Australia is one of the world's most culturally diverse nations — with over 300 languages spoken, significant migration from every continent, and communities maintaining rich cultural traditions alongside Australian identity. Australian arts philanthropy has a responsibility and opportunity to reflect and celebrate this diversity — and a funding ecosystem has developed to support culturally diverse arts practice.
Scale of cultural diversity
CALD arts practice
"CALD" (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) is the term commonly used for communities from non-English speaking backgrounds. CALD artists and arts organisations:
- Maintain and evolve traditions from their cultural heritage
- Create new art that blends cultural traditions
- Address experiences of migration, identity, belonging, and diaspora
- Connect communities to their cultural roots
- Build cross-cultural understanding
First Nations arts
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts represent a distinct and irreplaceable dimension of Australian cultural diversity — the oldest continuous artistic traditions on earth. First Nations arts have their own dedicated funding streams (through Australia Council's First Nations team) and are distinct from multicultural arts, though both address underrepresentation in mainstream cultural institutions.
The Australia Council is the primary national arts funder — and has specific support for multicultural arts:
Cultural diversity framework
The Australia Council has a Cultural Diversity Artform Framework committing to:
- Increased investment in CALD arts practice
- Diversity in peer assessment panels
- Support for culturally diverse organisations and artists
Grants for CALD artists and organisations
CALD artists access Australia Council grants through open competitive processes — there are no specifically quarantined grants for CALD arts, but the assessment criteria include diversity considerations.
First Nations arts team
The Australia Council's dedicated First Nations team manages investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts — with substantial funding for artists, organisations, and communities.
Each state has arts funding bodies with some multicultural focus:
Arts NSW / Create NSW
Creative Victoria / Arts Victoria
Arts Queensland
Other states
Each state arts body has some multicultural arts investment — check their specific grant guidelines.
Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV)
Multicultural Arts Victoria is a specialist organisation dedicated to CALD arts in Victoria — providing grants, development support, and advocacy. It is funded by Arts Victoria and the Victorian government's multicultural affairs portfolio.
State multicultural affairs agencies sometimes fund arts alongside broader multicultural programmes:
- NSW Government Department of Communities and Justice
- Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet multicultural affairs
- Queensland Multicultural Affairs
These agencies fund cultural celebrations, community arts, and events that strengthen cultural communities — sometimes overlapping with arts funding.
Local councils fund multicultural arts and cultural events:
- Council festivals and cultural celebrations
- Community arts programmes
- Council arts centres with multicultural programming
- Event grants for cultural community celebrations
Major multicultural arts festivals — Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid al-Adha celebrations — access local government support alongside community fundraising.
Corporate arts philanthropy
Major corporations with diverse workforces and customers increasingly support multicultural arts:
- Sponsorship of multicultural festivals
- Cultural community partnerships
- Diversity and inclusion arts initiatives
Foundations
Some private foundations specifically fund cultural diversity:
- The Myer Foundation: arts including cultural diversity
- Community foundations with multicultural priorities
- Diaspora community foundations
International arts exchanges
Some international funding (cultural diplomacy, bilateral exchange programmes) supports Australian multicultural arts — particularly for communities connected to specific countries.
Australia's multicultural arts sector connects to global cultural networks:
- Australia-Asia engagement through arts
- Pacific arts exchange
- Cultural diplomacy through arts programmes (Aus Aid cultural initiatives)
These connections can create funding opportunities through cultural ministries of countries with large diaspora communities in Australia.
Cultural authenticity: demonstrate that the artistic practice is genuinely grounded in the cultural traditions being expressed — not appropriative or superficial.
Community connection: multicultural arts is strongest when genuinely connected to communities. Show that the artists or organisation is embedded in and accountable to their cultural community.
Artistic quality: Australia Council and state arts funders assess artistic merit alongside diversity — demonstrate excellence alongside cultural significance.
Access and inclusion: multicultural arts events and programmes should be accessible to the communities they serve — language access, affordability, venue accessibility.
First Nations distinction: First Nations arts is not multicultural arts — they require separate recognition and funding. Avoid conflating the two.
Tahua's grants management platform supports arts funders investing in cultural diversity and multicultural arts — with cultural community organisation profiles, diversity outcome tracking, festival and event management, and the tools that help arts funders build genuinely diverse and representative grant portfolios.