Awards, Prizes and Opportunities – listed by closing date.

7 Oct 2025 – Lake House Residency Program is an initiative of Lake Macquarie City Council. It offers artists, curators and creatives the space and time to create and develop new work. 

8 Oct 2025 – BEATS Mentorship Program a new initiative supporting young and emerging musicians and music industry enthusiasts (aged 15–27) in NSW. If you are an established music industry professional who has a passion for sharing your knowledge we want to hear from you!

12 Oct 2025 – Year of the Novel Scholarships aim to improve representation in the writing community by amplifying voices that are often marginalised. These scholarships offer a powerful opportunity for three emerging writers to take the next step in their creative careers with the support of this program.

12 Oct 2025 – The PASCOE AWARDS, worth $4,000, have been kindly donated by Arts National Bowral and offer outstanding classical musicians (aged between 14 and 24 years) unique performance opportunities. Applicants must have a connection to the Southern Highlands or surrounding towns in the Illawarra, Hume or Wollondilly regions.

14 Oct 2025 – Contemporary Music Touring Program supports national touring activity undertaken by Australian musicians performing original Australian contemporary music.

14 Oct 2025 – Playing Australia Project Investment The program supports costs associated with touring to regional and remote areas of Australia. Touring activity must be confirmed prior to seeking investment through this category.

20 Oct 2025 – Createability Host Organisation Funding funding and support for arts, cultural, sound, screen and creative industry organisations to host internships for artists, arts and cultural workers with disability or who are d/Deaf.

26 Oct 2025 – FACEF’s Program Resonance is dedicated to promoting cultural and intellectual exchanges between France and Australia by providing support for projects and artistic mobility, with a view to fostering collaboration between the two countries in various artistic disciplines.

27 Oct 2025 – Emerging Producer Placement Program is an opportunity for emerging producers to gain fast-tracked experience working at both Screen NSW and local production companies.

29 Oct 2025 – ANAT Synapse residency program the program brings artists and researchers together in partnerships that generate new knowledge, ideas and processes beneficial beyond both fields.

6 Nov 2025 – Screen Australia – First Nations Program documentary development, this program aims to provide practitioners with the opportunity to create appropriate written and/or visual materials to ensure that projects are as strong as possible when competing for production finance.

11 Nov 2025 – Space to Create: First Nations Music Residency an immersive program providing First Nations creatives at all levels with studio space, mentoring and production support.

11 Nov 2025 – Visiting International Publishers Program 2026 the program supports a delegation of international publishers, scouts and literary agents to travel to Australia to participate in an intensive week-long schedule of business meetings, networking events, industry forums, bookstore visits, writers’ festival events, and panel discussions with Australian publishers and agents.

30 Jan 2026 – Water through Reeds Gallery – EOI now open for 2026 Exhibition Applications. 

27 Feb 2026 – Sydney Film Festival Competition This festival aims to develop and deliver a sustainable world class film festival, which engages all stakeholders and achieves critical acclaim by presenting a unique program that inspires, challenges, and entertains an increasingly broad and diverse audience.The 73rd Sydney Film Festival takes place 3 to 14 June 2026.

open – Incentives for live music and performance venues – This program aims to encourage more live music, performance and other arts and cultural events and employment opportunities for musicians and performers.

open – Rusten House Galleries  Exhibition space is avalible for Artists to propose exhibitions in Queanbeyan