Who assesses applications?
Triennial and Annual Program Funding and Project Funding applications are assessed by panels consisting of independent peers with appropriate industry expertise and/or NSW Government representatives. Peers are people with a professional association with the arts or a specific artform who have the knowledge and/or experience to make a fair and informed assessment of a funding application.
Negotiated Program Funding and Quick Response Project Funding applications are assessed by NSW Government representatives with access to independent industry experts as required.
ConnectEd Arts Funding applications are assessed by a panel consisting of Arts NSW and Department of Education and Training (DET) representatives and independent members with appropriate expertise.
Fellowships and Scholarship applications are assessed by panels consisting of independent peers with appropriate industry expertise and/or NSW Government representatives. Peers are people with a professional association with the arts or a specific artform who have the knowledge and/or experience to make a fair and informed assessment of an application.
Award nominations are assessed by independent judging panels.
Arts NSW staff are available to assist all assessment and judging panels by providing evidence based advice on the funding history of applicants and sector issues.
Assessment panel members are required to comply with Arts NSW’s Code of Conduct.
How are applications assessed?
Applications to the Arts Funding Program are assessed using the following process:
Copies of applications and support material are forwarded to assessment panel members.
Each assessment panel member scores all applications against the Assessment Criteria. Each criterion is allocated an equal weighting in the scoring process.
Arts NSW collates the scores from all panel members for the panel to review at the assessment meeting.
At the assessment meeting, the panel discusses and agrees on a final score for each application against the Assessment Criteria. The panel then makes recommendations on the funding level.
These recommendations are reviewed by Arts NSW and prepared for the approval of the Minister for the Arts or authorised delegate.
Applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application.
Feedback is available on request once applicants have been notified of the outcome of their application.
The Minister’s or authorised delegate’s decisions will be final and no discussion or correspondence will be entered into concerning those decisions. Decisions may only be appealed on the basis of probity. Such appeals will be considered by a panel chaired by an executive of the NSW Government not involved in the original process and consisting of independent members.
A successful application does not commit the NSW Government to any future funding. Future funding will be dependent on the organisation’s performance against the reporting requirements, future applications, the NSW Government’s priorities for the arts and the Arts NSW budget.
What are the assessment criteria?
Applications for the Arts Funding Program are assessed as a whole against a common set of five (5) Assessment Criteria. Each of the five criteria are considered by the assessment panel with equal weighting:
1. Program/project merit
The activity is well planned and of high artistic quality and will:
- contribute to diversity, excellence and innovation; and/or
- improve performance and production standards.
2. Audience development and participation
The applicant has well developed strategies for engaging people in arts and cultural activities.
- a well developed understanding of the needs and expectations of the targeted community and/or audience; and
- strategies to increase opportunities for people who do not currently engage, or are only minimally engaged in arts and cultural activity to participate; and/or
- new approaches to engage the public; and/or
- future strategies to bring the work before an audience through performance, publication or exhibition if the activity has no immediate audience; and
- appropriate measures to assess the success of these strategies and to integrate knowledge gained into future strategies.
This is demonstrated by:
See the Arts Funding Program Guidleines – Arts Funding Program Policy Directions for further information on audience development and participation.
3. Benefits
The activity effectively meets one or more of the policy directions below:
- supports the development of a vibrant and accessible cultural environment, which nurtures creativity and supports the development of artists; and/or
- provides opportunities for participation in arts and cultural activities as creators, participants and audiences for one or more of the following:
- Indigenous people
- people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds
- young people
- people with a disability
- people living and/or working in Western Sydney
- people living and/or working in regional NSW; - and/or improves industry capacity and sustainability.
Note: Applicants are not required to demonstrate that the proposed program or project delivers benefits in all areas described above in Assessment Criteria 3 unless relevant. Applicants are not required to repeat material contained in other parts of the application form that may be relevant to any of these Benefit areas. However, cross referencing of key points is encouraged.
See the Arts Funding Program Guidleines– Arts Funding Program Policy Directions for further information.
4. Organisational Capacity
The applicant has:
- Aims and objectives which support the aims of the Arts Funding Program; and
- The experience and expertise to deliver the activity effectively and efficiently; and
- A Board or Management Committee that is appropriate to the needs of the organisation; and
- A history of appropriate financial management, including where relevant, previous Arts NSW funding; and
- Satisfactorily acquitted any previous Arts NSW funding (where relevant).
In the case of Local Councils it is preferred that each Council has or is actively developing a cultural plan or a community strategic plan that specifically identifies cultural planning.
5. Budget
The proposed budget:
- Includes a sufficient level of detail; and
- Includes income and expenditure targets that are realistic and achievable; and
- Includes adequate provision for insurance and other liabilities.
