Arts & Cultural Funding Program - Glossary

This is Australian Business Number. You need one if you are successful before you can get the funding. Your bank account must have the same name as your ABN. If you don’t have one you can apply online here.

Driven by self-determination, Create NSW has developed protocols as a series of suggested questions within five key principles. Artists, arts and cultural workers and organisations should consider these protocols as a minimum standard when planning a project that engages in any way with Aboriginal arts and culture. The protocols follow the Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) 

You can find more information here

Activity is the creative outcome that the applicant is seeking funding for in a specific location. (This means there is one activity per location). If the outcomes are over several days are in same location (exhibition, performance, workshop) it is counted as one activity.

A report on how the funding was spent and what happened. This includes information about where the project took place, number of artists involved and number of people who participated as participants or audiences. 

Artists, arts, and cultural workers must have a commitment to arts/cultural work as a major aspect of their working life, even if this work is not the main source of their income. The term is intended to indicate a degree of training, experience, or manner of working that allows their work to be assessed against the highest practiced standards in their relevant artform or discipline. 

These may include:

• Actors
• Curators
• Directors
• Exhibition designers
• Illustrator
• Lighting designers
• Sculptors
• Set and costume designers
• Visual Artists

The Artform Boards assess all project applications for the different artforms. Members are artists and arts and cultural workers. They include professional artists, producers, arts managers and independent company leaders. You can find more information about the Artform Boards here

A document which outlines the when, what, where, audience, participants/staffing of each element of an annual program. 

The ACFP priorities are:

• First Nations stories and communities
• Western Sydney and/or regional NSW
• Next generation of creatives and audiences
• Broad and inclusive communities and content
• Accessibility and equity

First Nations stories and communities

Australia proudly acknowledges and holds the heritage of the oldest continuous living cultures, with a significant population of First Nations people living in Sydney and across NSW. "First Nations" is a broader term that is used when referring to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia. It emphasises the diversity of cultures, languages, and nations, and it honours the original people of the land who have thrived here long before colonisation and endured through times of great dispossession and dispersion.

Within the Create NSW context, "First Nations NSW" in state-level funding is not exclusionary but rather prioritises and encompasses both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups to support the cultural preservation and artistic expression that is specific to NSW. It ensures that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of NSW receive focused support for their cultural continuity and artistic endeavours and is used to acknowledge and focus on the diverse Aboriginal nations within the state of New South Wales (NSW). It carries a lot of respect and recognition and should be used when specifically referring to the Aboriginal nations within NSW, Australia.

When collaborating and engaging with First Nations artists or organisations it requires a deep respect for and adherence to Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) rights.  It is essential that we respect First Nations peoples sovereign right to control how their creative expressions and traditional knowledge are used, shared, and celebrated.

Western Sydney and/or regional NSW

Western Sydney encompasses the thirteen local government areas of Blacktown City, Blue Mountains City, Camden Council, Campbelltown City, The City of Canterbury Bankstown, Cumberland Council, Fairfield City, Hawkesbury City, Liverpool City, The City of Parramatta, Penrith City, The Hills Shire and Wollondilly Shire.

Regional NSW is defined as the areas outside Greater Sydney. Create NSW defines Greater Sydney as including the local government areas of City of Blue Mountains to the West, Sutherland Shire to the South and the Northern Beaches Council and Hornsby Shire Council to the North.

Next generation of creatives and audiences

The next generation of creatives and audiences includes young people aged between 18-25. It also includes emerging artists, and arts and cultural workers who are generally in the first five years of their creative practice or profession, regardless of age. The creation of sustainable career pathways for both young and emerging artists, and arts and cultural workers is a key priority for the ACFP. The next generations of audience can include those who are yet to engage with your artform or practice.

Broad and inclusive communities and content

Broad and inclusive communities refers to the wide diversity of NSW people including First Nations communities, people of non-English speaking background, those from cultural and linguistically diverse (CaLD) communities, and those who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. It also refers to our regional communities outside the cities as well as the unique communities in our urban environments. You can also consider the diversity of audiences, artists, and arts and cultural workers.

Broad and inclusive content refers to existing and traditional artforms and practice such as visual arts, museums, literature, performing arts as well as new and emerging digital and experimental artforms and practice.

Accessibility and equity

Accessibility and equity refer to the inclusion of people with disability or who are d/Deaf. When considering equity, you may wish to include areas of accessibility (physical, financial, economic and social), inclusion, reach, to ensure there are as few barriers as possible to engagement with your program.

People involved in the arts and culture sector, including the production, distribution, and interpretation of cultural and creative works, as well as management. Some examples of Arts and Cultural Workers are:

• Administrators
• Agent
• Audio Engineer
• Editor
• General Managers
• Installer
• Museum worker
• Producers
• Production Managers
• Promoter
• Public Programmer
• Publisher
• Researcher
• Technicians

Rates of pay prescribed by legally binding industrial awards and agreements. These are the rates organisations should be paying artists and creatives.

Create NSW wants you to pay the people who work on your art or culture project fairly. The following organisations can provide advice on payment rates for artists, including musicians and arts/cultural workers:

• Australian Museums and Galleries Association
• Australian Society of Authors
• Australian Writers’ Guild
• Live Performance Australia
• Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
• Museums and Galleries NSW
• Musicians Australia
• National Association for the Visual Arts

Musicians - It is recommended events implement a $250 minimum fee per musician. This fee is based on a ‘3 hour call’ as set out in the Live Performance Award and endorsed by the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Audience is paid and unpaid attendance at an exhibition, performance, or arts and cultural event. Digital and online audiences are recorded separately. (See also participants)

Infrastructure and building works. Includes renovations and building improvements. For this, connect with Create Infrastructure funding opportunities here.

The progression of an artist or arts worker from emerging (usually the first five year of their practice/role) to mid-career and then to established.

Contemporary music is defined as new and original music. For funding related to contemporary music please contact Sound NSW at soundnsw@create.nsw.gov.au or the Sound NSW website 

A term used to describe people who speak a language other than English (LOTE) – also referred to as people from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB), spanning diverse languages, nationalities, traditions, societal structures, and religions. 

Create NSW uses the Social Model of disability. This identifies the barriers in society as being the disabling factors that prevent or limit opportunities. Disability may be permanent or temporary and may not visible. Mental health and Neurodivergence is included in this definition. This definition is different to using the condition, illness, or loss/lack of function as the way of defining people. d/Deaf and hard of hearing people are eligible to apply as artists living with disability.

The ‘uppercase D’ Deaf is used to describe people who identify as culturally Deaf and are actively engaged with the Deaf community. Deaf with a capital D indicates a cultural identity for people with hearing loss who share a common culture and who usually have a shared sign language.

The ‘lowercase d’ deaf refers to the physical condition of having hearing loss. People who identify as deaf with a lowercase ‘d’ don’t always have a strong connection to the Deaf community and don’t always use sign language. They may prefer to communicate with speech.

First Nations is a broader term that is used when referring to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia. It emphasises the diversity of cultures, languages, and nations, and it honours the original people of the land who have thrived here long before colonisation and endured through times of great dispossession and dispersion. Within the Create NSW context, "First Nations NSW" in state-level funding is not exclusionary but rather prioritises and encompasses both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups to support the cultural preservation and artistic expression that is specific to NSW.

Create NSW funding is for First Nations peoples residing in NSW for at least 12 months. They identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person and is accepted by the artistic and cultural community in which they live or have lived. Successful applicants may be asked to provide a reference letter from First Nations peers or community groups prior to contracting, if appropriate.

Create NSW recognises there are many different types of artistic and cultural practices and the importance of self-determination that will help artists and communities to make networks and connections that will sustain culture.

This includes First Nations-led groups, collectives, or institutions that focus on cultural expression, arts, and community development. This means the board of management must have a majority of First Nations members. This can be an Independent Aboriginal organisation, an Independent Aboriginal Arts and Cultural organisation, a NSW Local Aboriginal Land Council, an Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal Medical Service and/or an Aboriginal Community organisation. 

A period of 12 months used for financial planning and reporting. This may be from 1 January till 31 December, 1 July till 30 June, or any other 12 month period. Please note Create NSW annual funding is for the 12 months from 1 January till 31 December. 

If you don’t want to manage the funding yourself, you can engage an external organisation to do it for you. This could be a service organisation, an agent, a producer, a manager, or arts organisation.

Two or more individuals working together on a project. It is recommended that a group have a formal agreement between members. For applications from a group, it must be submitted by an individual on behalf of the group. Note: This will count as an application for all nominated group members who will not be eligible to submit applications to other funding programs in this round.

ICIP is all the rights that Aboriginal people have, and want to have, to protect their traditional arts and culture. The idea of ICIP is based on the principle of self-determination. More information is at Home - Arts Law Centre of Australia

Non-cash assistance such as services, voluntary labour, donated materials and equipment or products.

Individuals who play a key part in the planning, delivery, implementation, and reporting of a project or program. 

This is an abbreviation that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and the plus (+) sign represents a spectrum of other sexual orientations and gender identities. It's a term used to describe a diverse community of people whose sexual orientations or gender identities differ from the heterosexual and cisgender majority.

An organisation that does not distribute its profit to its owners or members. The organisation can still make a surplus but it is added to retained earnings to further support the objectives of the organisation.

A person residing and has a postal address in New South Wales, Australia for at least 12 months.

A legally constituted entity with an ABN. These may have a range of structures including company, associations and cooperatives.

A participant is paid and unpaid attendance at a workshop or other activity where they are actively engaged in making, creating, or learning. Digital and online participants are recorded separately. (see also audiences)

Two or more organisations or individuals working together to use the expertise and resources provided by each partner to develop and/or deliver a project. A partnership has a clear benefit to both partners.

Skills and knowledge for both personal development and career growth, including all types of formal and informal learning opportunities including workshops, mentoring, residencies, courses and creative sector conferences and networking events. 

A one-off or time-limited activity, or series of events with specific goals and conditions. The project will have defined responsibilities for all artists, arts and cultural workers, a budget, a plan, and a specific start date and end date.

Outlines the steps and resources involved in the delivery of a project. It is a description of the steps to be taken to achieve the proposed outcomes. It should include primary activities, a timeline, key personnel and locations, and other Key Milestones relating to the project.

Regional NSW is defined as the areas outside Greater Sydney.  Create NSW defines Greater Sydney as including the local government areas of the Northern Beaches and Hornsby Shire to the North, Hawkesbury City to the North-West,  City of Blue Mountains to the West, Wollondilly Shire to the South-West and Sutherland Shire to the South.

The ability and power to make decision that impact people’s social, personal and cultural activities.

An organisation that supports artists, creators, and various elements of the arts community in the delivery of their artistic output but may not deliver an artistic program themselves.

The strategic plan’s core element of vision, mission, and goals provide a high level “roadmap” for an organisation. It outlines where the organisation currently is, where it intends to go, how it intends to get there, and the resources required over the life of the plan.

Covering almost 9,000 square kilometres and home to around 2.7 million people, Western Sydney is one of the largest economic areas in Australia. Western Sydney encompasses the thirteen local government areas of Blacktown City, Blue Mountains City, Camden Council, Campbelltown City, The City of Canterbury Bankstown, Cumberland Council, Fairfield City, Hawkesbury City, Liverpool City, The City of Parramatta, Penrith City, The Hills Shire, and Wollondilly Shire