Festivals Australia supports community participation in, and access to, the arts and aims to support partnerships and collaboration across the sector.

The Festivals Australia objectives are to:

• provide access to a diverse range of engaging, innovative arts projects that grow audiences at festivals across regional and remote Australia;
• support partnerships and collaboration across the arts sector; and
• encourage community participation in arts projects at regional and remote festivals.

To achieve these objectives, Festivals Australia offers funding to support individual art projects that allow community members living in regional or remote Australia to participate in or appreciate an arts-driven experience at a:

• festival
• significant one-off community celebration 

Grant amount

The Australian Government provides approximately $1.4 million each financial year for the Festivals Australia Program.

There is no limit to the amount of funding that may be requested. However, the average funding request is around $40,000. Applicants should keep in mind that the Program supports projects that deliver strongly against the Program objectives in regional and remote areas. To be competitive, all applications for funding must include realistic budgets and represent value for money.

Eligible expenditure

Festivals Australia grant funds may be used toward the cost of producing the project including:

• artist fees travel costs (only within Australia)
• materials
• photography/documentation/videography
• venue hire
• equipment hire
• project administrative costs (costs cannot be associated with the festival as a whole)
• temporary engagement of a project coordinator

Who is eligible to apply for a grant?

To be eligible you must:

• be an Australian incorporated organisation
• have an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be registered for the purposes of GST, if required by the Australian Taxation Office not have any outstanding reports, acquittals or serious breaches relating to any Australian Government funding. A serious breach is one that has resulted in, or warrants, the termination of a grant agreement.

An incorporated trustee, a company acting as trustee of a trust, is eligible to apply on behalf of a trust. Unincorporated groups are eligible for funding if auspiced by an organisation that meets the above criteria.

• Phone: 1800 590 577
• Email: festivals@arts.gov.au