Cultural and creative grants

This year our funding will prioritise support for projects that:

• connect with and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identities and cultures
• increase participation in cultural and creative activities by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• develop new work with a clear connection to our place, histories, and communities, as well as benefits to Sydney’s artists or communities. 

Initiatives and projects can contribute to one or more of these outcomes:

• increased visibility and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures
• public spaces activated with cultural and creative initiatives
• opportunities for creative practitioners to gain economic benefit or professional development
• opportunities for audiences, including the city’s residents, workers and visitors, to engage with creativity, self-expression, learning and cultural participation
• increased visibility and understanding of the history, stories and character of the city and its villages through creative projects
• increased opportunities for access to live music and performance activity.

Applications are assessed against the funding priorities and expected program outcomes. The assessment panel will also consider:

• demonstrated need for the project and proposed outcomes
• quality of the project and creative personnel involved
• evidence of partnerships with other government agencies, business or community organisations
• capacity of the individual or organisation and its management
• evidence of a realistic budget with appropriate resourcing including payment of creative personnel where applicable – we support the paying of creative personnel where possible and recognise that underpayment and non-payment affects their incomes and career sustainability
• provision of other required supporting documentation.

For comprehensive information, including definitions and other details, refer to the grants and sponsorship program guidelines.

To see what projects have been awarded our grants and sponsorships in the past, please search for grants in our statutory returns annual reports.

To be eligible for funding, an applicant must offer a project within our area, or primarily for the local community with a minimum of 75% of participants from our area.

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.

For more information on eligibility, see the eligibility section in the grants and sponsorship program guidelines. 

Funding is not available for:

• applications from for-profit organisations that do not provide evidence of matched cash funding for the project
• projects or phases of projects or programs that have already occurred or occur beyond the timeframes relevant to each round
• projects that directly contravene the eligibility and ethics framework or existing city policies
• capital expenditure over $5,000 – equipment costing up to $5,000 may be eligible
• projects or programs that rely on recurrent funding from the City of Sydney
• permanent staffing costs or ongoing operational costs
• projects considered to be a festival or event.