The Annual Operations category provides funding opportunities for small organisations that have a demonstrated track record in the arts and cultural sector.

It will support the costs associated with developing, delivering and promoting a one year arts or cultural program.

Eligibility

Annual Operations accepts applications from Victorian-based arts and cultural organisations or national arts organisations that offer significant benefits to Victorians.

Eligible organisations must have:

• A track record of artistic and operational achievement.
• Sound management and financial accountability.
• A turnover (total income including the funding request) of between $100,000 and $1,000,000.
• A program that:
  • Is of high artistic quality
  • Is relevant to a significant audience or participant base
  • Engages professional artists in either process or outcome.

Organisations will generally work to a one-year business or operational plan.

Current Funding Priorities

In 2010, the priority areas for Annual Operations support are:

• Artform - Dance, literature, new media, music and other performing arts (such as circus, physical theatre and puppetry).
• Type of activity - Community development activities and industry service activities.
• Region - Organisations located in regional Victoria (particularly Gippsland, Loddon Mallee, Barwon, Hume and Grampians) and the Southern Metropolitan Region.
• Diversity - Organisations that support Indigenous people, culturally and linguistically diverse people and people with a disability.

Closing Dates

20 July 2009 for programs commencing 1 January 2010.

It takes a minimum of 12 weeks from the closing date until funding results are available.

Funds Available

Funding is available from $30,000 per annum with a maximum request of $75,000.

Note: Arts Victoria will not provide 100% of the program budget.

It is essential that you contact program staff prior to submitting an application.

To apply for funding you must:

• Complete the application form, which includes both summary and detailed budgets and a Quantitative Data Summary (see below). Download the forms and full guidelines as a:
  • PDF (276KB)
  • Word document (356KB)
• Submit a written proposal (see below)
• Provide artistic support material (eg DVD, photos, CD)
• Provide supporting documents (eg Curriculum vitae or biographies, program timeline, confirmation letter(s), quotes (equipment hire etc), letters of support, organisational website, media articles, business plan extract of no more than five pages).

Written Proposal

The written proposal, along with your annual budget, forms the main part of your application. It must include details on one year's activity addressing the following:

 Artistic Program (3-5 pages)

• Provide a statement regarding the artistic rationale including the curatorial vision and selection process for developing the program.
• Provide program details including confirmed dates, locations, professional artists and other personnel involved.
• Provide brief biographies of confirmed artists/creative personnel involved in the program.
• Describe how the program will contribute to the quality and diversity of arts and cultural programming in Victoria.

Audience and Engagement (1-2 pages)

• Describe the target audience/market and the relevance of the program to that audience.
• Describe how you will attract an audience for the program including the distribution and/or marketing strategies.
• Describe what evaluation methods you will use to measure the effectiveness of your distribution/marketing strategies.

Impact Statement (1 page)

• Describe for what specific purposes Annual Operations funding will be used in 2010.
• Provide a statement regarding the desired impact of Annual Operations funding on your 2010 operations and artistic program.
• Include a description of opportunities that might be realised if you are successful in receiving this grant. 

Operations and Governance (3 pages)

• A description of the current management and staffing structure including staff EFT and volunteers.
• Brief biographies of current key management positions (eg Artistic Director, Manager, Editor, Gallery Director). A matrix of current Board/Committee members, including position, respective skills and length of tenure.
• A description of how the organisation makes decisions about its artistic program, management and budgeting.

As evidence of your organisation’s planning, your Business/Operational Plan may be submitted as part of support material. This is not a mandatory requirement.

Annual Budget

You need to submit your budget in two parts:

Detailed Annual Budget (PART A)

This must include all revenues and specific costs associated with your program including production, administration, salaries and marketing.

Please include Notes to the Budget which summarise key issues including:

• What the 2010 Annual Operations funding will be expended on
• When non-confirmed grant outcomes will be known
• Where in-kind support is reflected in the expenditure side of the budget.

Arts Victoria has developed a financial reporting template Excel spreadsheet (314 KB) which you can use in this section.

If you choose to submit financial information in your own format, please refer to the template for indicative categories and the level of detail expected.

Summary Budget (PART B)

You must complete the Summary Budget in the template provided in PART B of the application form.

Quantitative Data Summary (QDS)

This is a statistical summary on programming, marketing, financials and employment levels over a three year period. This information helps put the 2010 budget and program in the context of your organisation's past, present and future achievements.

You only need to complete data relevant to your organisation's particular artform and/or area of programming.

The QDS template is part of Annual Operations application form in PDF (276KB) and Word (356KB) versions. It is also available as an Excel spreadsheet (44 KB) with autosum functions.

Applications are competitively assessed and prioritised according to the following criteria:

Artistic Merit

• The quality and relevance of the program.
• The level of artistic or other professional skills appropriate to the activities.
• The extent to which the program engages professional artists in either process or outcome.
• The potential of the work to contribute to the quality and diversity of arts activity in Victoria.

Audience and Engagement

• Evidence of a sizeable audience or constituency.
• Capacity to attract new audiences and/or community participants.
• Evidence of effective marketing strategies.

Impact Statement

• The extent of impact on operations of the organisation including: governance, business systems and strategic planning
• The extent to which the organisation can develop new opportunities, income sources and/or partnerships
• The extent to which the organisation plays a distinctive role and strengthens its position within the arts and cultural sector in Victoria

Operations

• The extent to which the organisation can demonstrate good planning and effective use of resources.
• The extent to which the organisation has administrative, financial and governance practices in place.
• The extent to which the organisation can demonstrate it has a range of income sources. This may include financial or in-kind support from government and non-government agencies, earned and philanthropic or sponsorship income.

Government Priority Areas for 2010

The extent to which the application addresses the current Annual Operations funding priority areas (see Overview).

Applications go through a standard assessment process, including review and evaluation by a peer assessment panel.

Assessment Panel for 2010 applications

Mick Douglas (Chair) - Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture & Design, RMIT University

Nikki Anderson - Freelance, Writer, Editor, Consultant

Criena Gehrke - Senior Project Officer, Office for Disability, Department of Planning and Community Development

Xenia Hanusiak - Freelance Performance Maker

Verity Higgins - Regional Arts Development Officer, Regional Arts Victoria

Andrea James - Community Arts Worker, Koorie Heritage Trust

Linda Sproul - Manager; Public Programs, Museum Victoria

Helen Stuckey - Lecturer, Media & Communication, RMIT University

Ingrid Voorendt  - Freelance Director, Performance Maker, Choreographer

As a recipient of Arts Victoria funding, you are required to:

• Notify Arts Victoria of any changes to your proposed project
• Publicly acknowledge the support of the Victorian Government using specific logos and text
• Acquit your grant by completing a written report on the outcomes of your funded project.

Logos and Text Acknowledgement

Logos

The Arts Victoria logo device must be included on all promotional materials produced by the grant recipient in relation to the funded activity.

These may include (but are not restricted to):

• Posters, fliers and brochures
• Advertisements
• Invitations
• Information and education kits
• Signage
• Programs and catalogues
• Websites.

The size and position of the logo should be commensurate with the level of funding provided by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria in relation to other supporters.

The Arts Victoria logo device is available in a variety of formats, please take note of the guidelines for its use.

Logo for Literature Organisations or Projects

In 2008, Melbourne was officially designated a UNESCO City of Literature. All literature projects or organisations receiving Arts Victoria funding should be branded under the initiative by using the UNESCO Melbourne City of Literature logo devlce on all marketing and promotional materials. This should be used in addition to the standard logo and acknowledgements outlined above.

The UNESCO Melbourne City of Literature logo device is available in a variety of formats, please take note of the guidelines for its use.

Text Acknowledgement

The following text acknowledgement should be used in any speeches, media releases, interviews and other circumstances where a logo may not be possible:
[This organisation is] supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria and the Community Support Fund

Acquittal Reports

When your funded activity is completed, you must provide Arts Victoria with an acquittal report within 90 days.

Failure to satisfactorily acquit funding will make you ineligible for future Arts Victoria funding and may result in action to recover the grant.

Download the acquittal form as a Word document (196 KB).

For further information about the program please contact:

David Everist

T: 03 8683 3121
david.everist@dpc.vic.gov.au

Tania Grant

T: 03 8683 3117
tania.grant@dpc.vic.gov.au