ARTery GRANTS

ARTery Grants Guidleines & Policies

We offer three grant options to support artists;

1. Large Art Grants

Up to $5,000 each, available for individuals or collectives.

Large Art Grant Applications for Burning Seed: Rekindle are now closed. However you are welcome to apply for a Small Art Grant.

1. Small Art Grants

Up to $2,000 each, available for individuals or collectives.

Applications for round 2 Small Art Grants for Burning Seed: Rekindle are open until 30 October 2022 - APPLY NOW!

1. Riverina Residents Art Grants

Up to $2,000 each, available for individuals or collectives who are residents in the Riverina local area.

Riverina Residents Art Grant Applications for Burning Seed: Rekindle are now closed. However you are welcome to apply for a Small Art Grant.

NOTE: artists under 18 may apply for the Small Art Grants or Riverina Residents Art Grants.

How ARTery Grants funding works

The art we enjoy at Burning Seed requires a shared culture for its production, exhibition and funding. We only provide grants for a portion of the piece - the artist needs to find support for the remainder.

We want every artist to have an enabling force

Every year, the Burning Seed budget designates funding to the ARTery to support art project proposals. In previous years, this has amounted to roughly 4% of ticket revenue. But in 2023, the allocation for Art funding has risen to approximately 18% of projected revenue. 

We are all still adjusting to life post-pandemic and what that might mean for our application process and selection criteria. The team understands that getting projects to Paddock is not easy. We encourage all artists - established and emerging - to apply. We will do our best to work with you and support the fruits of your imagination.

We do not finance 100% of any proposal

The art we enjoy at Burning Seed requires a shared culture for its production, exhibition and funding. We only provide grants for a portion of the piece - the artist needs to find support for the remainder. Raising money to complete the artwork is part of the process. We encourage artists to gift and find alternative ways to fundraise the amount they require.

Artists may also apply for additional grants through other Burner organisations, such as BOSS or Common Arts Victoria to supplement Burning Seed ARTery grant funding. Your budget should include additional funds that you are contributing either directly, from other funding bodies or via fundraising events or crowdfunding.

Artwork projects are only funded once. If we choose to fund your project we cannot fund it in future years. However, if your project is declined, you may resubmit it in future years.

What we do & don’t fund

There is always a place for art that is simply beautiful, made as an object for contemplation. But we favour art that is more than that and in some way, has a social agenda. 

Generally, ARTery looks to fund installations that are stand-alone, sculptural installations, independent of specific performances or activities (although these may accompany the installation). The reason for this is related to risk management.

While we recognise performance art as a legitimate and powerful art form, we are not able to offer a Grant program for performance at this time. Of course you can still bring performance to Burning Seed and can still register your performance art with the ARTery.

If you have questions about whether your project idea would be considered for funding please contact the ARTery at artery@burningseed.com at least two weeks before funding deadlines.

Fire Art support

• All fire art, including works to be burnt or pieces that contain open flame or flame effects requires additional approval and liaison with the Fire Art Response Team (FART).

• This year Burning Seed will require a permit for any flammable art that will be ignited before 31 March 2023 - please immediately alert artery@burningseed.com and we can hold a special briefing about the terms before you design your work.

• All fire art must be pre-approved and signed off onsite by FART before January 31, 2023.

You can contact the FART team for further information at fart@burningseed.com. Please cc artery@burningseed.com.

Submitting your ARTery Grant application

In order to sustain fair and equitable grant distribution for the community as a whole, we have created some grant application guidelines:

Applications

• Must be submitted on time using the online art grant application form.

• Must have drawings or photographs to support it, and a technical description of construction and implementation.

• Any structure 3m or taller must be approved by our building supervisor, who will contact you during and/or after the application process.

• Must include budget and Leave No Trace (LNT) plans, while also considering plans for lighting, safety and transportation.

What is eligible to include in your budget for grant funding

We finance;

• Approved materials for the construction of your artwork, such as wood, fixtures and fittings, fabric, paint etc

• Transport allowances for large artworks to be brought to and from site. (Note: this is on a case-by-case basis.) ARTery recognises that 2022 fuel costs are double what they were in 2019.

We DO NOT finance;

• ‘Labour’ or artist services

• Burning Seed tickets 

• Personal travel expenses  

We would love to support artists who collaborate with others to share transport of materials to and from site, but do not have the human resources to manage the logistics. Please let ARTery know if you would like to arrange this and we will connect other artists to you.

ARTery Grant selection process

ARTery Grant Selection Committee (AGSC)

The ARTery team with Town Council will be performing the duties of the former AGSC and will use its terms and principles as a guide as follows:

• The (AGSC) members review each application and complete an internal survey based on the selection criteria outlined in the Grant Funding Section of this Policy document. The projects are ranked then discussed by the (AGSC). 

• If the (AGSC) has concerns or questions regarding the project the artist is contacted for clarification before final decisions are made regarding funding.

• If any member of the committee applies for a grant themselves or has a family member or good friend who has applied they will not vote on that particular project.

• Grant application decisions require a quorum of 5 if the team has 7 members or 7 if the team is 9 members

• Final funding allocations are approved by the (AGSC) and recipients are contacted by the ARTery team

ARTery Grant selection criteria

ARTery Grant Proposals are assessed on the following criteria: 

• Safety

• Sustainability

• Interactivity

• Accessibility/Displayed or Open Hours

• Impact on the event experience

• Wow factor

• Ingenuity/Originality/Innovation

• Accuracy of the budget

• Achievability

• Overall scope/plan & attention to detail

• Leave No Trace Plan

• Selected against other projects to create a diverse program of art

• Relevance to theme

• Emotional/social impact

If you have questions about this process please email artery@burningseed.com 

What we expect from you, our funded artists

• Be totally committed to your proposed project. We receive more applications than we can help to fund; many artists would love to be in your position. Please follow through to the highest level of commitment possible.

• Be creative. Think about incorporating the Ten Principles of Burning Man into your project. The ARTery particularly encourages Participation, Communal Effort and Radical Self-expression.

• Be mindful of site conditions. You are responsible for your artwork, and any MOOP it creates. Think about the materials you plan to use. Will they dissolve at the first sign of rain, or are they built to withstand nuclear fallout? If you’re taking your artwork away, do you know what you need to pack it down?

• Be open and communicative. Always ask us if you have any questions or concerns. There are many things to consider, from night lighting to a burn plan (subject to FART, ARTery and Town Council approval in 2022). You must also have and follow through on a Leave No Trace plan, and a Fire Safety plan.

Complete all requirements of your contract 

This includes;

• Providing itemised receipts post-event - you will be required to submit receipts post-event which need to match the items listed in your budget. No tax invoice, Statement by a Supplier and receipts means Burning Seed may not be able to pay you so please be extra careful - clear photographs of receipts must meet ATO regulations.

• Checking in and out with the ARTery staff on site - complying with safety checks and LNT policies

• Providing at least two clear photos of your installation (one day, one night) to be submitted with final receipts, including name, title, dimensions that may be used for our ARTchive on the Burning Seed website and on our social media platforms.

• Completing an ARTery survey about your experience creating art for Burning Seed

Making changes to your artwork proposal after funding has been approved

• We understand the need for flexibility and last minute adjustments to your artistic blueprint, but large deviations from agreed (ie funded) project plans are unacceptable. You will risk losing your approved funding.

Non-provision of Artwork

• If we approve an art grant but the artist fails to provide the art at the event, we will not approve any art proposal by that artist for the next three years. 

• The only exception is in the case of ‘extreme’ circumstances beyond your control, eg illness or accidents en route that must be supported by documentation like Doctor’s certificates and police reports in the case of an accident.

• In all cases we will expect one of two options:

1. The 80% grant funding is returned to Burning Seed OR 

2. The artwork is brought to the next year’s Burning Seed — but this will be discussed at the time and must be approved by Town Council and Finance

Onsite placement and installation

• Placement requests will be considered, however, the final placement will be decided by the ARTery in conjunction with the Site Design team.

• Artists, particularly those making large pieces, may apply for early entry, however these places are strictly limited and can only be granted in specific cases.

• Large art installations must be onsite and set up by event opening. In 2023, this means midday on Wednesday 22 March. Your installation must remain intact and ‘open’ until 1 p.m. on the last day of the event, Monday 27 March, when it can be removed; this allows for the community to view the artwork Seed has funded for a total of five days.

• The artist is responsible for the artwork’s removal in line with our Leave No Trace (LNT) principle and all projects must check-out with the ARTery and have a LNT check before departing the event. Failure to do so may result in the final payment being withheld.

What to expect from us

We love our job and will strive to keep the artistic environment of Burning Seed inspired, innovative, and efficient. We work to support artists in their creativity and encourage the Burner community to engage on and off site.

Payment schedule

• We will pay 80% of the granted amount of any approved proposal within 4 weeks of approval and once the signed agreement is provided, and the remaining 20% no later than six weeks after we receive your final documents. 

• The final payment is conditional upon a final sign off from the ARTery and LNT teams. The final 20% post-Seed payment is also conditional on the provision of scanned receipts for the approved materials listed in the proposal to the ARTery. Receipts must be provided within the 4 weeks after the event. 

• Note that projects that are burnt may be subject to 30% withholding for LNT approval.

Onsite support, placement and installation

• We maximise the safety of all art installations by providing guidelines that define the necessary parameters of the project, whether it is a fire art piece or an interactive kinetic installation. Our priority is promoting safe and smart interaction between the ART and the participant. 

• Onsite support is provided through ARTedia which is open on site each day from 10 a.m until 4 p.m. (except Sunday/Temple burn day). An ARTery team member will be on call for art safety related issues during the event.

• We are looking at providing access to heavy machinery for large projects, subject to approval and billed based on usage.

Promotion

• We will never commodify or attempt to make money from your project. We will always include the lead artist name and title in all references on Burning Seed pages giving credit where credit is due. ARTery grants are not acquisitive, we do not own the art we fund. 

• The artist retains ownership and copyright of the work, however the ARTery and Burning Seed reserves the right to reproduce images and descriptions of works in any printed or online format for publicity purposes.

Final word!

We all dream large and want to make the best and biggest art that we can. But sometimes, reality gets in the way. 

The ARTery focuses on ensuring that you consider the constraints of your artwork so that things run smoothly at Burning Seed. Work with us, and create some awesome art! We are committed to being an enabling force for artists. 

BURN BRIGHT AND MAKE ART!