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The Vision thing
Touring an exhibition isn't easy, but there is a funding program that can help.
Visions of Australia aims to make exhibitions of cultural material accessible to more Australians. It provides grants to cultural and community organisations to develop and tour exhibitions of historical and scientific material, visual arts and craft, multimedia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture throughout Australia. Exhibitions should have a predominantly Australian source or theme.
Over the past five years, Visions of Australia has provided 298 grants to the tune of $8.6 million, for exhibitions to tour to around 500 locations.
Through the program, more Australians have the chance to enjoy our diverse culture and organisations can tour exhibitions interstate to major centres as well as regional and remote areas.
Interested? Visions of Australia manager Tony Martin, answers some common question about this successful Commonwealth grants program.
When will the next grants be announced?
The next announcement is expected in early May. The list of grants will be available on the department's website www.dcita.gov.au and posted on the Visions electronic mailing list.
We need funds to tour an exhibition: how much can we ask for?
Ask for what you need. But remember that Visions is a program set up to help extend touring. So look at the real net touring costs as a starting point. These might include freight and cartage, the cost of packing cases and perhaps the cost of setting up the exhibition and taking it down.
The Visions Committee looks at the viability of the project and the budget will be very closely examined. The amount of funds coming from sources other than Visions is often important. Don't expect to have the full project costs met if you have no other source of funds in the budget. Feel free to ring the Visions staff and discuss the budget or talk to a Visions Committee member. The phone number is 02 6271 1628 or free call (to leave a message) 1 800 819 461.
Why are some applications unsuccessful?
Here are some suggestions for you to consider, based on the most common reasons for missing out.
- Did you read the guidelines and objectives for the Visions program? These are the parameters for the program. Did you apply on the correct form? There have been some important changes to the form as we endeavour to improve it and to respond to suggestions submitted by applicants. If you used an old form you may have omitted some crucial information.
- Did you answer all the questions on the application form? If not, it is hard for the Visions Committee to assess your application. A common mistake is to apply for a touring grant but omit to fill in the development budget. If you did not understand any questions or instructions on the form, did you ring the Project Officer to get help?
- Are you an eligible organisation? Did the exhibition contain Australian material or Australian-sourced material? Did your tour itinerary include at least three venues, one of which was interstate?
- Would your tour have gone ahead without a Visions grant? Remember that Visions was set up to help exhibitions tour where this is currently not financially viable.
- Keep in mind that Visions receives requests for more funds than it has. This means that each project meeting the guidelines has to be ranked, so inevitably some eligible applications must miss out.
- A touring itinerary which is short and includes venues that regularly receive exhibitions of the same type from you is less likely to be successful than one which includes more venues or some distant ones. The Visions Committee also takes into account the nature of the exhibits themselves when assessing itineraries. For example, the Committee recognises that some fragile objects cannot tour extensively.
Can we reapply?
If you are not successful in one round, you may reapply in the next one. But do let us help you present your best case.
How can we improve our chances?
First discuss your project with a member of the Visions Committee or the Project Officer before you apply. Next, make sure it is clear that Visions funding will make a difference. If the project is business as usual for your organisation it is unlikely to be recommended.
Why are there more grants given in some States and Territories than in others? Why do larger (or smaller) applicants get more grants? Why does one sector (eg the visual arts) receive so many grants.
The Committee assesses the applications received in each round. They are all rated on their merits. In some rounds there can be few or even no applications from a State or Territory. Visions does not broker exhibitions. The projects are put together by the applicants. The grants offered reflect the number and quality of the applications received in each round. The Visions program aims to provide greater access to cultural exhibitions for audiences in Australia. Therefore the program is less interested in the geographical location of the grantees than of the audiences. It is better to look at where the exhibitions go and how successful they are.
The department also manages Playing Australia, a grants program for touring performances and Festivals Australia, a grants program for cultural activities at regional and community festivals.
Contact
More information about the programs, including up to date application forms and guidelines, are available by leaving your details on the free call number 1 800 819 461.
Visions of Australia Committee
Chair
Dr Christopher Anderson
General Manager, Community Relations, Normandy Mining Ltd
Members
Mr Alan Dodge
Director, Art Gallery of Western Australia
Ms Bernice Murphy
Mr Ross Gibbs
Director and Keeper of Public Records Public Record Office
Ms Jacqueline Healy
Ms Alice-Anne McRobbie
Director, Cairns Regional Gallery
Ms Subi Mead
General Manager, Salamanca Arts Centre
Ms Denise Officer
Executive Officer, Artback NT Arts Touring
Ms Helen Withnell
Assistant Director, Public Programs, Australian War Memorial