The 2025 Next Level Creative Mentorship Program has expanded to support writers, musicians, dancers, choreographers, actors, directors and/or producers with disability or who are d/Deaf from New South Wales and South Australia.

Ten artists with disability working in the performing arts will be provided with $3000 in project funding and access to a mentorship within a leading performing arts organisation to develop an innovative new project.  

Mentorships will take place within one of our Partnering Organisations (listed below) and will result in the opportunity to develop a project concept brief and prepare it for effective pitches to relevant companies, venues, artistic directors, and producers. This is a hybrid program with both professional and project development outcomes. 

Over a period of three months, a dedicated mentor will work individually with the selected participants to: 

• Assess your creative concept 
• Develop your concept into a project brief 
• Provide advice on drafting a detailed project outline, including budgets, timelines, deliverables, and key contacts 
• Provide guidance regarding potential pitch meeting opportunities with relevant companies, venues, artistic directors and/or producers 

The program will involve facilitated sessions with a mentor and self-directed tasks. The mentor will be available for a total of 20 hours. The Next Level Creative Mentorship Program will be undertaken and completed between March – August 2025. 

Partnering Organisations

• Australian Dance Theatre 
• Bangarra Dance Theatre 
• Bell Shakespeare 
• Belvoir St Theatre 
• Gravity and Other Myths
• Merrigong Theatre Company 
• Penrith Performing and Visual Arts 
• PYT Fairfield 
• State Theatre Company South Australia 
• Windmill Theatre Company

Access

Applicants will need to provide information on their access requirements via the application form. Successful applicants and partnering organisations will be provided with Disability Confidence Training facilitated by Accessible Arts. Accessible Arts will provide access support to both the host organisations and the mentees throughout the mentorship program.

Who can apply?

• Applicants must identify as being d/Deaf or a person with disability
• Applicants must reside in New South Wales or South Australia
• Applicants must be an emerging or mid-career writer, actor, musician, dancer, choreographer, director and/or producer
• Applicants must be over the age of 18 when applying
• Applicants must have previous experience at any level in the performing arts industry

Apply Now

Before applying, please read the Next Level Program Application Guidelines: Word | PDF

You can apply online via Survey Monkey or download the application form: Word | PDF

If you cannot access the online Survey Monkey application form, please note that applications will be accepted in other formats that are accessible including Auslan, audio, video, printed, dictated, electronic and handwritten formats.

Applications close at 11pm on Sunday 23 February 2025

Applications will be assessed by a panel of Accessible Arts and Access2Arts staff, including people with disability. Compatibility of the applicant and the project idea with the host organisation will be considered. Applications will be reviewed and selected in consultation with the host organisations, who may wish to interview applicants before the final selection of the mentees are made. In this instance, interviews will be facilitated by Accessible Arts and/or Access2Arts with staff from partnering organisations also in attendance 

All applicants will be notified of the results by early March 2025. 

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. Accessible Arts Principal Funder: Create NSW. Access2Arts Principal Funder: Government of South Australia.

ENDS

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