Arts, Culture and Creative Funding at a Glance
(as at 26 June 2024)
Canberra: Australia’s Arts Capital – a Statement of Ambition for the Arts and the Arts, Culture and Creative Policy 2022-2026 (Arts, Culture and Creative Policy 2022-2026) is committed to fostering and growing arts, culture and creativity in Canberra. As part of that commitment the ACT Government supports a wide range of programs and activities to underpin arts and cultural life in the ACT.
The ACT Government annually invests in Arts Facilities and Arts Funding to support organisations, individual artists and groups. This support provides a strong network of spaces, programs and opportunities to sustain local artists and creatives. It also responds to new and emerging policy priorities through support to new and one-off programs and projects.
Major initiatives include:
- Recurrent funding of over $10 million annually to the ACT Arts Fund, providing direct support to arts organisations, artists and arts workers. This includes:
- over $9 million per year being provided to 29 leading Canberra arts and cultural organisations and arts centres to deliver programs, services, expertise and infrastructure to support and develop the arts and engage with the local community. This is ongoing funding of up to five years to provide certainty and continuity to local organisations.
- Over $1 million being provided each year for arts activities grants.
- $13.5 million to continue the planning and design development for the Canberra Theatre Redevelopment project, including by procuring industry expertise through an early contractor involvement process.
- Ongoing support to infrastructure development through the Kingston Arts Precinct and upgrades to Gorman House Arts Centre and Tuggeranong Arts Centre.
- Support for arts facilities with $6.15 million over two years in response to the Arts Facilities Strategic Asset Management Plan (October 2023).
- Canberra Hospital Expansion Project Public Art project, including three locally based artists enhancing public spaces in the new Critical Services Building.
- Commissioning of two major public artworks ($500,000) celebrating a significant woman or gender diverse/non-binary individual by an artist/s who are women or gender diverse/non-binary.
- Capacity building activity for our arts organisations, artists and arts workers in fundraising and sponsorship, business skills and engaging with diversity.
- Working with industry and across government to review and implement measures that enable and support the ACT’s night-time and entertainment economy (Better Regulation Agenda).
Public Art
| Initiative | Amount | Years |
|---|
| New Public Art commission to celebrate Stasia Dabrowski OAM by a woman or gender diverse/nonbinary artist | $300,000 | 2023-2025 |
| Public Art commission celebrating the Hon Susan Ryan AO | $200,000 | 2021-2024 |
| Caring for and promoting a high-quality public art collection | $165,000 per annum | Ongoing |
| Ngunnawal Public Art Commission (ACT Government offices) | $300,000 | 2021-TBC |
Canberra Hospital Expansion Project Art Commissions
(Delivered by Infrastructure Canberra) | $1.80 million | 2022-2024 |
Arts Facilities
| Initiative | Amount | Years |
|---|
| Kingston Arts Precinct - Capital | $78 million | 2026-2027 |
| Kingston Arts Precinct – Operational | $2.09 million | 2024-2025 |
| Upgrading Local Arts Facilities | $1.67 million | 2019-2024 |
| Tuggeranong Arts Centre Theatre | $2 million | 2021-2025 |
| Gorman Arts Centre centenary upgrades | $7.90m + $5 million Commonwealth funding | 2022-2026 |
| Response to the Arts Facilities Strategic Asset Management Plan including an Arts Assets Needs Analysis | $6.15 million | 2024-2026 |
| Repairs and maintenance of Arts Facilities | $860,000 per annum | Ongoing |
| Better Infrastructure Fund (BIF) | $713,000 | 2023-2024 |
| Holocaust Museum and Education Centre in Canberra | $750,000 | 2022-2024 |
| Canberra Theatre Centre Redevelopment Design (Delivered by Infrastructure Canberra) | $28.45 million | 2022-2024 |
| Canberra Theatre Redevelopment Procurement (Delivered by Infrastructure Canberra) | $13.50 million | 2024-2025 |
Arts Activities
| Initiative | Amount | Years |
|---|
| Up to $5,000 grants for arts activities | $220,000 per annum | Ongoing |
| $5,000 to $50,000 grants for arts activities | $700,000 per annum | Ongoing |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts Program | $100,000 per annum | Ongoing |
| ACT Book of the Year | $17,000 per annum | Ongoing |
| Regional Arts Fund | $80,000 | 2024-2025 |
Arts Organisations
| Initiative | Amount | Years |
|---|
| Arts Centre Investment Funding | $5 million per annum | 2023-2027 |
| Arts Organisation Investment and Emerging Arts Organisation Funding | $4 million per annum | 2023-2026 |
| Arts Organisation Investment Opportunity Funding | Up to $100,000 per annum | Ongoing |
| One-off payment to support Arts Organisations (2024-25 Budget Initiative) | $200,000 | 2024-2025 |
| Arts Capital (Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres) (2024-25 Budget Initiative) | $125,000 per annum | 2024-25 to 2026-27 |
| Kulture Break | $250,000 over 3 years | 2022-2025 |
| Australian National University Community Outreach (School of Music and School of Art and Design) | $2.04 million over 3 years | 2024-2026 |
Arts Capability and Capacity Building
| Initiative | Amount | Years |
|---|
| Minister’s Creative Council and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Network | $33,000 | Ongoing |
| CBR Screen Fund | $5 million | 2018-2025 |
| Screen CBR capacity | $1.575 million | 2021-2025 |
| Arts Law | $25,000 per annum
$30,000 per annum | 2025 & 26
2027 & 28 |
| Creative Collab Labs and events with Canberra Business Innovation Network (CBRIN) | $20,000 | 2024-2025 |
Cultural Facilities Corporation
| Initiative | Amount | Years |
|---|
| General funding support for the CFC | $41.88million | 2023-2027 |
| Transforming the Canberra Museum and Gallery and developing Canberra Theatre Centre technicians | $494,000 | 2023-2025 |
| Transforming the Canberra Museum and Gallery and developing Canberra Theatre Centre technicians (capital funding) | $423,000 | 2023-2024 |
| Lanyon Urgent Driveway Upgrades and Stabilisation of the Shearer’s Precinct | $3.90 million | 2023-2026 |
| Improvements to the Canberra Theatre Centre (capital funding) | $1.44 million | 2021-2025 |
| Improvements to the Canberra Museum and Gallery and the North building (capital funding) | $600,000 | 2021-2024 |
| Arts and culture - Lanyon Homestead Upgrades (capital funding) | $951,000 | 2023-2026 |
| Arts and culture – Canberra Theatre Centre (capital funding) | $2.39 million | 2023-2026 |
| Upgrading Lanyon Homestead (capital funding) | $3.10 million | 2019-2025 |
| Base Asset Renewal Program | $461,000 | 2023-2024 |
| Base Asset Renewal Program | $0.71 million | 2024-2025 |
| Capital funding for revised EBA back payment | $164,000 | 2023-2024 |
Events
| Initiative | Amount | Years |
|---|
| Community Events | $760,550 per annum | Ongoing |
| ACT Event Fund | $450,000 per annum | Ongoing |
| Enlighten Creative Director | $120,000 per annum | 2024-2025 |
