Have you heard about the Creative Industries Career Fund, which provides up to $5,000 for career-enhancing activities for Australian creators?
This excellent initiative is part of Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. Each year, Copyright Agency (CAL, the L is for Limited) allocates an impressive $150,000
to support individual Australian creators and those involved in the creative industries who wish to develop their skills and take their careers to the next level.
Applicants can apply for grants of up to $5,000 to undertake training, travel or other activities that will enhance their careers.
Looking through this list of recent recipients, CAL seems to support writers who have a specific manuscript to work on (they have funded several residency stints at Varuna), or who have been invited to attend a writers’ conference. If you haven’t got an invitation somewhere exotic to read your work or appear on a literary festival panel, CAL has funded more modest projects closer to home, such as participating in a workshop at the NSW Writers’ Centre or attending a NSW Society of Editors conference.
Overall I think the Creative Industries Career Fund has a lot of unmet potential from the writing and editing community. It seems that visual artists are enjoying most of this particular pie. But it’s a large pie so why not apply for a slice of it?
The application guidelines are brief, stating only that
Applications are open to the individual creator or those involved in the publishing and visual arts industries who wish to broaden their knowledge base, skills or expertise and take their careers to the next level.
A refreshingly broad brief. You’re creative; use your imagination. The application deadline is 5.00 pm Friday 20 April 2012.
Good luck!
PS. If you can’t make the April deadline, there’s another round of funding in late July.
