Arts NT Fellowships
This program is presented in partnership with the Northern Territory Government through Arts NT.
Nine fellowships are available, with three residency fellowships and six virtual fellowships available. Participants will be selected from across the Territory, and one fellowship place will be reserved for a First Nations writer or illustrator.
Residency fellowships will include:
A two-week residency at Varuna, with full board and accommodation including a prepared evening meal
Uninterrupted time to write in your own private studio, and the companionship of your fellow writers.
$1,500 towards expenses, including travel, manuscript consultations, or accommodation in Sydney on the way through to the Blue Mountains. Each writer is able to use this expenses budget to fit their individual needs.
The virtual residency program will include:
Two one-hour online sessions (one-on-one) with Varuna writing consultant, playwright and poet Mary Anne Butler.
Two online Q&A sessions with experienced writers..
Daily facilitated professional networking opportunities throughout the week, including the opportunity to share work, talk about process, and receive feedback.
Virtual residency participants need to allow at least two hours at specific times every day for programmed sessions, with the expectation that participants will spend at least three hours dedicated writing time each day.
Key dates
Applications open: 5 August 2024
Closing date: 17 September 2024
Results will be posted on the News page of Varuna’s website in late October 2024.
The physical residencies will need to be taken between January and March 2025, subject to availability in the house. The virtual residency program will run from 3 February to 10 February 2025. Applicants will be asked to specify their preference between a physical and virtual residency. All applicants shortlisted for a physical residency who are unsuccessful will be offered a virtual residency as a second option.
What you need to send us
You will need to send us between 6,000 and 10,000 words from the beginning of your manuscript, along with a synopsis of the entire work. For poetry, you need to send us a selection of 10 poems.
What we are looking for
We are looking for emerging or established writers who are developing new work in creative writing or illustration. This could include literary fiction, genre fiction, non-fiction, illustration and graphic novels, young adult fiction, junior fiction, poetry, or writing for screen, theatre or radio.
Assessors will be looking at the level of achievement (works completed, published or produced, awards won), clarity of work focus and creative objectives (how you will use your time), professional benefits to the recipient (how this Fellowship and your current project will benefit your professional development), and the merit of your writing or creative work.
Fees
There is no application fee for this program, nor are there any program costs.
The fine print
The state flag of the NT with Southern Cross, stars are shown white on black on the left side. The right side shows an ochre background with the petals of the Sturt’s Desert Rose (NT state flower).
Listen to what Dani Powell has to say about her experience as a Arts NT Varuna Fellowship recipient….