Up to $2.8 million each year for artists and organisations to shape Australia’s cultural landscape, increase cultural diversity, inspire, educate and entertain audiences across Australia.
On this page you will find
What is the Visions of Australia Program (VOAP)?
The Visions of Australia Program (VOAP) is part of the Australian Government’s Arts and Cultural Development Program which supports participation in, and access to, Australia’s art and culture through developing and supporting cultural expression.
Two streams of funding are available:
- Development: for the costs of planning and producing an exhibition to tour. This includes research and design.
- Touring: for the costs to produce the exhibition and the costs to transport, install and dismantle the exhibition as well as deliver public programs.
The Program enables artists and organisations to shape Australia’s cultural landscape, increase cultural diversity, and inspire, educate and entertain audiences across Australia. It seeks to celebrate the intrinsic capacity of the arts to engage, inspire and make meaning for all Australians, while supporting the celebration of place and promoting a sense of community identity.
Visions of Australia Program level of support
Grants available
- The Australian Government provides approximately $2.5 million each year for the Visions of Australia program.
- There’s no limit to the amount of funding that may be sought, however, all applications for funding must be reasonable, include realistic budgets and represent value with relevant money.
Co-contributions
- Financial partnerships and co-contributions are strongly encouraged and are a consideration under the assessment criteria.
Visions of Australia Program important dates
- Applications close: 14 February 2025 at 5:00 pm (ACT Local Time)
- Register your interest with GrantHelper
Funding is available through annual or multi-year grant agreements subject to available funds. Multi-year grant agreements are available for a maximum of four years. If your project occurs over more than one year, you are not required to apply for multi-year funding.
If successful, you must complete your funded project in line with the date specified in your application and as agreed under the grant agreement.
Visions of Australia Program objectives
The objectives of the program are to:
- increase access for Australian audiences to exhibitions of quality Australian arts and cultural material, with a particular focus on touring to regional and remote Australia
- encourage partnerships between organisations, particularly collaboration across the collections sector, to form curatorial partnerships and where appropriate, access to mentoring and skills transfer opportunities, and financial partnerships.
Activities eligible for Visions of Australia Program support
Visions of Australia will support touring of exhibitions to regional and remote Australia. To be eligible for funding a tour must include at least three venues located outside of the applicant’s state or territory, with consecutive exhibition dates.
Tours originating in metropolitan areas may include metropolitan venues but regional venues are a higher priority for funding.
The Program supports touring of many types of exhibitions including but not limited to:
- cultural material of historic, scientific, design, social or artistic significance
- the work of contemporary visual or craft artists
- moving image and multimedia.
Tour applications must include venue confirmation forms from each venue. Development applications must include expressions of interest from each venue.
Eligible expenditure includes but is not restricted to:
- Artist fees in line with industry standards
- Domestic travel expenses including flights, accommodation, per diems
- Marketing and advertising
- Photography / conservation
- Freight
- Crating
- Framing
- Contractors (for example curator, designer, writer)
- Development of public programs/ education kits
- Printing—exhibition labels/signage
- Both buying and hiring equipment for the presentation of an exhibition is eligible, however, applicants will need to demonstrate that the most cost effective option has been chosen.
You cannot use the grant for the following activities:
- business start-up costs
- tours that only include capital city or metropolitan venues
- exhibitions with content that is either predominantly international or not part of an Australian institution’s collection
- travel or exhibitions touring to international destinations
- commercial exhibitions with the main purpose of selling work
- tours that commence before the funding is approved
- exhibition content which is predominantly film
- components of tours that are also funded by other programs administered by the Department.
Ineligible expenditure includes but is not restricted to:
- core staff and administrative costs
- audit fees
- purchase or commissioning of new works
- specific items for which there is an expectation of funding from another source.
See the guidelines for full details of eligible activities and expenditure.
Other Visions of Australia Program important details that you will need to know
Organisations eligible for Visions of Australia Program support
To be eligible you must:
- be an Australian incorporated organisation
- have as your principal purpose the arts and/or cultural heritage (usually defined in the organisation’s Constitution or Articles of Association, and reflected in the Annual Report and Business Plans)
- have an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
- be registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST), if required by the Australian Tax Office
- not have any no outstanding reports, acquittals or serious breaches relating to any Commonwealth funding.
You are not eligible to apply if you are:
- an individual (unless auspiced by an organisation that meets the eligibility criteria)
- an unincorporated association (unless auspiced by an organisation that meets the eligibility criteria or if the applicant is the National Archives of Australia)
- an organisation outside of Australia
- an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme (www.nationalredress.gov.au)
- an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the Workplace Gender Equality Agency website on the non-compliant organisations list.
See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible applicants.
Locations eligible for Visions of Australia Program support
The Visions Program uses the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2016 definition of Remoteness Areas to determine if a venue is in a regional or remote location. The Standard divides Australia into the following five classes of remoteness on the basis of their access to services: major city (RA1); inner regional (RA2); outer regional (RA3); remote (RA4) and very remote (RA5). A venue must be in one of the four categories outside of a ‘major city’ location, to be in a regional or remote location.
In completing your application in SmartyGrants, you will be prompted to add individual venues to your development or touring itinerary. This will automatically allocate a remoteness classification to your venue. This allows you to determine whether your venue is located outside of a ‘major city’ location.
To check if your project is taking place in an eligible location, visit the Health Workforce Locator and
follow the directions below:
- Tick the box with the latest date next to ‘ASGS—Remoteness Areas’
- Enter your address into the ‘Find address’ box
- Hit the ‘Search Location’ box
- The location classification and code will appear at the bottom.
See the guidelines for full details of eligible locations.
Visions of Australia Program assessment criteria
1. Quality (Unweighted)
- experience/calibre of the applicant organisation in the relevant field
- skills, expertise/calibre of the key personnel including participating artists
- scale of the tour
- benefits to the arts and cultural sector
- benefits to tour participants
- benefits to audiences and the Australian community—with a focus on regional and remote Australia.
2. Access (Unweighted)
- audience appeal/demand
- how the tour widens audience access to art forms and mediums, styles, innovation or experimentation
- the geographic reach of the activity
- likely attendance/participation
- accessibility for persons with disability including participation of artists with disability
- the involvement and/or participation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples
- the involvement and/or participation of people from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds
- benefits to the artists involved of the exposure to wider audiences
- benefits to the artists involved of the opportunity for wider artistic expression.
3. Support and Partnership (Unweighted)
- community support and engagement
- financial and tour partners
- level of co-contribution (cash and/or in-kind)*
- creative partners
- level of co-creation, collaboration*
- likely ongoing benefits of partnerships
- development opportunities. *Financial partnerships and applicant co-contributions are strongly encouraged and should be commensurate with the scale of the proposed activity and the organisational capacity of the applicant.
4. Value with relevant Money (Unweighted)
- the need for funding support
- the quality and viability of the tour plan and timeline, and timeliness of the proposed activity
- the viability and adequacy of the proposed budget
- remuneration arrangements for personnel involved
- governance arrangements within the organisation (capacity to administer the funding)
- the applicant’s funding history/compliance
- the overall public benefit of investing in the tour.
See the guidelines for full details of the assessment criteria.
How do I get the Visions of Australia Program ?
You must read and understand the guidelines.
You need to ensure you are eligible for the funding. Applicants that do not meet all the eligibility criteria outlined above will not be considered.
Successful applicants will demonstrate:
- a project that involves personnel working with children and/or vulnerable people; relevant personnel must maintain a Working with Children check and Working with Vulnerable People registration.
- an application that is reasonable, includes realistic budgets and represent value with relevant money
- the need for funding and its impact on the project’s timing and scale
- a sound project plan that identifies key activities/milestones and establishes the project’s long-term sustainability
- a unique and innovative project that creates value for the community
- the skills, experience and resources to successfully deliver the project within the agreed timeline
Information to prepare for the Visions of Australia Program application
As part of the application you will be required to provide:
- quotes for all expenditure over $10,000
- sample exhibition content
- Venue Confirmation Forms (expression of interest for development applications and confirmation for touring applications).
- Press clippings and/or web links relating to the cultural material proposed for the exhibition tour may also be provided.
See the guidelines for full details of information requirements.
Applying for the Visions of Australia Program
Applications are submitted online via the SmartyGrants portal at arts.smartygrants.com.au.
Register your interest with GrantHelper to explore your alignment with this program and how we can assist you to increase your chances of success.
Visions of Australia Program resources
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