The Country Arts Support Program (CASP) is an annual small grants program funded by Create NSW and managed by Regional Arts Development Organisations (RADOs).
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Grants of up to $3,000
- Application opened: 1 March 2025
- Application closed: 31 March 2025, 5:00 pm
Program objective
Support community arts and cultural development in regional NSW through small grants that:
- Assist locally determined community arts and cultural activities
- Increase opportunities for regionally based groups to access a diverse range of arts programs
- Enable communities to explore and express their cultural identities
- Bring social and economic benefits to the community through training, employment and promotional opportunities
- Lead to greater awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity
- Increase the sustainability and resilience of regionally based community arts organisations
Image Credit: Dust Music Singing Your Stories Warren
This program is administered by Create NSW.
Eligibility
1
Who can apply
- Applicants who are based in Bogan, Bourke Shire, Brewarrina, Cobar, Coonamble, Walgett, Warren Local Government Areas.
- A not-for-profit incorporated body
- A local government authority
- An individual or sole trader
- A collective with a nominated administering body
- Applicants are required to have a current certificate of currency for Broadform Liability or ‘Public Liability’ Insurance
Location that are eligible include Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Cobar, Coonamble, Walgett, Warren
2
Types of projects funded under this grant
Projects including but not limited to:
- Workshops
- Arts activities as part of community festivals or events
- Artist-in-residence programs
- Public art and design projects
- Performances
- Arts and cultural directories
- Community seminars and forums
- Exhibitions
- Other local arts initiatives
3
When the project can start and end
The projects must take place between 1 May 2025 and 31 December 2025.
The project should be started by 1 May 2025 and the project must be completed by 31 December 2025.
4
What costs you can apply for
Project costs including but not limited to:
- Artists Fees
- Artist Travel and Accommodation costs
- Artist-in-residence programs
5
Who can’t apply
- Applicants who are not based in Bogan Shire Council, Bourke Shire Council, Brewarrina Shire Council, Cobar Shire Council, Coonamble Shire Council, Walgett Shire Council, Warren Shire Council
- Interstate organisations
- Professional touring groups
- Commercial enterprises
- Groups/ensembles and unincorporated associations with no administering body
- Regional Conservatoriums
- Organisations that have applied for or received Create NSW funding for the same activity
- Previous recipients where the use of the grant did not, in the opinion of the CASP state assessment panel, conform to the spirit and intentions of these guidelines
- State and federal government departments, including schools (except P&Cs who are incorporated)
- Organisations that have overdue reports or acquittals for any funding programs administered by RANSW and/or Create NSW.
- Applicants who have not discussed their project with the relevant regional arts development organisation
6
What costs you can't apply for
- Core administrative costs, office costs or the purchase of equipment
- Capital expenses
- Production costs of films, videos, books or other publications
- Prizes and adjudication fees
- General operating expenses or ongoing costs of long-term continuous projects
- Activities which could be considered part of the curriculum for schools or tertiary institutions
7
Types of projects not funded under this grant
- Competitions
- Fundraising events
- Applicants who have already received Create NSW funding for the same activities
- Projects that have commenced or are completed
- Sporting activities
What your application needs to include
1
Prepare your application with this checklist
- All support material must be relevant to your project and submitted with your application.
- If your project involves working with children and young people participants must supply a current Working With Children Check Number.
- Applicants should consider access for People with Disability in their information and events
- Applications with creative content and/or stated intended outcomes relating to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander artists, communities or their activities must provide letters of support from relevant Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists and/or communities. Please follow this link to the Outback Arts’ resource page to view vital Aboriginal Arts and Culture Protocol resources https://www.outbackarts.com.au/resources
- Applications must have a current certificate of currency for Broadform Liability or ‘Public Liability’ Insurance.
- Except for local government, all applicants are required to provide a current financial report for your organisation (and your administering body, if applicable) with your application
2
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
3
Address the assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
- Artistic and cultural merit (Merit)
- Relevance, extent and depth of community engagement and participation (Impact)
- Evidence of consultation with and support from the community (Impact)
- Evidence of adequate planning, budgeting and capacity to manage the project (Viability)
- Priority is given to projects which address these criteria with consideration given to each region’s arts and cultural resources and requirements.
Start the application
- You must contact your relevant Regional Arts Development Organisation to discuss your application before it is submitted.
- To apply to the 2025 CASP funding round you need to complete and submit an application form through our secure online grants system, SmartyGrants. You will be required to create a SmartyGrants account before you can proceed with your application. You should save your application form on a regular basis and allow plenty of time to review your application before submission.
- All applications must be submitted via the Outback Arts Country Arts Support Program (CASP) 2025 Application in SmartyGrants by 5pm Wednesday 31st March 2025. Applications will not be accepted after that time.
- Once your application is received and has been deemed eligible, it will be assessed, rated and prioritised by the CASP Regional Assessment Panel in your region.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Outback Arts Assessment Panel
CASP is peer assessed, with assessors chosen by Outback Arts.
Anticipated assessment outcome date is Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by mid-late April 2025.
Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is Late April 2025
Support and contact
Outback Arts
- Phone: 02 6822 2484
- Email: admin@outbackarts.com.au
- Website: www.outbackarts.com.au