The Queensland Government recognises local governments as key partners and co-investors in Queensland’s arts and culture.

Purpose

• The Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) is delivered as a partnership between the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and eligible local councils across the state.
• RADF promotes the role and value of arts, culture and heritage as key drivers of diverse and inclusive communities and strong regions. RADF invests in local arts and cultural priorities, as determined by local communities, across Queensland.
• RADF is a flexible fund, enabling local councils to tailor RADF programs to suit the needs of their communities.

Objectives

RADF objectives are to support arts and cultural activities that:

• Increase access to arts and cultural experiences in regional Queensland.
• Grow employment and capacity building opportunities for artists across regional Queensland.
• Deliver against local arts and cultural priorities and promote the value of arts, culture and heritage.

RADF Assessment

Assessment will be undertaken by the Toowoomba Regional Council’s Regional Arts Development Fund Advisory Committee. This is a committee of independent industry representatives selected from our community for their creative industries experience each term of Council.

Applications will be assessed on how well they reflect the Assessment Criteria relevant to the stated purpose of the application.

Applications will be assessed against their quality, impact, sustainable value and alignment with local priorities.

Assessment Criteria

Quality

• Produces or contributes to high quality arts and cultural initiatives for local communities.
• Proven capacity to effectively support and deliver arts and cultural services.
• Evidence of delivery against local arts and cultural priorities as outlined in Connecting Through Creativity - Toowoomba Region Cultural Strategy 2023-2028 and alignment to Creative Together.

 Impact

• Creates new employment opportunities and skills development for artists and arts workers in Queensland.
• Builds new audiences and markets and reputation for Queensland arts and cultures.
• Demonstrates community and stakeholder involvement in RADF priority setting, decision-making and evaluation.
• Where applicable, demonstrates support for activities that involve Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people, including adhering to cultural protocols.
• Helps deliver government priorities including Creative Together. and the principles of the Cultural Engagement Framework.

 Sustainable Value

• Demonstrates value for money, sound governance, and ethical business practices, including paying amounts not less than industry award rates, recommended or agreed minimum rates.
• Proposed activity has a strong delivery plan, including understanding potential risks and their management.

Local Priorities 

Applications should reflect at least two goals of Connecting Through Creativity - Toowoomba  Region Cultural Strategy 2023-2028

Goal 1 – Respect and Recognise

We respect and recognise First Nations culture and heritage.

• Build ethical, effective, and collaborative processes for policy, programs and promotion concerning cultural knowledge and creative expression of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Promote best practice cultural protocols, the principle of self‑determination and cultural safety training in partnership with First Nations communities across arts and cultural organisations.
• Put effective mechanisms in place to bring the voices and views of First Nations peoples, communities and organisations into the design, delivery and evaluation of programs, services, and facilities.
• Deliver and support initiatives that increase the visibility of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in the Toowoomba Region.

Goal 2 – Celebrate

Our unique culture, stories and heritage are multicultural, reflecting and shaping our local identities and communities, as we celebrate and nurture diversity.

• Broaden the community’s understanding of cultural and linguistically diverse opportunities through the delivery of Council services focused on access, equality, participation, planning and consultation.
• Engage our community and visitors in the cultural life of the Region through the continued development of innovative and dynamic cultural activities and programs.
• Ensure the stories of our Region’s people and places are preserved and showcased.

Goal 3 – Activate

Our arts, culture, creativity, and heritage stimulate local spaces and places, fostering opportunities to connect with others and activate communities.

• Plan, develop and maintain high-quality community and cultural facilities, precincts, and spaces that contribute to inclusive, culturally rich, and vibrant communities.
• Work with government partners and culture stakeholders to maximize the use of public libraries, museums, galleries, halls, open spaces, and other cultural facilities as community hubs and explore opportunities to integrate arts and culture activities and spaces into other community facilities.
• Implement a public art program that reflects and promotes the distinctive character and lifestyle of the Region and embrace opportunities that will instil pride in communities by supporting projects and programs that build a sense of place.

 Goal 4 – Connect, Collaborate and Create

We value creativity and strive to increase access to, and engagement with, the arts, culture, and heritage across the Region.

• Support creative initiatives that target diverse audiences, encouraging their participation in the arts as a vehicle to social and cultural inclusion.
• Facilitate the production of creative content, supporting, disseminating, and showcasing multi-faceted creative endeavours.
• Provide grant funding that builds and sustains the viability and productivity of community-based organisations and enhances the capacity and capability of local artists and cultural and creative practitioners.

Goal 5 – Govern

Our leadership and governance enable the cultural development of an inclusive, culturally rich, and vibrant community.

• Seek to position Toowoomba Regional Council as a leader and champion of arts, culture, and creativity.
• Partner with communities and all levels of government to support new and revitalised infrastructure that enhances community engagement in cultural experiences, supports artists and creative industries, and delivers economic and social outcomes for communities.
• Help build strong community-based cultural organisations.

Goal 6 – Thrive

Our local arts and creative industries are thriving, and we cultivate opportunities for this to occur.

• Support the development of a cohesive arts and cultural sector that maximises cooperation and resource sharing and builds creative capacity.
• Recognise, promote, and share the importance of arts, culture, and creativity to an enhanced quality of life by highlighting the inherent social, cultural, and economic value of a vibrant creative sector to the community.
• Support local practitioners and creative enterprises; facilitating professional development, commissioning, and platforming local artists, increasing the vitality and reach of the cultural economy and supporting contemporary practice.

Goal 7 – Cultivate

We promote the arts, culture, creativity, and heritage of the Region, communicating the wide range of events, festivals, programs, exhibitions and collections to visitors and our community.

• Develop and market cultural and creative tourism as part of Toowoomba Region’s identity and image.
• Actively promote arts, culture, and heritage events, festivals, programs, exhibitions and collections to residents and visitors using traditional and digital media channels.

What are the funding categories for the Toowoomba Region?

RADF applications in the Toowoomba Region can be for professional development, creation and or presentation of new work or for projects.

Applications can be for major or minor activities within these categories. Priority will be given to applications that best address the assessment criteria.

Eligibility

Who can apply for RADF funding

• Individual emerging and established artists, producers and creative practitioners
• Businesses
• Registered not-for-profit organisations
• Groups and collectives.

Applicants must:

• reside or be based in the Toowoomba Region local council area, or if based outside our local council area, be able to demonstrate how their application will directly benefit arts and culture in the Toowoomba Region
• have an ABN or be auspiced by an eligible organisation with an ABN
• be Australian citizens or permanent residents
• have met all acquittal conditions of previous Council grants
• discuss their proposal with the Cultural Services Officer and/or RADF Liaison officer prior to submission
• follow the application process as outlined below
• have appropriate insurance and adhere to sound workplace health and safety practices
• be able to demonstrate viability.

Applicants may only submit one RADF grant application per round.

Applications cannot be made by:

• government agencies or departments of state or federal government
• educational, religious or medical organisations, where the application is for the organisation’s core business.
• individuals where the application is for content directly related to educational coursework, study or research.

Funds are not available for activities that:

• begin before completion of the assessment of grants in the relevant financial year.
• seek ongoing operational expenses.

RADF grants require a co-funding contribution.

All applications are required to show a co-funding contribution in the budget.

This could be in the form of:

• applicant cash contributions
• grants from other funding bodies
• fundraising, sponsorship and partnership contributions
• in-kind support.

Interested parties are advised to check the TRC website and/or contact the Cultural Services Officer or RADF Liaison Officer for up-to-date information on the progress of the program.

How to apply?

There is a two-stage application process for RADF in Toowoomba Region.

A written expression of interest (EOI) is to be provided on the RADF EOI form accessed via SmartyGrants using this link

https://tr.smartygrants.com.au/RADF2025-26

At the EOI stage a preliminary budget will be required.

Expressions of interest will be reviewed by the RADF Advisory Committee.

Selected applicants will be invited to present in person to the RADF Advisory Committee. They may also be asked to submit supplementary information at this stage.

After successful presentation a detailed budget and project management plan may be required before funding agreements are formulated for successful applicants.

When can I apply?

Expressions of interest for projects starting after 1 February 2026 can be submitted at any time up until  midnight Sunday 23 November 2025.

Stage One - Expression of interest: Close Sunday 23 November 2025

Decision advised by mid- December- date to be confirmed.

Decision advised by via email through SmartyGrants.

Stage Two - Selected Applicants

Applicants selected from the expressions of interest will be invited to present their proposal to a meeting of the RADF Advisory Committee in late January 2026, Exact date and time to be advised.

Email invitations will be sent to the representative of each selected project via SmartyGrants.

Outcomes of these presentations will be advised via email by the end of January 2026.

Further Expressions of interest may be encouraged via a further funding round depending on the outcome of this round.

Interested parties are advised to check the TRC website and/or contact the Cultural Services team for up-to-date information on the progress of the program.

Reporting

All successful applicants will be required to provide an Outcome Report within 8 weeks of the completion of the funded activity.

Public feedback surveys are mandatory for activities receiving $10,000 or more in RADF funds, and optional for activities receiving less than $10,000.

Any project receiving $10,000 or more from RADF is required to report on specific statistics and feedback captured by the successful applicant via a public feedback survey to gain direct responses from and rating by attendees and or participants.

Statistics must still be captured and reported for projects receiving less than $10,000 but additional public feedback is optional for these projects.

Outcome report requirements will be provided to successful applicants with their with funding agreements so these requirements are clear from the beginning.

Failure to report on the outcome of a funded activity will result in the applicant becoming ineligible for any future Council funding.

*Note: funding recipients are expected to meet all legal obligations in relation to accessibility including access to web content.

# Where applicable, applicants must demonstrate evidence of adhering to appropriate cultural protocols for activities that engage and respect the work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

For further information on RADF please contact Toowoomba Regional Council’s RADF Liaison Phone: 131 872 or Email: info@tr.qld.gov.au

For information on other Arts Queensland programs and opportunities and access to helpful resources please visit www.arts.qld.gov.au