Draft guidelines for the National Program for Excellence in the Arts

The National Program for Excellence in the Arts announced in the 2015-16 Budget will commence in early 2015-16. The draft guidelines for the Program have been released for public comment. Feedback is invited from the arts sector and broader community. INTRODUCTION The National Program for Excellence in the Arts (the Program) is administered by the Ministry for the Arts and will provide a responsive, national approach to supporting participation in and access to Australia’s high quality, diverse and vital arts and cultural sector. The Program meets the strategic priorities of supporting participation in, and access to, the arts and encouraging greater private sector support for the arts. While valuing the many secondary benefits which flow from arts activities, the Program seeks to celebrate the intrinsic capacity of the arts to engage, inspire and make meaning for all Australians. OBJECTIVES The Program will: Deliver a wide range of quality arts and cultural experiences that grow arts audiences, throughout Australia and internationally strengthen Australia’s reputation as a sophisticated and artistic nation with a confident, outward-focused arts sector encourage greater private sector support and partnership funding for the arts support collaborations to develop arts and culture initiatives including in specific regions or priority areas. 1. Endowment Incentives The endowment incentives stream will support organisations to realise medium to long term projects through financial partnerships and collaborations. Funding will be conditional on organisations leveraging funds from other sources to realise projects. Organisations will need to demonstrate evidence of financial, cash or in-kind support from sources other than the Australian Government. This stream will be open to a wide range of projects. Examples of the kind of activity which could be supported are:: co-investment through a Foundation or arts organisation to deliver a new initiative such as a fellowship program; a contribution to an infrastructure project that has other partners; and partnering in the development of new Australian works. To achieve these objectives, the Program will offer funding for arts and cultural projects and initiatives through three streams: 1. Endowment Incentives The endowment incentives stream will support organisations to realise medium to long term projects through financial partnerships and collaborations. Funding will be conditional on organisations leveraging funds from other sources to realise projects. Organisations will need to demonstrate evidence of financial, cash or in-kind support from sources other than the Australian Government. This stream will be open to a wide range of projects. Examples of the kind of activity which could be supported are:: co-investment through a Foundation or arts organisation to deliver a new initiative such as a fellowship program; a contribution to an infrastructure project that has other partners; and partnering in the development of new Australian works. 2. International and Cultural Diplomacy The International and Cultural Diplomacy stream will support arts and cultural organisations to expand audiences for Australian artistic and creative works through international tours, exhibitions, partnerships and exchanges. It will also support Australian arts organisations to bring internationally significant art and artists to Australia, thus giving Australian audiences greater opportunities to experience the world’s finest performances and exhibitions. 3. Strategic Initiatives The Strategic Initiatives stream will assist arts and cultural organisations to respond to new opportunities, challenges and issues. It will be flexible and responsive to enable organisations to maximise the potential outcomes of new opportunities. It will also support organisations to deliver outcomes against planned and developing priorities. It will support projects enabling regional and remote audiences, to have new opportunities for access to a wide range of art forms. It is from this stream that the Australian Government will directly fund appropriate major initiatives. FUNDING The Australian Government will provide approximately $20 million each financial year for the Program. The level of funding provided for each stream will be demand driven allowing the Program to be most responsive to the needs of the sector