Arts, Culture and Creative Funding at a Glance
(As at July 2025)
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:
- Increased funding of $1 million over two years for arts project funding for local artists and groups including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts Program.
- New funding of $1.26 million over two years to support Canberra’ bid to become a UNESCO City of Design including increased funding to enhance the Craft + Design Canberra Festival and the establishment of a new Artists Engagement Fund.
- Investing $3.653 million over four years to continue support for the local screen and digital games industries.
- Continuing funding of more than $9 million per annum to arts organisations and arts centres.
- Commissioning artist Louise Skačej to create a public artwork honouring Stasia Dabrowski OAM, Canberra’s ‘Soup Kitchen Lady,’ in recognition of her decades of selfless service to the community’s most vulnerable.
- Increased funding of $560,000 over four years for CMAG and a permanent exhibition at Lanyon Homestead which will increase access to Canberra’s rich history and artistic heritage.
- Investment of $892,000 over two years, to enable conservation and WHS works at Mugga Mugga Cottage to ensure its long-term preservation and safe public access.
- $38.385 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.
Public Art
| Initiative | Amount | Year/s |
|---|
| New Public Art commission to celebrate Stasia Dabrowski OAM by a woman or gender diverse/nonbinary artist | $300,000 | 2023-2026 |
| Caring for and promoting a high-quality public art collection | $180,000 per annum | Ongoing |
Arts Precincts and Facilities
| Initiative | Amount | Year/s |
|---|
| Kingston Arts Precinct - Capital | $146.368 million | 2026-2028 |
| Kingston Arts Precinct - Operational | $2.5 million | 2025-26 |
| Tuggeranong Arts Centre Theatre Upgrades | $2 million | 2021-2025 |
| Gorman Arts Centre Centenary Upgrades | $7.9m + $5m Commonwealth funding | 2022-2027 |
| Response to the Arts Facilities Strategic Asset Management Plan including an Arts Assets Needs Analysis | $6.15 million | 2024-2026 |
| Asset Renewal Program | $928,000 | 2025-26 |
| Holocaust Museum and Education Centre in Canberra | $750,000 | 2022-2026 |
| Canberra Theatre Redevelopment Lyric Theatre Design and Early Contractor Involvement (Delivered by Infrastructure Canberra) | $38.385 million | 2025-26 |
Arts Project Funding and Initiatives
| Initiative | Amount | Year/s |
|---|
| Arts Activities Funding – project grants | $1.35 million | 2025-26 |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts Program | $150,000 per annum | 2025-26 |
| ACT Book of the Year | $17,000 per annum | 2025-26 |
| Regional Arts Fund | $62,000 | 2025-26 |
Arts Organisations
| Initiative | Amount | Year/s |
|---|
| 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 Capital (Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres) (2024-25 Budget Initiative) | $125,000 per annum | 2024-25 to 2026-27 |
| Australian National University Community Outreach (School of Music and School of Art and Design) | $2.04 million over 3 years | 2024-2026 |
| Kulture Break | $65,000 | 2025-26 |
Progressing Canberra as a City of Design
| Initiative | Amount | Year/s |
|---|
| Funding to the Craft + Design Canberra Festival | $300,000 per annum | 2025-26 &
2026-27 |
| Artist Engagement Fund | $300,000 per annum | 2025-26 &
2026-27 |
| Design Excellence Awards | $25,000 per annum | 2025-26 &
2026-27 |
Arts Capability and Capacity Building
| Initiative | Amount | Year/s |
|---|
| Minister’s Creative Council and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Network | $35,000 | Ongoing |
| Screen Canberra operational funding | $2.403 million | 2025-2028 |
| Screen and Digital Games Grants Program | $1.250 million | 2025-26 |
| Arts Law | $25,000 per annum
$30,000 per annum | 2025 & 26
2027 & 28 |
Events
| Initiative | Amount | Years |
|---|
| Major Events | $6 million per annum | Ongoing |
| Community Events | $1.14 million per annum | Ongoing |
| ACT Event Fund | $450,000 per annum | Ongoing |
Cultural heritage collections - ACT Heritage Library and Territory Records Office
| Initiative | Amount | Years |
|---|
| Ongoing funding for creation, collection and management of government and community records, archives and heritage materials | $13 million per annum | Ongoing |
Cultural Facilities Corporation (CFC)
| Initiative | Amount | Years |
|---|
| General funding support for the CFC | $10.5 million per annum | Ongoing |
| Lanyon Urgent Driveway Upgrades and Stabilisation of the Shearer’s Precinct | $3.903 million | 2023-2027 |
| Arts and culture - Lanyon Homestead Upgrades (capital funding) | $951,000 | 2022-2026 |
| Arts and culture – Canberra Theatre Centre (capital funding) | $2.393 million | 2022-2026 |
| Upgrading Lanyon Homestead (capital funding) | $3.097 million | 2019-2026 |
| Increased support for art and cultural venues | $4.244 million | 2025-2027 |
| Mugga Mugga Cottage conservation works | $892,000 | 2025-2027 |
| Permanent exhibition space at Lanyon Homestead | $560,000 | 2025-2029 |
| Base Asset Renewal Program | $436,000 | 2025-2026 |
