Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: From $2,000 to $5,000
- Application opened: 7 April 2025
- Application closes: 2 June 2025, 5:00 pm
Program objective
Arts Northern Rivers CASP 2025 funding is available for community engaged projects and activities that:
- Assist locally determined community arts and cultural activities
- Increase opportunities for regionally based groups and individuals to access a diverse range of arts programs
- Enable communities to explore and express their cultural identities
- Lead to greater awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity
- Increase the sustainability and resilience of regionally based community arts organisations and individuals
- Bring social and economic benefits to the community through training, employment and promotional opportunities.
Image credit: 2024 CASP Recipient - Sprung Dance Theatre for Dis-Co Ball. Photograph by Kurt Petertsen.
An artist is standing on stage, wearing a top and skirt, adorned with green sequins and embellishments, creating a shimmering effect. She points upwards and her mouth is open wide, as she performs an Auslan Interpreted rendition of Shake it Off, by Taylor Swift.
This program is administered by Create NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
A not for profit incorporated body
An individual/sole trader with current ABN
Groups/Collectives (A lead Project Administrator must have an ABN)
A group/collective with a nominated Funds Administrator
Location that are eligible include Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley, Tweed
Types of projects funded under this grant
Workshops
Arts activities as part of community festivals or events
Artist-in-residence programs
Public art and design projects
Performances
Community seminars and forums
Exhibitions
Other local arts initiatives
When the project can start and end
Projects must take place between the 1st August 2025 and the 30th June 2026
The project should be started by 1 August 2025 and the project must be completed by 30 June 2026.
What costs you can apply for
- Artist fees
- Materials
- Venue hire
- Marketing costs
- Documentation
Who can’t apply
Individuals, groups, and organisations based outside of Arts Northern Rivers region or applying for projects based outside those areas.
Interstate organisations.
Professional touring groups
Commercial enterprises.
Groups/ensembles and unincorporated associations with no Funds Administrator.
Regional Conservatoriums.
Organisations that have applied for or received Create NSW funding for the same
Previous recipients where the use of the grant did not, in the opinion of the CASP assessment panel, conform to the spirit and intentions of these guidelines.
Local, state and federal government departments, including schools (except P&Cs who are incorporated).
- To be eligible, applicants must discuss their project with Arts Northern Rivers before applying. Contact sean@artsnorthernrivers.com.au or call 0456 770 632
What costs you can't apply for
Core equipment purchases
Capital expenses
Production costs of films, videos, books or other publications
Competitions
Fundraising events
Prizes and adjudication fees
General operating expenses or ongoing costs of long-term continuous projects
Applicants who have already received Create NSW or other funding for the same activities
Projects that have commenced or are completed
Sporting activities
Activities that could be considered part of the curriculum for schools or tertiary institutions
Example projects
- Emerging artist mentorship program
- Writer in Residence program
- Dance / Physical Theatre project
- Community Public Art project
- Visual Art and Craft project with exhibition
What your application needs to include
- Contact information
- ABN
- Project description
- Clear balanced budget
- Relevant support material
- 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
- Working with Children Check number, if working with children and young people.
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.
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)
Start the application
Arts Northern Rivers must be contacted to discuss applications before being submitted.
To apply for the CASP 2025 funding round application forms need to be completed and submitted through the secure online grants system, SmartyGrants.
A SmartyGrants account is required to be created before proceeding with an application. The application form should be saved on a regular basis, Allow plenty of time to review the application before submission.
All applications must be submitted 5pm Monday 2 June 2025. Applications will not be accepted after that time.
Once an application is received and has been deemed eligible, it will be assessed, rated, and prioritised by the ANR CASP 2025 Assessment Panel.
Arts Northern Rivers staff will make final recommendations with reference to the assessment criteria, artform, demographics and the distribution, range, and scale of recommended applicants.
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: Arts Northern Rivers Assessment Panel
2nd June - Funding round closes
Early June - Early July - Applications assessed
Mid July - Applicants notified of outcomes
23 July - Successful applicants announced over website, socials, print and online news media
Anticipated assessment outcome date is 23/07/2025
Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is July 2025
Support and contact
Sean Campbell
sean@artsnorthernrivers.com.au
0456 770 632