We all know how competitive it is to secure an arts grant, so here are some ways to maximise your chances. The following tips are the result of personal experience from someone who’s dabbled on both sides, and who’s been successful in applying for a couple of them, as well as served on various grant assessment panels.
It’s always prudent to read the fine print, but even more so when you are applying for an arts grant. Do not just send in your application without scrutinising the terms and conditions. Criteria to look out for include whether the grant is specific to a certain state or art form and level of practising artist.
Thuy On is the Reviews and Literary Editor of ArtsHub and an arts journalist, critic and poet who’s written for a range of publications including The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Sydney Review of Books, The Australian, The Age/SMH and Australian Book Review. She was the Books Editor of The Big Issue for 8 years and a former Melbourne theatre critic correspondent for The Australian.
Her debut, a collection of poetry called Turbulence, came out in 2020 and was released by University of Western Australia Publishing (UWAP). Her second collection, Decadence, was published in July 2022, also by UWAP. Her third book, Essence, will be published in 2025.
Threads: @thuy_on123 Instagram: poemsbythuy
