Value-in-kind is not accepted.

For applications of $20,000 and over, please contact our grants team on 02 9265 9333 to discuss your project and its alignment with the grants and sponsorship guidelines.

- organisations supported under this program may be required to provide benefits back to our local community in return for funding. These benefits are negotiated case-by-case and can be up to the value of funding provided.
- applicants approved for the waiving of hire fees for Sydney Town Hall are advised that if a cancellation occurs within 90 days of the event, you must pay for 50% of the booking’s value with cash, irrespective of any value-in-kind awarded by us.
- applicants organising outdoor events must consider their security needs, complete and upload the Crowded Places Self-Assessment Tool and review the guidance documents available from Australian National Security. Depending on the outcome of the assessment tool, you may need to speak with NSW Police about the security needs of your event. Security costs to ensure your event is safe and accessible can be included in your budget as a request to us.
- applicants will need to provide a Covid safety plan that addresses how you will maintain compliance with government restrictions during project implementation.

Eligibility

The applicant must offer a project within the local area, or demonstrate benefits for the area’s residents, businesses, workers and/or visitors.

These individuals and organisations can apply:
- not-for-profit organisations
- for-profit organisations
- sole traders, individuals or unincorporated community groups auspiced by a not-for-profit or for-profit that is eligible to apply in their own right.
If you work with an auspicing organisation, we encourage you to choose one that is relevant to the sector and that can support the development of the proposal.
Funding is not available for:
- projects that directly contravene the eligibility and ethics framework or existing city policies
- projects that duplicate existing services
- capital expenditure over $5,000 (equipment up to a cost of $5,000 may be eligible)
- applications from for-profit organisations that do not provide evidence of matched funding for the project.

A crowd of people walking through a festival ground on a sunny day

Community support & fundingVillage and community festivals and events sponsorship

PoliciesGrants and sponsorship policyPublished 24 February 2021

Grants and sponsorship program guidelines January 2022

Council governance & administrationGrants and sponsorship program guidelinesPublished 11 February 2022

Artform festivals and events sponsorship

Applications are now closed

Help with grants in your language

About this program

Current funding priorities

Expected program outcomes

Assessment criteria

Further reading

Funding available

Funding conditions

Eligibility

Eligible for funding

Not eligible for funding