Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program
Rounds open:
The next round is due to open in mid-2021
Cultural diplomacy plays a vital role in international relations, offering unique opportunities to foster mutual understanding and build relationships.
The key aim of cultural diplomacy is sustained purposeful engagement to promote Australia's cultural and creative industries overseas; to establish networks; and support ongoing collaborations and exchange.
Through cultural diplomacy initiatives, DFAT strengthens Australia's influence, reputation, reach and relationships overseas.
Cultural diplomacy shows our core values and promotes Australia as an innovative, creative, diverse and tolerant nation; and as an attractive place to live, work, study, and invest.
The promotion of Australia's cultural and creative industries internationally acknowledges the economic importance of the creative economy to Australia.
DFAT supports cultural diplomacy through the Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program (ACDGP).
Funding is available for projects that:
- create a positive and contemporary image of Australia
- build people-to-people links
- strengthen engagement
- enhance markets and develop export opportunities, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
Building creative excellence
The arts are more than a cultural export. Collaboration on cultural projects helps build influence and partnerships internationally and creates shared understanding.
DFAT's promotion of Australian excellence in culture and the arts works to establish networks and encourage collaboration and exchanges between Australian artists and arts organisations and their international partners. It helps to expand audiences and markets for Australian artistic work and creative products. We also promote Australian expertise in arts production and management, and build our reputation as a culturally rich and diverse society.
Priority sectors and targeted countries or regions
We will consider all applications. However, we encourage you to consider your creative activity and ACDGP application through the prism of Australia's policy priorities outlined in the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper.
Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program outcomes
Cultural diplomacy is an important tool for governments to advance Australia's interests, soft power and influence. The ACDGP will advance the soft power and partnerships objectives of the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper by:
- Supporting cultural collaboration and partnerships that build influence internationally
- Promoting our economic, artistic and cultural assets to an international audience
- Expanding audiences and markets
- Building people-to-people links internationally
- Leveraging existing partnerships and fostering engagement with key stakeholders
- Supporting other DFAT programs
- Influencing perceptions of Australia at home and abroad.