Background Image

Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy

The Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy (VACS) is a partnership with the Australian Government to provide coordinated funding and support for the Australian contemporary visual arts sector, promoting creative work by living visual artists and craft practitioners and the organisations that support their practice. The VACS objectives are:

  • Deepen audience engagement – through critical discussion about individual artists and works, innovation in audience engagement and market development, enhanced international engagement, and high quality touring exhibitions and events.

  • Expand markets and enhance international connections – through market exposure, opportunities to leverage private sector support, as well as support for activities such as residencies, international exhibitions and fellowships.

  • Ensure opportunities for Australian contemporary visual artists – through funding to create new work and support innovation, a diversity of practice, professional development opportunities, and support for artist run initiatives.

  • Provide professional support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists – through funding to Indigenous visual arts industry service organisations and other visual arts organisations as needed to address service delivery gaps.

  • Build stronger, more resilient visual arts and craft organisations – through support for infrastructure that has strong governance, innovation or art-form development, major events, and touring of major contemporary visual arts and craft exhibitions.

VACS funding is also embedded within Arts Queensland’s funding programs to support strategic project funding and professional development. These programs include:

  • Queensland Arts Showcase Program - funding to deliver vibrant and accessible arts and cultural experiences for Queensland.

  • Individuals Fund – support for artists and cultural workers to participate in transformational professional and career development opportunities.

  • Four year funding for Indigenous Organisations to support visual arts, craft and design priorities and objectives through the Backing Indigenous Arts initiative (BIA). 

  • The Organisations Fund incorporates VACS multi-year funding for visual arts organisations.

You can find out more about VACS by visiting the Ministry for the Arts website.