Money & Budgets
STANDARD: Formulate realistic budgets that consider organisational capacity, viable delivery of services, and fair remuneration.
Minimum Practice
Budgets adhere to obligations dictated by funding sources and any internal governing requirements. The NAVA Code of Practice for Visual Arts, Craft and Design Payment Standards provides minimum expectations for fees, wages, superannuation, and taxation. Any consultation with cultural and community groups is fairly remunerated.
Best Practice
Budgets extend beyond minimum compliance to actively support equitable, sustainable participation for all contributors. Financial planning is embedded early in project development, with clear articulation of financial commitments through contracts and agreements.
Engagement with cultural and community groups is always paid, with long-term consultation or employment pathways actively pursued where appropriate. Education, access, and inclusion items are included in project budgets and timelines.
Guidance
Making a touring exhibition financially viable is a big component of exhibition touring. Considering the cost of every aspect of a tour can help identify where funding might be needed, where partnerships could be utilised, or where exhibition fees and other co-contributions may cover costs. It is important to speak with the sector to determine what their capacity to contribute to your exhibition may be – there is no point in having a tour on offer for $10,000 if most venues you are interested in can only afford a fee of $3,000.
Consider if you can financially support host venues that are volunteer-run to take the exhibition at lower rate or for no fee. This is an important consideration when working regionally, as well as being important if you would like the exhibition to travel to certain geographical and cultural areas where organisations may not be able to pay an exhibition fee. If you are seeking funding, explaining the intention to provide this level of support in the application are valid considerations.
If applying for funding, include in-kind contributions from your organisation and tour partners. These are valid and contribute towards demonstrating the level of investment in the project and will strengthen your application.
Budgets should account for wage and superannuation increases; fair remuneration for workers, creatives, consultants, and contractors; and financially supporting the access and inclusion needs of all contributors.
Financial commitments and obligations, including payment of fees and financial support, should be outlined in contracts and agreements.
Main Arts Funding Bodies and Sources
- Visions of Australia (Office for the Arts)
- Creative Australia
- National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program
- Regional Arts Fund
- Arts QLD
- Create NSW
- artsACT
- Creative Victoria
- Country Arts SA
- DGLSC- Western Australia
- Arts NT
- Gordon Darling Foundation
- Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support Program (Office for the Arts)
Standards In Action
ART ON THE MOVE – Exquisite Bodies & diverse partnerships
[TO BE DESIGNED] A look at the ART ON THE MOVE tour Exquisite Bodies. This tour is the result of a unique partnership between ART ON THE MOVE, The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA), Healthway, Rave About Arts, and Shire of Carnarvon.
Ready To Use Support
The Exhibitions Group (UK) – Example Touring Exhibition Expenditure & Income Plan
This document from 2017 is designed to assist with scoping and planning expenditure for a touring exhibition and can be used as a basis for developing a cash flow document for the project duration.
NETS Australia – Touring Budget Template
An editable excel spreadsheet designed for a multivenue tour with funding sources.
NETS Australia – Touring Budget Example
An example of a complete NETS Australia Touring Budget Template.
NAVA – Code of Practice for Visual Arts, Craft and Design
The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) Code of Practice for Visual Arts, Craft and Design covers good practice approaches to working relationships, ethical standards of access and inclusion, and payment rates for artists and arts workers. Included are specific sections on rates for tours of existing artwork to multiple venues, and good practice recommendations for touring exhibition for host venues, touring organisers, and creatives. There is also detailed information on the payment standards for consultation, allowances when travelling, workshops, and commissioning, alongside many other elements that may form part of a touring exhibition where remuneration is required.