We acknowledge all First Peoples of this land and celebrate their enduring connections to Country, knowledge and stories. We pay our respects to Elders and Ancestors who watch over us and guide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
We acknowledge all First Peoples of this land and celebrate their enduring connections to Country, knowledge and stories. We pay our respects to Elders and Ancestors who watch over us and guide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
We are excited to launch our second round of Ground Story grants for First Nations early-stage storytellers following the success of our first-ever grant round in 2024.
The Grounded Story Grant Program supports early-stage First Nations storytellers to bring a project to life.
This is our second round of Grounded Story grants following the success of our first-ever grant round in 2024 – which attracted 70+ applications from First Nations storytellers across the continent and showed the strong need for grants and mentorship programs like this one.
This round, we’re distributing $5,000 to six First Nations creatives, to create a storytelling project based on our new theme: Home.
Through this program, we provide direct funding, tailored mentorship, coaching workshops and practical tools like budget templates over a 6-month period.
Projects could involve writing, photography, film, visual arts, a combination of any of these, or something beyond.
Home is deeply significant for First Nations people. In a time when our communities, and Indigenous people around the world, are still being displaced from their lands, we continue to find strength in home – whether we have been there before, or grown up in another community.
Grounded Story is designed to support early-stage First Nations storytellers to grow their practice, experiment with new ideas, and bring a new project to life. Projects can be in any medium – writing, film, photography, visual art, digital storytelling, or other creative forms.
If your project involves film or another high-cost medium, please consider what’s achievable with $5,000 and whether you have in-kind support to help deliver it.
To be eligible, applicants must:
1) Be an early-stage storyteller or creative
You’re developing your practice and may have shared some work already (for example: small community projects, self-published writing, short films, photography, art exhibitions, social media content or similar).
You’re not yet widely established in your field (for example: not holding a major publishing or recording contract, not having significant national exhibitions, not having large-scale funding already secured for your practice).
2) Have the skills or support to deliver your project
You can show examples of past work or experiences that demonstrate your ability to complete your idea within the timeframe and $5,000 budget. You don’t need formal training.
3) Be able to commit to the program
You are available to participate in online gatherings, mentoring sessions and workshops during the program period (until June 2026), and can deliver your project by the agreed deadline.
4) Be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
We are a First Nations not-for-profit that exists to centre First Nations people, Country and truth-telling. We acknowledge all First Peoples of this land and celebrate their enduring connections to Country, knowledge and stories. We pay our respects to Elders and Ancestors who watch over us and guide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
