Draft guidelines unveiled for new fund rewarding ’excellence’

The Ministry of the Arts’ new funding alternative, the National Program for Excellence in the Arts (NPEA), has released its draft guidelines.

It is asking for feedback to nationalexcellenceprogram@arts.gov.auby July 31.

Each financial year, the Government will have a pool of $20 million to disperse. Projects will be funded on the basis of a year, or up to four years. These include performances, tours, festivals, exhibitions, the development and/or creation of new work, investment in Foundation or fellowship programs and infrastructure projects.

In the coming days, the arts and music sectors will debate whether the NPEA is worth pulling $105 million from the Australia Council’s coffers.

There is no limit to the amount of financing that each project can ask for. But the draft guidelines reflect Arts Minister George Brandis’ long held view that the arts should be more self-reliant, work at increasing private and corporate tie-ups, and not depend just on government hand-outs.

According to the Ministry, it will focus on projects that build audiences in Australia and abroad, strengthen Australia’s reputation as “a sophisticated and artistic nation”, encourage greater financial support from the private sector and partnership funding, and support collaborations to develop arts and culture initiatives including in specific regions or priority areas.

It has three main funding streams:

(1) Endowment incentives

This is to help organisations with medium to long term projects through financial partnerships and collaborations. It covers new work, new fellowships and infrastructure projects, but on the proviso they already have support from other revenue streams and sponsorships.

(2) International and cultural diplomacy

This 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 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

This is to help arts and cultural organisations 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 includes projects aimed at regional and remote audiences and giving them a greater diversity of experiences.

NPEA will not fund:

Business start-up costs

Private tuition, training or study

Work used for academic assessment

Projects by individuals

Competitions and eisteddfods

Awards and prizes

Film and television production

Interactive games

Built or natural heritage projects

Projects or components of projects that are also funded by other programs administered by the Ministry for the Arts.

The guidelines state that applications will be judged on quality (for example, the association’s reputation and skills of its key personnel), access (as audience appeal and demand, regional and remote communities, multi-cultural backgrounds, participation of artists with disabilities), support & partnerships (community support, creative and donation partners, on-going benefits) and value for money (quality and profile, public benefit, governance arrangements within the organisation). There will be input from members of the community and each artistic sector.

Image:Minister for the Arts Senator George Brandis QC