Artists are at the heart of what do, we invest in creative talent and stimulate the market for Australian stories to be told on a national and international scale, sharing our rich culture with the world. We do this because art and creativity define us, recording what we have been and what we might yet become. As a nation, creativity connects us and benefits us all. 

Through the Australian Cultural Fund, artists and arts organisations run short-term campaigns for specific projects or register annual giving campaigns to support ongoing work and general operating costs.  

Donations over $2 received via the Australian Cultural Fund are tax deductible. There are no fees to fundraise or distribute funds through the Australian Cultural Fund, which means that 100% of donations and philanthropic grants go directly to artists and arts organisations.  

Creative Australia’s arts and disability initiatives value and champion unique practices, perspectives and leadership – disrupting and reinventing artforms, opening up creative and professional pathways, and connecting with audiences – challenging how we see ourselves and each other.

Arts and disability practice spans and innovates across all art forms – opening us up to new aesthetic, creative and curatorial possibilities. Creative Australia’s disability arts/arts and disability initiatives also recognise that barriers to cultural participation exist and hold us back from drawing on our full range of talent and experiences. By investing in arts and disability practice, removing barriers and supporting skills development and career pathways for people from diverse backgrounds.

Creative Australia is overseen by the Australia Council Board. Board members have a range of expertise across artistic practice, arts management, business, management, public policy, corporate governance and administration, regional issues, gender, multicultural and First Nations community participation in the arts, finance, philanthropy, legal affairs, corporate strategy and research.

The Board has a maximum of fourteen members, including the Chief Executive Officer who is an Executive (Ex-Officio) member of the Board.

Terms of appointment must not exceed four years. Members are eligible for re-appointment; however, appointments are limited to a total of nine years. The Minister for the Arts appoints the Board. 

Music Australia is a dedicated body, established within Creative Australia, designed to support and invest in the Australian contemporary music industry.  

The Music Australia Council provides advice and recommendations to the Creative Australia Executive and Australia Council Board, which governs Creative Australia, on Music Australia’s strategic objectives, investment and development needs, program design and budget allocation.  

The Music Australia Council is made up of a Chair and eight other members who have a range of skills and experience.

Terms of appointment are for no more than four years. Members may be reappointed but may not serve on the Council for longer than nine years.  

Creative Australia invests in supporting workforce development, adaptation and innovation in leadership, governance, fundraising, business and entrepreneurial skills, and digital arts.

Training and professional development is supported through a range of activities including coaching and mentoring, workshops, convening and networking activities and formal training opportunities.

We invest in creative people and organisations and help build audiences and markets for Australian creative work, both in Australia and internationally. Our establishing legislation, the Creative Australia Act 2023, requires us to uphold and promote freedom of expression in the arts and to support Australian arts practice that reflects the diversity of Australia. As a result, we invest in artists and organisations that represent a range of voices, perspectives and stories.  

Importantly, our decision-making occurs at arm’s-length from the Australian Government minister responsible for the arts. This means that decisions on funding of artists and organisations are made independently from government.     

Creative Australia is dedicated to empowering and celebrating First Nations arts and culture in Australia and internationally. 

In January 2023 the Australian Government launched a new National Cultural Policy – Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place. The centrepiece of Revive was the establishment of Creative Australia, an expanded and modernised Australia Council for the Arts, with increased investment and additional functions. This transformational step for the organisation ensures it remains relevant to a modern Australian creative sector and can continue to provide strategic direction and leadership for the arts and cultural sector.

The  Creative Australia Act 2023 replaced the  Australia Council Act 2013. 

Our matched funding programs and initiatives help create a more sustainable and financially supported cultural sector.  

Whether you’re an arts organisation, independent artist or artistic group, we offer matched funding programs where we support your fundraising efforts and provide matched funding up to a certain amount.