This round closed 5pm Monday 10 October 2022.
Small Regional Presenters is a funding program that supports regional communities to program and present shows in their area. It also supports skills development and capacity building by encouraging presenters to develop long term plans and audience development strategies.
In 2022 the Victorian Government’s Small Regional Presenters program will be delivered by Regional Arts Victoria.
An External Peer Assessment Panel comprising of artists, arts professionals and community representatives will assess applications against the program aims and assessment criteria.
Funding Available
Up to $15,000 per successful applicant
Please note this is the only round of Small Regional Presenters that is open for presentations taking place in 2023.
Who can apply?
OPEN FUNDING ROUND – NEW OR EMERGING VOLUNTEER SMALL REGIONAL PRESENTERS
For new or emerging small regional presenters that have had limited experience presenting live arts experiences in their communities or are proposing one-off presentations.
Eligible applicants include,
- New or emerging volunteer small regional presenters who have not yet developed a consistent annual program to deliver and have limited access and opportunities to experience performing and other live arts presentations
OPEN FUNDING ROUND – RETURNING VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY PRESENTERS
For returning volunteer Community Presenters that have built an audience-base and are proposing a strategic annual program and are building on audience development goals from previous years.
Eligible applicants include,
- Returning volunteer Community Presenters that have a history of providing quality programming to their communities, and want to continue providing live art experiences to support further audience development goals or to reach new segments within their communities.
Regional community presenters that are incorporated not-for-profit organisations and do not receive organisational or multi-year funding through Creative Victoria.
OR
Local Government Authorities that do not receive organisational or multi-year funding through Creative Victoria.
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions below for further information on changes to eligibility requirements and download the following guidelines for full criteria:
Key dates
Round Closes: Monday 10 October at 5 pm. This round is for shows taking place between 1 January and 31 December 2023.
Applicants will be advised of outcomes from mid November 2022.
How to apply
1.
Read these guidelines carefully before starting your submission:
2.
Once you have read the guidelines, contact the Regional Arts Victoria Small Regional Presenters Program Manager to discuss your application.
Note that staff work part-time and there is limited availability.
3.
Who to talk to
For enquiries related to your application, please contact:
Melinda Ballard
Small Regional Presenters Program Manager, Regional Arts Victoria
Email: [email protected]
Please note the deadline to discuss your application with the Program Manager is 1pm, Monday 10 October.
For assistance using SmartyGrants:
Alicia Wyatt
Grants Manager, Regional Arts Victoria
Ph: 0483 057 936
Email: [email protected]
Note that staff work part-time.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. If I have already received funding through this program earlier in 2021 and am yet to deliver my project/s due to COVID-19, can I still apply to this round for presentations taking place in 2023?
Yes, you can apply for up to $15,000 p/financial year from the Small Regional Presenters fund. However, recipients from previous rounds must notify Regional Arts Victoria and/or Creative Victoria of any changes to project dates prior to submitting new applications so that acquittal dates are correctly updated.
We also encourage you to consider how 2022 events that have been rescheduled to 2023 may impact your capacity to deliver your intended 2023 projects. If you’re unsure, please contact Program Manager, Melinda Ballard from Regional Arts Victoria to discuss.
2. Will there be another Small Regional Presenters funding round in February 2023 for other 2023 presentations?
No, there will be only one round of Small Regional Presenters funding for 2023 presentations. Your application to the September 2022 round should include all eligible 2023 presentation costs.
3. What are COVIDSafe costs?
COVIDSafe costs are any expenses that your project/s are likely incur in order to ensure that your event is delivered safely. This may include hand sanitiser and PPE for audiences and/or Front of House staff, signage for patrons, cleaning costs pre- and/or post-event, and other COVID-related expenses. Visit our COVID-19 Resources for Community Presenters for more information.
4. How much funding can I apply for to make my event COVIDSafe?
Funding applications can include an expenditure amount for COVIDSafe costs of up to 10% of the total funding requested. For example, if you are applying the maximum amount of $15,000, we would expect that COVID safe costs are listed at no more than $1,500. If you do not believe you have any COVID costs to include in the budget, you should explain clearly in the written application what measures will be put in place to ensure the event is COVID safe.
5. In previous rounds, Small Regional Presenters funding could only be used for up to 80% of project costs. Do I still need to show that at least 20% of my overall income will come from other sources?
No. This requirement has been waived. Applicants can apply for up to 100% of presentation costs to reflect COVID-related financial uncertainty. However, it is still a requirement that events are ticketed, so your budget should include estimated income from ticket sales.
6. If I received funding from the Small Regional Presenters fund in September 2021, am I eligible to apply for funding for new presentations in 2023?
Yes. Applicants are eligible for one grant per year.
7. My organisation already receives organisational or multi-year funding from Creative Victoria. Am I eligible to apply?
No. Small Regional Presenters funding is specifically for unfunded regional community presenters and/or Local Government Authorities.
8. There are lots of definitions of regional. How do I know if my organisation is eligible to apply based on our location and activities?
The State Government of Victoria defines rural and Regional Victoria as the 48 local government areas including six alpine resort areas set out in Schedule 2 of the Regional Development Victoria Act 2002. Visit Creative Victoria’s website to find out if your LGA is eligible.
Presenters in border areas must contact program staff to discuss their proposed presentation venues/locations before applying.
9. What is a community presenter?
A community presenter is an incorporated association, operating as a not for profit organisation, located in regional Victoria. Community presenters should have a policy of reinvesting surplus funds back into performing arts activities and be able to demonstrate an annual program of presenting professional performing arts activities.
10. What kinds of projects are eligible for funding through this program?
Professional live performances or productions from outside the presenter’s LGA are eligible for funding via this program. Small Regional Presenters funding supports all genres of the performing arts and other live shows, including literary events. Please see the guidelines for more details.
11. What happens if our funded project gets cancelled because of COVID-19? Do we need to give the funding back?
Funding recipients should have a plan in place for last-minute COVID-19 cancellations, whether that means rescheduling the event or offering an online version of the production or project as a last-minute alternative.
If funded performances are cancelled due to COVID and unable to be rescheduled, SRP recipients will not be required to return funds. They will instead be required to honour artist/producer fees, then reinvest any unspent funds into future performances. In these instances, applicants will be required to contact Regional Arts Victoria to discuss. Regional Arts Victoria will administer a variation request process should this occur.
In the event of COVID-related project cancellations or rescheduling, SRP recipients may also be eligible to apply for a COVID Safe Contingency grant equivalent to the amount of unrecoverable costs incurred. This would be capped at a maximum of 10% per eligible recipient and open throughout the entirety of 2023 or until expended.
12. How are applications assessed?
A panel comprising of arts professionals and community representatives will assess and rank each application against the program aims and assessment criteria (see guidelines). Regional Arts Victoria will share the list of panel recommendations with Creative Victoria for approval.
13. How soon can my project/s commence?
Successful applicants will be notified from mid November 2022 for projects commencing no sooner than 1 January 2023. However, we recommend that where possible applicants commence projects no sooner than 1 February 2023 due to the short timeframe between outcome notifications and the beginning of 2023 AND due to Regional Arts Victoria being closed for two weeks over the festive season.
Image: Mental As Everything at Bena Hall 2021, photo by Anna Kennedy