Awards, Prizes and Opportunities – listed by closing date.

5 Aug 2025 – The Emerging Artists Toolkit How can the sector better support emerging artists with disability? And what does it take to build a sustainable career in the arts?

5 Aug 2025 – BR Whiting Studio residency A residency opportunity for Australian writers in Rome of varying duration of one, three or six months.

5 Aug 2025 – Keesing Studio residency at the Cité internationale des arts A residency opportunity for Australian writers in Paris of varying duration of three or six months.

5 Aug 2025 – International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP), New York Residency An opportunity to develop your visual arts practice and professional networks over four months in New York with a $35,000 support.

5 Aug 2025 – Playing Australia Audience Development Multi-Year Investment Program The Multi-Year Investment program for 2026-2028 will focus on audience development in regional and remote communities aligned with national touring activity.

7 Aug 2025 – Hornsby Art Prize Categories include Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Photography and Sculpture. Overall prize pool value of $23,000, with the major prize $10,000.

7 Aug 2025 – Scene Shift Residency Callout This residency program gives a regional artist studio space in the Sydney CBD and gives a Sydney artist studio space in rural NSW.

8 Aug 2025 – Creative Development Residency at Wollondilly Performing Arts Centre The residency offers artists or collectives up to two weeks of space, technical support, and a stipend to develop new work in a professional setting. It’s a great opportunity for creatives looking to explore and expand their practice.

10 Aug 2025 – Paddington Art Prize A $30,000 National Acquisitive Prize, now in its 22nd year for a painting inspired by the Australian Landscape.

11 Aug 2025 – Writing NSW Varuna Fellowship  Submissions now open, the fellowship is awarded annually to a writer with a work of fiction, creative non-fiction, a play, or a suite of poems that is ready for the next stage of development.

11 Aug 2025 – EOI Vivid Sydney This program aims to support artists, designers, producers, creatives, and educational institutions to be a part of the festival in 2026. Applications for Light Installations and Projection Art.

14 Aug 2025 – Woollahra Digital Literary Award This Award is a national literary award supporting innovation in Australian literature and publishing, encouraging writers producing work in a digital medium.

14 Aug 2025 – First Nations Early Producer Placement – See-Saw Films This is a Screen NSW initiative that facilitates screen industry exposure between early career First Nations producers and established productioncompanies.

15 Aug 2025 – Portia Geach Memorial Award The S.H. Ervin Gallery is calling for entries for Australia’s most famed portraiture prize for women, the Portia Geach Memorial Award. Applicants must be a female Australian resident who is either Australian born, British born or a naturalised Australian.

15 Aug 2025 – Oral History NSW Community History Award 2025 The award is designed to acknowledge the work of individuals or community groups who are recording the histories of their communities.

18 Aug 2025 – Fellowship for Non-Fiction Writing Supports an Australian author to create a significant new work of literary non-fiction.

19 Aug 2025 – North America Publishers’ Program 2026: Children’s and Young Adult Lists This program will provide Australian rights sellers, literary agents and publishers of works for children and young adults with the opportunity to develop their experience in the North American market.

27 Aug 2025 – Screen Producers Australia – Ones To Watch 2025 Ones To Watch is a professional development and mentoring program for early-career screen producers looking to accelerate their screen business acumen to the next level.

1 Sep 2025 – NAISDA Dance College is Australia’s leading arts training organisation providing nationally accredited qualifications specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. Applications for 2026 are now open. We have a proud tradition of producing the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers since 1976.

1 Sep 2025 – SF3 aka the SmartFone Flick Fest is one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious smartphone film festivals. We are an international festival open to filmmakers of all ages and abilities – from absolute beginners through to Oscar winners – from every corner of the world. All you need is a great idea and a phone or tablet.

14 Sep 2025 – Vaucluse House Creative and Cultural Residency Program EOI The Vaucluse House Creative and Cultural Residency Program offers time, space, connection and inspiration. It is a multidisciplinary non-residential program providing fully subsidised access to four sunny studio spaces within a shared cottage for 12 months.

16 Sep 2025 – Asia Pacific Arts Awards 2026 This program aims to celebrate Australia’s rich cultural exchange and creative connections in the Asia Pacific through arts and culture.

16 Sep 2025 – First Nations Arts and Culture Business Innovation Award Recognising innovation and excellence in entrepreneurship among small to medium Australian First Nations arts and culture businesses and arts organisations.

16 Sep 2025 – First Nations Established Artist of the Year Award Recognising excellence in artistic practice and outstanding achievement in the arts for an established artist with ten or more years of continued artistic practice.

16 Sep 2025 – Red Ochre Award (Lifetime Achievement) Creative Australia is pleased to invite nominations for senior First Nations artists and cultural workers for the 2026 Red Ochre Awards.

16 Sep 2025 – First Nations Youth Award for Achievement in the Arts Creative Australia are pleased to invite nominations for the 2026 Youth Award for Achievement in the Arts. This Award recognises the achievement of one Australian First Nations artist or arts worker in community arts and cultural development, dance, experimental arts, literature, multi-arts, music, theatre and/or visual arts between the age of 18 and 35. 

23 Sep 2025 – A.M.E. Bale Travelling Scholarship and Art Prize is awarded to Australian artists who have demonstrated talent and achievement in traditional styles. This includes realist, figurative and representational styles.

23 Sep 2025 – A.M.E. Bale Travelling Scholarship and Art Prize is awarded to Australian artists who have demonstrated talent and achievement in traditional styles. This includes realist, figurative and representational styles.

26 Sep 2025 – EOI Vivid Sydney This program aims to support artists, designers, producers, creatives, and educational institutions to be a part of the festival in 2026. Applications for Music, Ideas and Food.

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  now has limited availability in our 2025 exhibition calendar. However we have one gallery space available in July and Octobe