Touring Queensland Fund

The Touring Queensland Fund focuses on supporting regional community access to quality arts and cultural events and products. It supports arts presenters and producers in the delivery of performing arts, visual arts, contemporary music gigs, and cultural heritage touring activity. 

This fund has 2 streams:

1. Single year and single tour funding for single tours and touring programs including schools touring (within a 12-month period) and single tours to present arts products and experiences across Queensland touring circuits or regions.
2. Multi-year touring funding for touring programs that are not dedicated schools touring within a 2-year period (with the option to extend funding agreements for a third year of programs) that enhance community cultural calendars and grow audiences for Queensland artists and arts organisations across or within regions.

Funding will support tours within and between regions, touring from Brisbane to regional Queensland locations, and tours from regionally based companies to Brisbane.

Note: Dedicated multi-year schools touring programs will be supported through an expressions of interest process to be opened by Arts Queensland in late 2022 for 2023-2026 regional schools touring programs, therefore the Touring Queensland Fund will only support single-year schools touring projects.  

Objectives 

The Touring Queensland Fund:

• Supports arts presenters and producers in the delivery of touring arts and cultural experiences and gigs in a range of places including halls, libraries, galleries, performing arts venues, schools and non-traditional spaces within and across Queensland communities. 
• Grows audience access to and demand for exceptional and diverse arts experiences.
• Enables audience development within regions, for an artist, organisation and/or artform through touring activity.
• Increases diverse programming, including First Nations arts, contemporary music gigs and disability arts, and drive regional company touring into new regional locations and Brisbane.
• Provides new employment and career development opportunities for Queensland artists and organisations.
   

Funding

Single year touring programs and single tour funding—up to $100,000 for tour-ready performing arts, visual arts, schools’ tours, workshops, and events for tour itineraries that include at least three (3) locations within a 12-month period.

Multi-year touring program funding—up to $150,000 per annum for touring an identified circuit of at least five (5) locations multiple times over a 24-month period.

Applicants can apply for up to 50% of the total project costs (excluding placement cost, see below).

Additional funding available

PLUS up to $60,000 towards a full-time industry placement for 12-months (or a pro rata equivalent for part-time) with a focus on arts management and/or arts production. The placement must be:

• built into the planned activity, and you must provide evidence of your intention for continued employment of the person or role
• supported by a holistic skills development program and a supervisor with appropriate experience
• paid at least minimum award wage and covered under employer’s Workcover and superannuation.

Two-year funded applicants approved for this extra funding will have the option to apply for up to $30,000 (or a pro rata equivalent) in Year 2 to continue employment of the placement if they can demonstrate the successful delivery of Year 1 and provide evidence of how they will transition to the continued employment of the person or role.

Frequency

*For Round 1 only, single year and single tour applications may be submitted for both closing dates.

How to apply

1. Visit our supporting documents page to view the:

• Touring Queensland guidelines
• General Funding guidelines

2. Complete the online application form. 

Arts Queensland uses Smartygrants, an online grant application system. If you are unable to access Smartygrants contact:

• an Arts Investment Officer on (07) 3034 4016 or toll free 1800 175 531
• email investment@arts.qld.gov.au.

More information

• Successful Round 1a recipients (as of January 2023)
• Previous recipients 
• Information for previous Touring Queensland Fund and Playing Queensland Fund recipients