Funding

While the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) are responsible for the Regional Arts Fund, it is delivered by the peak regional arts organisation in each state, and by arts departments in the territories. TRA will be administrating these programs in Tasmania for the period 2009–2012 on behalf of DEWHA.

A key focus of the Regional Arts Fund (RAF) program is to encourage the formation of productive partnerships to support home-grown arts activities and the creation of networks to reduce isolation, exchange ideas and publicise opportunities.

The program also assists the professional development of, and provides employment opportunities for, artists based in regional areas.

Providing opportunities for community members to learn arts and broader skills is another RAF priority. With RAF support, professional artists provide workshops and collaborate with community participants on a wide range of creative projects.

A popular component of RAF are the Regional Quick Response Grants - providing small grants to artists to attend developmental events and workshops or to support smaller projects that fall between other funding rounds. Regional Quick Response grants are supported by larger more developmentally focussed grants that fund projects of local and regional significance.

RAF Regional Quick Response grants provide funds up to $1,500 for an individual artist or artsworker to access professional development opportunities or for smaller developmental projects. Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for the program which are included on the application form (see link below).

Notification of sucess or otherwise of Quick Response Grants is provided by TRA within ten working days. Advice on the grant application process is also available from the TRA Regional Arts Development Officers located in Latrobe, Launceston and Hobart.

RAF decisions on grants other than the quick response grants are made by a peer assessment panel of Tasmanian based artists and arts workers appointed by the Commonwealth Arts Minister.

In 2009, RAF grant catergories were reduced from four to two. Category one is now called the Small Grants Program and funds developmental projects and activities up to the value of $5,000. Category two is the Major Grants Program which supports larger projects that develop partnerships and collaborations within communities through the arts. Major grants are capped at a maximum of $10,000, with no minimum.

Both Small and Major Grants have two closing dates each year. Round one was announced by the Commonwealth Arts Minister in June 2009 and a lsiting of successful applicants is available here.
The results of the August Round are being processed currently, and will be available for browsing here when they are officially released.

View RAF application forms.

Regional Quick Response Grants

Regional Quick response grants are currently open!
If you are planning to submit a Quick Response Application please contact your local RADO.

RAF in Tasmania 2004-2008: A Snaphot

For the period 2004-2008, TRA awarded 255 grants totalling $686,515. The impact of these funds have been significant, with RAF funding 2,812 artists, securing 6,596 volunteer hours of support with a cash value of $131,925 (based on $20/hr).

RAF funded projects generated over 107 partnerships and attracted regional audiences of over 298,646 to the funded projects.

Over $2,503,148 in cash and in kind project support was leveraged from Tasmanian Communities, indicating that, for every dollar expended, 3.1 dollars of cash and in kind support were leveraged from the RAF investment in Tasmania.