First Peoples Curator Program supports an emerging Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander practitioner to present an exhibition at Firstdraft. The Program is designed to provide early career curatorial practitioners with new skills, professional development and access to key industry networks.

Successful applicants receive

• $1,500 curator/s fee per exhibition;
• $600 artist fee per artist capped at $3,000;
• Access to Travel Fund up to $1,000 if regional or interstate based
• A fully subsidised six-week exhibition in Gallery 1;
• Professional mentorship with an established First Peoples curator;
• Access to Firstdraft’s equipment and resources;
• Marketing and communications support, including professional documentation;
• An opening night event and an artist/s talk;
• Professional exhibition invigilation

Key Dates:

• Callout opens Friday 12 April 2024 (5pm)
• Online information session #1 - Wednesday 24 April 2024 at 6:30pm
• Online information session #2 (auslan interpreted) - Friday 26 April 2024 at 6:30pm
• Open all year round.

When do applications close?

• Applications for their Live Events and Public Program are open year round. We request that your applications be submitted with a reasonable lead time.
• Applications for large-scale projects (involving multiple performers or components) are required at least 6 - 8 weeks prior to the proposed start date.
• Applications for the Exhibitions and Curator Program will open April 12th 2024 and close Friday May 10th 11:59pm.

Applicants will be notified in 2-3 weeks of submission.

Guidelines

Firstdraft assess applications on:

• artistic merit;
• emergent and experimental nature of the practices presented;
• advancement of the applicant/s’ artistic and professional practice;
• responsiveness to contemporary contexts;
• geographic, demographic and art form diversity

Applicants should also consider the following:

• New work and/or work that has not been exhibited in Sydney is preferred.
• Mid-career and more established artists must demonstrate that the work is of an experimental nature and represents a departure from their current practice.
• Preference is given to artists who have not shown at Firstdraft in the past two years

• Phone: 02 8970 2999
• Email: info@firstdraft.org.au