Artform Advisory Board FAQs and Code of Conduct

The boards review funding proposals for competitive funding rounds (grants) in the Arts and Cultural Funding Program. This helps ensure proposals are high quality and meet requirements.

The board members are from diverse areas in the arts and culture sector. They include:

• artists, arts and cultural practitioners

• leaders of small to medium sized organisations and major institutions from across NSW.

The Boards also provide strategic advice to Government. This is to:

• help shape policy directions and priorities

• identify opportunities to grow and promote arts and culture in NSW.

The boards help ensure the arts sector is represented in our grants assessment process in a way that is:

• consistent

• high-quality

• inclusive.

Artform Advisory Boards assess grants and meet within set timeframes - during which time members must be available.  Members serve for an initial term of up to two years. This ensures consistency in the Boards’ decision-making. 

• Aboriginal Arts and Culture Board

• Classical Music, Opera and Choral Board

• Contemporary Music Board
• Dance and Physical Theatre Board
• Festivals Board
• Literature Board
• Multi-arts Board
• Museums and History Board
• Theatre and Musical Theatre Board
• Visual Arts Board

Our Aboriginal-focused Board

• embraces the principles of Aboriginal self-determination
• encourages Aboriginal arts and culture to be at the centre of funded activity.

This benefits Aboriginal artists, arts and cultural workers, organisations, and communities.

The Board also advises other artform boards on funding applications with Aboriginal content.

Create NSW may undertake an EOI process where we:

• assess applications against experience and diversity criteria, and
• provide recommendations for appointment to the Minister for the Arts.

The Minister may also make a series of direct appointments for members from the:

• State Cultural Institutions
• State Significant Organisations and
• Major Performing Arts companies.

The NSW Government is committed to ensuring the boards have appropriate representation of:

• women
• people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• people with disability and
• young people.

We also encourage people living and working in Western Sydney and regional NSW to apply for appointment to the boards.

Yes, you can see a list of the board members of all 10 Artform Advisory Boards.

The Minister for the Arts appoints Chairs from leading members of the NSW arts sector.

EOI-selected participants serve an initial one-year period - with a possible reappointment for another year.

Direct appointments are for two years, with the possibility of a further two-year appointment.

Create NSW will act as secretariat for the entire process. This includes:

• informing board members on the eligibility and viability of applications
• providing sector knowledge, client funding histories and
• progressing Artform Advisory Assessment Board recommendations for approval by the Minister for the Arts.

A Code of Conduct (download below) governs Board members’ participation.

All Board members will be required to declare their interests annually and again prior to the assessment of every application to ensure the management of any conflicts.

Each year, the membership of the Artform Advisory Boards is adjusted to ensure the Boards maintain an appropriate balance of diversity and regional representation and a range of expertise and experience across the artforms.

Board member participation is in line with the NSW Government Boards and Committees Classification and Remuneration Framework remuneration for C2 level boards. Employees of NSW Government organisations are not eligible to receive additional remuneration when serving on a Board.

Regional-based Board members’ travel expenses will be covered in line with the NSW Government Boards and Committees Classification and Remuneration Framework and the Department of Premier and Cabinet Circulars. 

Download below.