Exhibition Development Fund –

Opens: 5 March 2025

Applications Due: Wednesday 14 May, 5pm, 2025.

NETS Victoria’s Exhibition Development Fund (EDF) provides seed funding to research and develop new, curated exhibitions of contemporary visual arts, craft and design. 

The program supports innovative exhibitions of high-quality work and accompanying public programs that engage, inspire and develop artists, curators, arts organisations, public galleries and audiences across Victoria (and beyond). Projects may be entirely research and development and/or include a public outcome (such as staging the exhibition in a single venue or online, or producing an exhibition catalogue).

Past recipients include the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) for Between Waves, TarraWarra Museum of Art for Looking Glass: Judy Watson and Yhonnie Scarce, La Trobe Art Institute for One foot on the ground, one foot in the water, and Monash University Museum of Art for Collective Movements.  

Director of NETS Victoria Claire Watson says:

“NETS Victoria is thrilled to invite bold and visionary proposals for projects that showcase the dynamism and ambition of Australian contemporary arts practice.” 

The program aims to increase representation of First Nations artists and curators, showcase new and diverse voices, build capacity of artists, curators, applicants and audiences, and create new touring models that contribute to environmental sustainability. 

All projects must be developed with the intention to tour the exhibition in partnership with NETS Victoria (pending confirmation of additional tour funding and future program priorities). A NETS Victoria tour will help build your profile and professional network in galleries and communities across Victoria (and beyond), reach a wider audience, and capitalise on your investment in the project. 

Applications between $5,000 and $40,000 will be considered. Projects requesting over $10,000 must have a public outcome in Victoria. 

The EDF is awarded biennially and is open to independent curators and incorporated not-for-profit arts organisations in Australia (including Local Councils, public galleries, festivals and other arts organisations). Independent artists and State-owned Government agencies are not eligible to apply. 

How to Apply

Applications will open for activities taking place between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2027. 

Applicants must read the EDF Guidelines (PDF or Word) and EDF Frequently Asked Questions (PDF or Word) before submission.  

Applications must include:  

• Completed EDF Application and Budget Form (PDF or Word)
• Support material (in a single combined PDF document) 

Applications must be emailed to info@netsvictoria.org no later than 5pm, Wednesday 14th May 2025. 

NETS Victoria’s Exhibition Development Fund is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. 

If you have a question that isn’t answered in the EDF Frequently Asked Questions, please contact 
Claire Watson, Director 
info@netsvictoria.org 
03 8620 2007 (Monday-Thursday)

Testimonials

“We have been blown away by the support and trust of our non-Aboriginal collaborators and we are so thankful to all at Bunjil Place Gallery and NETS Victoria. We were empowered to work in a way that followed no linear path but made sense to us culturally and honoured our ways of seeing, being and doing. By making room for us to work in this culturally grounded way, that foregrounded journeys and connecting more than any ‘destinations’, we were able to create artworks that powerfully connect to one another and telegraph important narratives to a wide audience.”

Nici Cumpston and Zena Cumpston
Co-curators of ngaratya (together, us group, all in it together)

“Working with NETS Victoria has been a wonderful experience, through all stages of the process. We highly value the professionalism, passion and approach of staff at the organisation and look forward to further project collaboration in the future.”

Travis Curtin
Curator of One foot on the ground, one foot in the water

“With the support of the NETS Victoria Exhibition Development Fund, a kernel of an idea was brought to fruition, taking the form of a series of new artistic commissions and recent works contextualised by new curatorial research and writing.”

Anna Briers Co-curator of Craftivism – Dissident Objects and Subversive Forms. Previous EDF recipient: Shepparton Art Museum