Maribyrnong Community-Engaged Artist Residency Program (Australia)

Deadline: 04-Oct-2026

The Maribyrnong Community-Engaged Artist Residency is inviting applications from artists of all genres to co-create an arts project with users of the Maribyrnong Community Centre and the wider local community. The residency provides artists with an opportunity to develop meaningful community-engaged creative work that celebrates local stories, perspectives, culture, and the environment. Selected artists will work closely with community members through a collaborative project designed to encourage participation from people of different ages, backgrounds, and levels of creative experience. Artists can receive up to $10,000 in artist fees, together with an additional $500 for working materials. The residency also provides access to meeting and workshop spaces, producer support, marketing assistance for public outcomes, and guidance from Arts and Culture staff.

About the Maribyrnong Community-Engaged Artist Residency

The residency is designed to connect professional creative practice with community participation. Artists from all genres are encouraged to propose ambitious projects that can engage Maribyrnong Community Centre users and local residents in arts, culture, and creativity. Rather than focusing only on producing an artistic outcome, the residency emphasizes the process of working collaboratively with the community and creating meaningful opportunities for people to contribute to the project. What Is the Purpose of the Residency? The residency seeks to encourage creative projects that strengthen connections between artists and the local community.

Key aims include:

- Encouraging community participation in arts and culture. - Celebrating local stories and perspectives. - Exploring the local environment through creative practice. - Creating opportunities for people to participate in artistic activities. - Supporting collaborative and community-engaged art. - Connecting artists with diverse community members. - Providing meaningful creative experiences for people of different ages and backgrounds. Who Can Apply? The opportunity is open to artists working across all genres. Applicants should demonstrate the ability to develop and deliver a community-engaged creative project and show experience working collaboratively with communities. Artists may come from different artistic disciplines, provided their proposed project can meaningfully engage Maribyrnong Community Centre users and the wider local community. What Kind of Projects Are Encouraged? Applicants are encouraged to submit ambitious proposals that place community engagement at the centre of the creative process.

Projects may explore:

- Local stories. - Community perspectives. - Local culture. - The environment. - Shared experiences. - Community identity. - Creative participation. - Connections between different generations and backgrounds. The strongest proposals are likely to demonstrate how community members will actively contribute to the creative process rather than simply attend a finished presentation. Community Engagement and Participation A central feature of the residency is meaningful community participation. Artists should consider how people with different ages, cultural backgrounds, abilities, and levels of artistic experience can participate in the project. The proposed approach should create welcoming opportunities for community members to share ideas, contribute creatively, and engage with the project according to their interests and experience. Celebrating Local Stories and Perspectives The residency provides an opportunity for artists to explore the experiences and perspectives of people connected to Maribyrnong. Projects can create spaces where community members contribute their stories, knowledge, memories, ideas, or creative perspectives. Applicants should explain how their project will respectfully reflect the community and how participants will be involved in shaping the artistic outcome. Connecting Art With the Local Environment The local environment is another important focus of the residency. Artists can consider creative ways of exploring people’s relationships with their surroundings and the environment through their proposed artistic practice. Projects that demonstrate a thoughtful connection between creativity, place, community, and environment can help create a strong local identity for the residency. How Much Funding Is Available?

Selected artists can receive:

- Up to $10,000 in artist fees. - An additional $500 for working materials. The artist fee is intended to support the artist’s work throughout the approximately three-month residency. The additional materials allocation can help cover working materials required for the creative project. Additional Support Provided The residency offers more than financial assistance. Selected artists will also have access to: - Meeting spaces. - Workshop spaces. - Producer support. - Marketing assistance for public outcomes. - Guidance from Arts and Culture staff. These resources can help artists develop, coordinate, and present their community-engaged projects. Residency Duration The residency is approximately three months in duration. Artists are expected to work part-time during this period. The residency structure is designed to give artists sufficient time to build relationships with community members, develop the project collaboratively, and create a meaningful artistic outcome. Building a Deep Connection With the Community Artists are expected to develop a genuine connection with the Maribyrnong community throughout the residency. This means the project should allow sufficient time for listening, relationship-building, collaboration, creative development, and community participation. Applicants should therefore explain not only what they want to create, but also how they will work with people throughout the residency. Experience in Community Arts Practice Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate strong experience in community arts