Artsbridge (March 2023)

The peers discussed the overall quality of the applications made to this highly competitive round and made the following comments:

• Applications to all of Arts Tasmania’s programs are assessed by multi-artform panels of artists from diverse backgrounds.
• Applicants should:
  • include a clear and direct summary of the activity at the start of the application
  • write in Plain English
  • avoid artform specific or academic language
  • use headings and dot points
  • clearly explain all possible benefits and outcomes of the activity (for artists, audiences, and/or the community)
  • explain the timeliness of the proposed activity (why this, why now?)
  • include a clear and realistic timeline to give the peers confidence that the proposed activities can be achieved
  • include evidence of any confirmed partnerships or other kinds of in-kind or financial support for the project
  • include a clear and detailed budget that shows how figures were calculated
  • include relevant letters of support that speak to the assessment criteria
• If seeking funds to travel interstate or overseas, applicants should explore any potential benefits that might take place once they get back – such as sharing of skills, knowledge or connections.
• Applications with budgets that included appropriate artist wages and fees in line with industry rates were more likely to be supported by the peers.
• Budgets should also include detail on how the travel costs were calculated, including when they were estimated and how, to speak to planning.
• Applications relating to larger, long-term activities should clearly explain which part would be funded through this application.
• The guidelines for Arts Tasmania’s programs can change - peers strongly encouraged applicants to read the program guidelines closely each time they apply.
• Applicants were also encouraged to speak to Arts Tasmania staff before applying to make sure that this is the best program for their activity.
• Support material should be:
  • carefully curated to show your best work (or most relevant work) (links to general sites like homepages are discouraged as peers may not find the works you want them to)
  • clearly labelled
  • accessible to all peers (without memberships to websites or social media required)

Arts Tasmania carefully manages actual and perceived conflicts of interest for both staff members and peers involved in the assessment process.

For more information on the management of conflicts of interest, please visit how decisions are made.