City of Melbourne Annual Arts Grants Information Session + Creative Exchange

Are you planning to apply for the City of Melbourne Annual Arts Grants for Projects and Residencies 2026?

Join MAV for this free event to help you prepare your application. You'll hear directly from City of Melbourne staff about what’s required, what they’re looking for, and how to make your submission stand out. There will also be time for questions.

Applications open Thursday 1 May 2025. We recommend reading the guidelines and starting your draft beforehand so you can get the most benefit from the session.

Information about the grants is here. We recommend reading the guidelines and making a start on your application before this session, to get the most benefit from it. There will be an opportunity to ask questions.

Grant streams include:

• Project Grants – up to $20,000 for arts projects located within the City of Melbourne, across all art forms
• Residency Grants – $5,000 plus access to studio space and facilities for individual artists or small-to-medium arts organisations
• Note: You do not have to be a citizen or permanent resident to apply.

Key dates

• Applications open Thursday 1 May 2025 at 9am
• Applications close Monday 9 June 2025 at 11.59pm
• Notifications to applicants: September 2025

Pre-event: Creative Exchange | 5:45PM – 6:25PM

Arrive early to take part in Creative Exchange—a facilitated session designed to connect artists, spark ideas, and open space for creative cross-pollination.

This 45-minute session is a chance to soundboard your grant ideas, test early concepts, or find potential collaborators. Whether you’ve already started drafting or you’re still brainstorming, this is the perfect moment to hear what others are working on and get a clearer sense of your own direction.

Led by MAV facilitators, Creative Exchange is open to artists who identify as Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD), Indigenous, Blak, Black, or People of Colour.

Ideal for artists, musicians, performers, writers, and cultural producers—at any stage of practice—who are looking to connect, collaborate, or explore project ideas with peers.

Location:

MAV Office , ℅ Melbourne Polytechnic. 77 St. Georges Road, Preston VIC 3072.

Transport:

• Preston Train station 350m (7 minute walk)
• Bell St buses 500m (8 minute walk)
• Car Park, northside of Building F (Cramer St. end) free after 5PM.
• Bicycle route along St. Georges Rd from the south; along Northern Pipe Trail route from the north.
  

Image supplied by City of Melbourne. Photograph by Jackie Dixon.