Young People and the Arts Panel Feedback - July 2009

The Young People and the Arts Panel met on 20 August 2009 to assess the second round of grant applications for 2009.
Applications to the Development and Annual funding categories were considered.  

Development Category Applications    

Total Number Received: 11  

Number Approved: 2   

Success Rate: 18.2%

Total Amount Requested: $135,526   

Amount Approved: $30,075       

Allocation Rate:  22.2%

Annual Funding Applications    

Total Number Received: 2    

Number Approved: 2       

Success Rate:  100%

Total Amount Requested: $52,045  

Amount Approved: $52,045      

Allocation Rate: 100%

General Comments

Applicants are reminded that Project Officers are available to provide guidance on the funding program, and feedback on application drafts. Applicants are urged to show a draft in its entirety whenever possible (including the budget) and to ensure they have addressed support materials requirements for both the category and the art form.

Applicants must answer ALL of the questions in the application form. If you are unsure as to how a particular question may apply to your project, please ask your Project Officer for guidance.

Applicants are reminded that projects through which professional artists and mentors will work with young people must show evidence of young peoples’ involvement and/or commitment to the project.  

The Arts Grants Handbook and Application Form are revised each year. Please therefore make sure that you read the handbook and application form thoroughly prior to making your application, even if you have previous experience in applying for DCA grants.  

Panel Comments

In addition to addressing the relevant assessment criteria, the panel noted that the successful applications all clearly articulated the benefits to the young artists and/or the young people involved in the funded project or annual program.

The Panel suggested that young artists developing CVs for the first time could seek guidance from service organisations in their art form as to how to approach this component of the application. DCA Project Officers can provide contact details on organisations that offer have these resources.

Support Materials

Please note the revised limits and requirements for support materials outlined in the 2009 Arts Grants Handbook, eg, no more than three letters of support should be submitted with your application.

Please also note the following with respect to support material:

• Keep support materials concise. Where provision of extended materials can not be avoided, please guide the panel as  to what to watch/listen to/read
• Note the technical requirements when submitting material in digital formats.
• CVs/biographies are to be limited in length to ONE PAGE ONLY, and specific to what you are applying for.  Panellists are therefore not obligated to read more than one page of CVs/biographies submitted (and other support materials that go over the limits outlined in the Arts Grants Handbook).
• Remember wherever possible to limit samples of art work to that completed in the previous three years, and make sure it is relevant to the project.  
• Whilst it is difficult in some instances to document an art form, applicants are urged to think about how the support materials will be viewed, and submit materials that will assist the panel in visioning what you are trying to achieve, or that demonstrate the skills of key personnel.   For example, theatre applicants should try and submit DVDs; but also a script, directorial treatments, still images and reviews of previous work, and draft set and costume designs (if available).
• Applicants submitting DVDs such as ‘show-reels’ may also wish to include some accompanying, BRIEF written notes (that is, no more than one or two sentences per piece) that provide some background/context to the panel about what they are viewing.

Eligibility

Some applications were unclear regarding the start dates of components of the project for which funding was being requested. Applicants can not apply for project components that will have already commenced by the official start date (in this round 1 December 2009).

If you are unsure, please speak to your Project Officer.

Statistical Information

The following tables provide a further statistical breakdown of funding for this round.  The art form is as listed by the applicant, except in the case of Community and Cultural Development applications, which are art form independent.

Table 1 shows a breakdown of individual art forms in the Development and Distribution categories, and the percentage of the total allocated funds.  

Table 2 shows a breakdown of success rates in individual art forms within the Development and Distribution categories, expressed relative to number of applications.

Table 1 

Table 2