Queensland’s First Nations artists will get the opportunity to show their work off to the world thanks to a new grants program announced by the state government last week.
Arts Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Development Fund launched on 12 November with a deadline of 22 December.
The program offers two funding streams and a sub-stream applicable to both ‘main’ options, with the one-off grants intended to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to design, create and exhibit their works.
Applicants can receive up to $70,000 under the Performing Arts Stream to create new or derivative artworks in fields like dance, theatre, opera, cabaret and musicals.
The stream can also fund the eventual production, presentation and distribution of the works as well as pay for collaborations with artists deemed “nationally or internationally significant.”
The Visual Arts Market Development Stream, meanwhile, allows for funding of up to $30,000, which can be used by artists to showcase or exhibit their works at international galleries, museums or markets of renown.
The grant could fund the crating, shipping, installation and insurance of art, travel costs incurred by the exhibiting artists, or the creation of promotional material by the artist.
The program’s sub-stream of $10,000 applies to both the Performing Arts and Visual Arts Market Development streams. It allows for successful projects to be made more inclusive to both artists and audiences living with disability, funding measures such as transportation, support workers, interpreters or ramps.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Development Fund is exclusively open to Queensland-based First Nations Australians working either alone or as part of an organisation. Organisations must be at least 50 per cent owned and led by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.
Applicants must at least be partially able to fund their proposed projects on their own, as Arts Queensland said in the grant program’s description it was unable to pay for entire projects.
The new fund comes as part of the LNP government’s ten-year plan for the arts, dubbed “Queensland’s Time to Shine.” The Queensland government has reportedly invested $420.7 million into the initiative.
Minister for the arts, John-Paul Langbroek, said successful applicants will be able to make a name for themselves ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
“Demand for authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and cultural experiences from Queensland continues to grow and we are delivering a plan to ensure the sector goes from strength to strength,” Mr Langbroek said.
“The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Development Fund will ensure artists, creative professionals and businesses are positioned to thrive as we prepare for the enormous opportunities of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Applications for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Development Fund close at 2pm on Monday, 22 December. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of February 2026 and be required to start work on their projects after 2 April 2026.
To learn more, visit arts.qld.gov.au/funding-opportunities/funding/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-arts-development-fund
