Young People: First Nations Arts

Youth First Nations Arts & Culture Project Fund for Australian First Nations artists or arts workers aged 18–35. Nationally and internationally supports creative practice and career development across all art forms, excluding screen and film projects.

Applications open: Wednesday 17 September 2025

Applications close: Tuesday 11 November 2025

Amount: $10,000 to $20,000

Notifications: January 2026

Projects can commence on or from: 2 February 2026

Please note: If you are registering to use our Application Management System for the first time, register well before the closing date. Registration can take up to two business days to process.

The fund aims to build the capacity of First Nations young people by developing skills, career pathways, marketing, and audience development to sustain and elevate practice and engagement in the arts and cultural sectors and creative industries.

Funding scope: Grants are available from $10,000 to $20,000 and projects can commence from February 2026 and must be completed within 12 months of the proposed start date.

To apply for this funding initiative, log in to the Application Management System. If you do not have an account, you can create one. After logging in, follow these steps:

• select 'Apply for a Grant' from the left panel menu
• from the list of opportunities select 'Young People: First Nations Arts & Culture Project Fund'
• complete the fields and use dropdown menus to make selections
• upload any necessary support material
• select 'Save' when complete
• you can return to draft applications via 'Your Draft Applications' later
• when complete, select 'Submit'.

Who can apply?

You can apply if you are:

• an Australian First Nations artist or arts & culture worker
• between the ages of 18 and 35 years
• living in Australia

Please note:

• You can only submit one application for this grant initiative
• An ABN is preferred; if you do not have one, you can create one or arrange an auspice/organisation to administer the grant on your behalf

Who can't apply?

You can't apply if you:

• are not an Australian First Nations practicing artist or arts & culture worker
• are a group or organisation
• are a manager or agent of a First Nations artist
• are based outside Australia
• are applying for a screen or film-based project
• have already received funding for the same project from Creative Australia
• have an overdue grant report with Creative Australia
• owe money to Creative Australia

What can the funding be used for?

Activities can include but are not limited to:

• professional skills development, mentoring, masterclasses, workshops, residencies
• creation of new work
• practice-based research
• collaborations and exchanges
• touring
• productions
• exhibitions
• performances
• publishing
• recording
• promotion and marketing
• materials costs associated with a project/program
• access costs

Access costs

Projects should consider accessibility for all audiences. Access costs are legitimate and may include:

• Auslan interpreters
• translation to other languages
• temporary building adjustments
• materials in other formats
• specific technical equipment
• carer or support worker assistance
• sensory spaces for events and festivals

Authorities and protocols

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts should be followed where applicable. Provide evidence of adherence with letters of support and budget inclusions. All successful applicants must comply with Australian laws related to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations providing services to children or whose funded activities involve contact with children may be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

The First Nations Industry Advisory Panel will identify First Nations artists and arts & culture workers to represent states/territories and areas of practice.

They will review and score eligible applications against assessment criteria and discuss outcomes to recommend top applications for funding.

You must address the three assessment criteria of:

• Project Quality
• Project Impact
• Project Viability

Under each criterion are considerations the Panel may weigh. You do not need to respond to every bullet point.

Project Quality

The Panel will assess the quality of the artistic and/or cultural development of your proposed project. They may consider:

• project vision, process, and outcomes
• demonstrated art form experience and skills
• quality of prior works and feedback from peers or the public
• significance within the relevant practice or community

Project Impact

The Panel will assess expected impact, considering:

• timeliness and relevance, career and practice development
• level of innovation, ambition, experimentation, or risk-taking
• significance within the practice area
• self-determination and leadership
• contribution to cultural expression (if applicable)

Project Viability

The Panel will assess capacity to deliver, considering:

• realistic timeline
• realistic budget with income/expenditure breakdown
• skills and involvement of artists/professionals
• appropriate payments to participants
• support materials including letters of support
• IP Protocol adherence and appropriate consultations (if applicable)
• cultural safety and well-being

The application form asks for:

• project title
• short project summary
• about you and your practice, career development, highlights, and achievements
• project quality details (steps, outcomes)
• project impact (relevance and impact on practice/career)
• project viability (team, activities, timeline, budget, support material)
• support material including letters of support/confirmation and permission where applicable

Note: You will also provide statistical data for reporting; this information will not be used in assessment.

Support materials include examples of past/current work, short bios, and letters of support/confirmation. Letters may include evidence of cultural protocols and permissions. You can provide up to five letters of support; up to five letters of confirmation with one page each. Provide a single URL link to all letters, or upload into a single PDF if possible. If URLs require login, do not provide them. See also formats for uploading materials (video, audio, images, written documents) and password fields for protected media.

If you need advice on submitting materials online, contact the Project Manager: Tammy Close (02) 9215 9145 or tammy.close@creative.gov.au

The following profiles illustrate sample project descriptions and titles from various applicants across regions, including:

• Bethany Thornber (New South Wales) – Project Title: marrabinya / stretch out the hands
• Daen John Sansbury-Smith (Victoria) – Project Title: Cultural knowledge and Creative Skill development - Lutruwita Project
• Gabi Briggs (Victoria) – Project Title: NADIGA
• Jake Powers (Western Australia) – Project Title: Indigenous Fashion Sector Mentorship with KAFTA and Country to Couture 2025
• Jasmin McGaughey (Northern Territory) – Project Title: Isles of Essence
• Jazz Money – Project Title: filament (poetry collection)
• Jymahl – Project Title: Malu Mabaigal (Men of the Sea)
• Lindyn Rowland (Victoria) – Project Title: Country to Couture 2025 to Osaka Expo Japan - Head Stylist
• Lilla Berry – Project Title: Photographic Exploration Intensive in Turtle Island
• Lulu Houdini – Project Title: Guniimara - a First Nations Kinship, Birth & Parenting Poetry Anthology
• Maggie Church-Kopp (Victoria) – Project Title: What yet / Watch Her Burn
• Nicola Ingram – Project Title: Watch Her Burn
• Nidala Barker – Project Title: Becoming Custodian
• Rulla Kelly-Mansell – Project Title: On Our Terms

Notes: This summary preserves the content of the listed profiles and project titles as provided in the original description.