Image: Born in a Taxi at Iceworks Lakes Entrance, 2022, photo by Ashley Bell

Small Regional Presenters Fund

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 2023 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 2024.

Applications have now closed.

Funding Information

OPEN FUNDING ROUND – NEW OR EMERGING VOLUNTEER SMALL REGIONAL PRESENTERS  

Regional Arts Victoria will deliver an open funding submission process 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 and delivered a consistent annual program in 2021 to 2023.  
  • These applicants and the personnel involved in the activities will have limited access and opportunities to experience performing and other live arts presentations.  

 OPEN FUNDING ROUND – RETURNING VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY PRESENTERS   

Regional Arts Victoria will deliver an open funding submission process 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 with a history of providing quality programming to their communities. These presenters want to continue presenting live performance in their communities to further grow and develop audiences.   
  • These presenters are defined as presenting at least one (1) live performance per year for at least two (2) years.    

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 eligibility requirements and download the following guidelines for full criteria.

Round Opens:  9am, Wednesday 13 September 2023.  

Round closes: 5pm, Monday 30 October 2023. 

This round is for shows taking place between 1 March and 31 December 2024.  

Applicants will be advised of outcomes from end of January 2024.

1.

Read these guidelines carefully before starting your submission:

2.

From 13 September, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the
Small Regional Presenters Project Manager to discuss your application. 
Note that staff work part-time and there is limited availability.

Need tips for your application? Connecting Places has a skills development presentation on Applying for a Grant available in resources for community presenters. Register as a community presenter here to get the password to access.

For enquiries related to your application, please contact:  

Amelia Kingston
Small Regional Presenters Project Manager, Regional Arts Victoria

Please note the deadline to discuss your application with the Program Manager is 1pm, 30 October.

Note that staff work part-time.

Frequently Asked Questions

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 2023 events may impact your capacity to deliver any intended 2024 projects. If you’re unsure, please contact the Project Manager to discuss.  

No, there will be only one round of Small Regional Presenters funding for 2024 presentations. Your application to the 2023 round should include all eligible 2024 presentation costs. 

Yes. Applicants are eligible for one grant per year.  

No. Small Regional Presenters funding is specifically for unfunded regional community presenters and/or Local Government Authorities.  

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. 

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.   

New or emerging small regional presenters have had limited experience presenting live arts experiences in their communities or are proposing one-off presentations. They have not yet developed and delivered a consistent annual program in 2021 to 2023. 

Returning volunteer community presenters have built an audience-base and are proposing a strategic annual program and are building on audience development goals from previous years. These presenters want to continue presenting live performance in their communities to further grow and develop audiences.  These presenters are defined as presenting at least one (1) live performance per year for at least two (2) years.   

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.  

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. 

Successful applicants will be notified from end of January 2024 for projects commencing no sooner than 1 March 2024.  

Creative Victoria lo res August 2015