Audience Development Fund

Closing date: Tuesday 30 June 2026, 5.00pm

Amount available: up to $8,000 (excluding GST, no minimum)

Purpose

The Audience Development Fund (ADF) offers public galleries, Aboriginal cultural centres and publicly funded salaried museums in NSW assistance towards targeting and developing new audiences. It encourages organisations to create new, innovative programs, events and activities that engage targeted audiences and connect them with collections, visual arts practice and communities. The fund is designed to support organisations to develop and trial models for developing and engaging new audiences that will increase immediate and future attendance, access, and participation.

Applications that create new or extend existing partnerships within regions are strongly encouraged.

Applicants are also encouraged to target audiences from the following priority areas: First Nations stories and communities; Western Sydney; Regional NSW; Next generation of creatives and audiences; Broad and inclusive communities and content; Accessibility and equity.

The Audience Development Fund is a Museums & Galleries of NSW program.

Eligibility Criteria

Grants are available to organisations in NSW including:

× publicly funded galleries and visual arts and craft organisations

× publicly funded salaried museums

× Aboriginal cultural centres

To be eligible to make an application, a gallery, museum or Aboriginal cultural centre must be a legally constituted entity and be one of the following:

× a not-for-profit incorporated association

× a co-operative or trust

× a local government authority or Subcommittee of Council

× an Indigenous corporation

Individual business units and entities of local government authorities (such as museums, art galleries or performing arts centers) are eligible to submit applications on their own behalf if they have their own ABN (Australian Business Number).

The gallery, museum or Aboriginal cultural centre needs to:

× be accessible to the public at regular and/or specified times

× have a displayed collection (museums only)

× meet professional facility standards

× have its programs and activities managed by at least one paid professional staff member with relevant tertiary qualifications and/or experience.

Applicants who have outstanding acquittals from other M&G NSW grants will not be eligible to apply.

Funding Information

The project must commence after 1 November 2026 and before 1 November 2027 (but can continue after this date).

Eligible applicants may only submit one application per round.

Funds can be used for costs that support the development and implementation of public or educational programs, provide seed funding to trial new models for public engagement and/or build new partnerships for audience development. Costs can include:

× Fees and travel costs for educators, artists or other professionals to deliver new programs;

× Purchase of equipment required to deliver a public or education program or similar;

× Research costs incurred in developing a new program including travel, per diems and accommodation;

× Travel costs for audience outreach;

× Startup costs for new initiatives such as makers’ markets, workshops, symposia, conferences, or similar programs relating to a museum’s collection policy or strategic plan, or a gallery’s artistic program, which may also generate funds or an additional income stream for the organisation;

× Marketing, advertising, and promotion of planned new programs (no more than 10% of the total amount requested).

Funds must not be used towards existing staff fees, retrospective projects or capital works. The program does not support existing public or education programs.

For specific examples of previously funded applications, visit M&G NSW Audience Development Fund webpage.

Selection Criteria and Assessment

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

× The project is well planned with appropriate strategies in place for developing new audiences for the visual arts or museums and maintaining them into the future;

× The project targets one or more of the following priority areas: First Nations stories and communities; Western Sydney; Regional NSW; Next generation of creatives and audiences; Broad and inclusive communities and content; Accessibility and equity.

× The project employs creative strategies for audience development and encourages adventurous cultural programming;

× There is a strong rationale for the project with relevance and connection to the organisation’s collection policy, strategic plan or artistic program;

× The project budget is accurate and realistic.

Applications will be assessed against the listed selection criteria by Peer Panel members, M&G NSW staff or external industry representatives.

M&G NSW will notify applicants of their outcome by e-mail. Funds will not be available until the relevant grant agreements, including a valid invoice, have been completed and returned by the successful applicant.

Conditions of Grant

The recipient must use the funding solely for the purpose for which it was approved. If any part of the funding is used for purposes other than those originally named, the recipient must inform M&G NSW immediately. M&G NSW reserves the right to terminate the agreement and request the return of funds should the recipient not adhere to these terms. A variation agreement may be required if new purposes are intended for use of received funds.

All marketing material and publicity associated with the project must acknowledge the financial assistance of M&G NSW and Create NSW by using the appropriate logos and the following credit line on all publications:

The Audience Development Fund is a Museums & Galleries of NSW program.

All acknowledgement details, including required usage of logos and credit lines will be provided to successful applicants in a grant agreement contract.

Successful applicants will be required to submit an acquittal report to M&G NSW within one month of the project’s completion. The acquittal form will be provided to successful applicants and can be emailed upon request. The acquittal report includes an overview of the audience development project and the resulting benefits to the organisation and audience. Photographs, media clippings and brochures must be included in the acquittal documentation where available. M&G NSW may use all or parts of this report in marketing material for the grant program.

Application Submission

Applications must be submitted using the Word application form and Excel budget form issued by M&G NSW and available for download here, or sent to applicants upon request. Please submit as a PDF or Word document. Do not send scanned application forms.

Applicants must submit the following support material (written material can be submitted in PDF):

× Current abridged CVs or biographies for key educators, artists, gallery or museum staff or other professionals involved in the proposed project (max 200 words per person)

× Examples or documentation of previous projects undertaken by the organisation including images if available (no more than five A4 pages of documentation and 10 images in total). Images should be combined into a single PDF with relevant image credits where appropriate (e.g. artist, artwork, medium, exhibition, project, program, date, location etc)

× Up to 3 letters of support from relevant collaborative professionals, educators, artists or organisations.

× If First Nations professionals, artists or groups are involved, please provide letters of support and ensure protocols are fully adhered to – you can refer to protocols outlined here:

× https://www.create.nsw.gov.au/arts-in-nsw/aboriginal-arts-and-culture-protocols/  and here: https://creative.gov.au/investment-and-development/protocols-and-resources/protocols-for-using-firstnations-cultural-and-intellectual-property-in-the-arts/

In addition, applicants may submit the following support material:

× Media articles, public program coverage or examples of publicity from previous projects (no more than three A4 pages).

× Video footage of work, hosted on YouTube/Vimeo/DropBox – please provide URL and passwords to view video on external website.

All applications and support material must be submitted online by 5pm, Tuesday 30 June 2026.

Contacts

Applicants should contact M&G NSW to discuss their project prior to submitting an application.

M&G NSW staff are on hand to provide advice on developing projects, writing grant applications, and budgeting. For more information or to discuss a project please contact:

Museum Projects

Emily Cullen

Sector Development Manager

e: emilyc@mgnsw.org.au

t: (02) 5663 2336 (Mon-Fri)

Alana Leslie

Museums Coordinator

e: alanal@mgnsw.org.au

t: (02) 5663 2338 (Mon-Fri)

Gallery Projects

Susan Wacher

Exhibition & Programs Manager

e: susanw@mgnsw.org.au

t: 0411 530 006 (Mon-Fri)

Vanessa James

Exhibitions & Programs Coordinator

e: vanessaj@mgnsw.org.au

t: 0400 177 104 (Mon-Tue & Thu-Fri)