Grants & Awards
Oral History NSW administers grants and awards to support our members to access opportunities such as national and international conferences.
Oral History NSW grants & AWARDS
The Oral History NSW Community History Award acknowledges the work of individuals or community groups who are recording the histories of their communities. The winner of the award receives $500. Applications are now open and close Friday 30 August 2024.
The Oral History NSW Conference Grant is available to presenters attending the Biennial Oral History Australia Conference in person. Two grants of $600 each will be offered. Applications for the next OHA Conference in Victoria are now open and close Friday 30 August 2024.
The Oral History NSW Regional Engagement Grant provides $1500 biennually to support the use and practice of oral history in regional areas. Applications are now open and close Friday 30 August 2024.
The Oral History NSW International Conference Grant is available for a member presenting in person at the International Oral History Association Conference (IOHA) held every two years. One grant of $1200 will be offered. Applications will reopen in 2025.
Please note: All applications will be assessed based on merit. Oral History NSW reserves the right to not award a grant if applications received do not satisfy all criteria or reflect the required standard.
Other grants & AWARDS
There are a range of grants programs through the NSW State Government and partner agencies allocated funding to redistribute for specific projects in regional areas, detailed below.
The Australian Historical Association administers a program of annual and biannual prizes and awards - details here.
Museums & Galleries NSW offer small grants to support volunteer groups and organisations improve their skills in areas of museum practice including paper conservation, oral history through the Leg Up Grants (up to $500) and Skills Development Grants (up to $4,000) for regional or state focused skill development training for a broad range of projects. There are also Project Development Grants for strategic and innovative projects with mid to long term outcomes ($2,500 - $7,500).
The Country Arts Support Program (CASP) is an annual small grants program administered by Regional Arts NSW (RANSW) on behalf of Create NSW. Grants of up to either $3,000 or $5000 (depending on region) are available primarily for a professional’s fees, travel and accommodation. Please note that applicants must contact their local Regional Arts Development Organisation prior to submission. You can find your local RADO here. 2018 Guidelines are available here.
The Royal Australian Historical Society’s Heritage Grants Program offers grants of up to $5000 support the work undertaken by local historical societies, community organisations and individuals across New South Wales. Eligible projects include the conservation of endangered archival material. See guidelines here. You can contact RAHS for more information via contact us at grants@rahs.org.au or (02) 9247 8001
The Office of Environment and Heritage’s Heritage Near Me program offers support directly to owners and managers of local heritage items. The Local Heritage Strategic Projects stream has funding available of up to $100,000 per application. The stream supports the promotion of heritage collections through ‘connect communities and heritage’ or ‘Support effective heritage management’ categories.
To find out more phone: 02 9873 8544 or email: heritage.nearme@environment.nsw.gov.au.
For more information about the Local Heritage Strategic Projects program visit the Heritage Near Me Incentives program page.
The National Library of Australia’s conservation activities and collection management program supports digitisation projects with cash grants of up to $15,000 are provided to assist in the preservation and access to these collections. Guidelines can be found here.
Create NSW administers the Regional Partnerships program to support significant strategic and long-term partnerships in regional NSW that will stimulate strong and diverse regional arts and cultural activity, and leave a legacy. Collaborative partnerships include a regional museum working in partnership with volunteer museums in the surrounding regions to develop skills or a collaborative exhibition or program. An example of a recent partnership was between Orange Regional Museum and Sydney Living Museums’ Villages of the Heart project which collected around 30 oral histories. Funding of up to $150,000 over two years is available. Guidelines on page 29 can be found here.
Contact Barbara Vickery, Sector Investment Officer (Arts), (02) 8289 6436, barbara.vickery@create.nsw.gov