Fellowships 2026
Where ideas take flight
Program guidelines
- About the program
- How to apply
- Key dates
- Objectives
- What fellows/residents receive
- What fellows/residents deliver
- Stream-specific final outcomes
- Focus areas
- About the focus areas
- Eligibility criteria
- Award conditions
- Selection criteria
- Cultural protocols
- Access and inclusion
About the program
State Library Victoria’s Fellowships Program strengthens Victoria’s creative and knowledge ecosystems by supporting outstanding researchers, writers, artists and creative practitioners. The program enables new research, new creative work and innovative public engagement inspired by the Library’s collections, spaces and civic role.
The annual program consists of three streams:
- Research Fellowships: supporting academic research grounded in the Library’s collections.
- Creative Fellowships: supporting creative practitioners to develop new work inspired by the collections.
- Creative Residencies: supporting creative practitioners to produce work that responds to the Library’s physical site and engages with its civic role.
All streams aim to foster discovery, creativity and public value through ambitious, rigorous and original projects.
How to apply
Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are submitted online via SmartyGrants.
You will be asked to:
- Select one stream and the focus area(s) you are applying for.
- Provide a project proposal based on the relevant selection criteria.
- Submit a CV and short biography.
- Provide examples of previous work or practice (as relevant).
- Confirm you meet the eligibility criteria and agree to the award conditions.
You can only submit an EOI to one stream each year.
Key dates
- EOIs open: 3 March 2026
- EOIs close: 9am AEST, 7 April 2026
- Assessment period: April–June 2026
- Optional further information period: The Library may contact you for extra information to help assessment panels make final decisions.
- Notifications: early to mid-July 2026
- Fellowship/residency period: 1 August 2026 – 30 June 2027 (Full time equivalent of 3 months. Fellowships can be undertaken as one block or split across the year.)
Objectives
The Fellowship Program has a set of objectives for each stream:
Research Fellowships
- Support excellent mid-career and established researchers with strong track records to undertake academic research in identified focus areas, drawing on the Library’s collections.
- Create new or advanced knowledge that benefits Victorians.
- Support innovative, cross-disciplinary projects that leverage the unique strengths of the Library.
Creative Fellowships
- Support excellent mid-career and established creative practitioners with strong track records to interpret and reimagine the Library’s collections through artistic practice.
- Foster innovation by supporting ambitious creative projects that push disciplinary boundaries.
- Position the Library as a site of creative enquiry, creation and engagement, and expand its public impact.
Creative Residencies
- Showcase the Library’s spaces and architecture as a site for creative innovation, response and public engagement.
- Support excellent mid-career and established creative practitioners to develop new works that explore the Library’s role as a civic and cultural institution.
- Position the Library as a cultural destination through high-impact creative activity that invites public and sector participation.
What fellows/residents receive
All fellowships and residencies receive:
- $15,000 funding, based on approximately 3 months of work at the Library.
This can be completed as one continuous block or broken up over the year. - dedicated desk space at the Library for 12 months, regardless of how the fellowship or residency period is structured.
- access to State Library Victoria’s collections, staff expertise and research support.
The fellowship/residency period can be structured flexibly, but must conclude by 30 June 2027.
What fellows/residents deliver
All fellowships and residencies must deliver:
- a mid-term work-in-progress presentation or written report
- a final public-facing outcome aligned to the purpose of the stream.
Final outcomes could be a talk or public presentation, performance, article, digital piece or written report.
Some focus areas have more outcome requirements. Refer to the information about each focus area below for more detail.
Support for final outcomes
We will work with you on a final outcome that is appropriate, feasible and mutually agreed. We’ll also provide guidance to ensure outcomes can be safely and realistically delivered.
The Library may provide in-kind support, such as:
- access to Library spaces (subject to availability)
- production and operational advice and support (subject to budget)
- curatorial or editorial guidance
- help with public presentation or documentation.
However, we can’t guarantee full funding or resourcing for all aspects of the final outcome. You may need to adapt your plans to suit available resources, timelines and public safety requirements.
Find out about previous fellows and their outcomes.
Stream-specific final outcomes
Research Fellowships
- Work-in-progress presentation or written report mid-way through the fellowship that shares research approach, discoveries or questions.
- Public sharing of research findings through a talk, article, digital piece, written report or other non-traditional research output that contributes to public understanding or Library knowledge.
Creative Fellowships
- Work-in-progress presentation or written report mid-way through the fellowship that shares creative process, collection engagement or conceptual development.
- Public sharing of creative outcomes or findings through a presentation, document or interpretive format that shows engagement with the State Collection.
Creative Residencies
- Work-in-progress presentation or written report mid-way through the residency that shares creative direction, spatial response or conceptual approach.
- Public creative activation in or around the Library’s spaces that invites interaction, interpretation or reflection.
Focus areas
When you submit your EOI, you’ll choose one stream (Research Fellowship, Creative Fellowship or Residency) and one or more focus areas for your project. Each focus area is supported by one of our fellowships. Instead of applying to a specific fellowship, you’ll be allocated to the appropriate fellowship based on your chosen focus area(s).
Research Fellowships
Projects must relate to one or more of the following focus areas:
|
Focus area |
Supported by |
|
Shared research between Archives and Special Collections of the University of Melbourne and State Library Victoria Collections |
University of Melbourne and State Library Victoria |
|
England in the Early Modern period |
John Emmerson bequest |
|
Asian Australian collections |
Asian Australian Foundation |
|
Victoria’s colonial history |
La Trobe Society |
|
UNESCO Cities of Literature |
Melbourne City of Literature office and State Library Victoria |
Creative Fellowships
Projects must relate to one or more of the following focus areas:
|
Focus area |
Supported By |
|
Open round – any artform |
Mietta Foundation (in honour of Patricia O'Donnell) |
|
Performing arts |
Russell Beedles bequest |
|
Regional Victoria – any artform |
Marion Orme Page bequest |
|
Contemporary visual arts |
Georges Mora Fellowship |
|
Regional performing arts |
Christopher Baker bequest (in honour of Kerri Hall) |
|
Visual arts/printmaking |
Baldessin Studio and Morag Fraser |
Creative Residencies
|
Focus area |
Supported By |
|
Exploration of one the Library’s programming themes of Play or Wonder |
State Library Victoria |
About the focus areas
Shared research between Archives and Special Collections of the University of Melbourne and State Library Victoria Collections
The successful applicant in this focus area will receive the Redmond Barry Fellowship. This fellow will research a project using collections at the Library and the University of Melbourne’s Archives. You can be a researcher in any discipline.
The fellowship is jointly sponsored by the Library and the University of Melbourne, so your project should highlight linkages between the collections, and promote new insights on the subject or material. We also welcome ideas for digital, creative or literary work that can be shared and published.
Find out more about the University of Melbourne’s Archives.
About Redmond Barry
Sir Redmond Barry (1813–1880) was instrumental in founding State Library Victoria and the University of Melbourne. He was the first chair of the Library Board of Trustees, and the University of Melbourne's first and longest-serving Chancellor. Barry was also a practising lawyer and a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Barry had a lifelong interest in philanthropy and was an influential political advocate for the creation of public works throughout Melbourne. He made a significant contribution to Melbourne's social and cultural life.
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England in the Early Modern period
The successful applicant in this focus area will receive the John Emmerson Fellowship. This focus area allows you to research a project on England in the Early Modern period. You'll have access to the John Emmerson Collection, which comprises more than 5000 books and pamphlets from the 15th–18th centuries.
You can explore this collection in Beyond the Book: A digital journey through the treasures of the Emmerson Collection. This digital exhibition uses photogrammetry technology to bring rare collection items to life.
This focus area is supported by a generous bequest from John Emmerson.
About John Emmerson
John McLaren Emmerson QC (1938–2014) was a bibliophile and scholar who had careers as both an Oxford physicist and a Melbourne barrister. His collection, which took over 40 years to develop, is one of the world's largest collections of rare English printed works. It has a particular emphasis on the reign of King Charles I and the English Civil War, fought during the 1640s.
Its significance lies not just in the quantity and quality of the books, but also in the important provenance of items, including works owned by prominent figures during Charles I's reign.
John Emmerson's family donated the collection to the State Library in 2015.
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Asian Australian collections
The successful applicant will be awarded the Asian Australian Foundation Fellowship.
This fellowship allows you to work on a project related to the history, stories or voices of Asian Australians.
The State Collection includes many items covering a broad spectrum of Asian cultures and experiences. Collections include:
- works by Australian Asian writers and creative artists
- printed cultural works from Japan, China, Indonesia and Korea
- nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Victorian Chinese content
- original accounts and visual representations from Asia during World War Two
- written and pictorial accounts from travellers, missionaries and members of United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration on the civil war and post-revolutionary period in China.
We strongly encourage applicants with Asian Australian backgrounds to apply.
About the Asian Australian Foundation
Founded in 2015 by Cheri Ong together with a group of committed Asian Australians, the Asian Australian Foundation is a philanthropic community trust that connects Asian Australians. The foundation brings together their resources and knowledge for public good, shaping a dynamic Asian philanthropic presence in Australia.
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UNESCO Cities of Literature
This focus area aims to amplify Melbourne's role as a UNESCO City of Literature, and strengthen Victoria's creative and knowledge ecosystems by driving interdisciplinary creative practice and new research. It fosters exchange between Melbourne and other Cities of Literature, and showcases State Library Victoria and its collections to a worldwide audience.
Applicants based in other UNESCO Cities of Literature across the world can apply.
As well as the standard offer, this fellow will receive return economy flights to and from Melbourne from their city of residence. The Melbourne City of Literature office can help find accommodation, but the fellow must cover this cost themselves.
About the Melbourne City of Literature Office
The UNESCO Cities of Literature network was established in 2004 as part of UNESCO's Creative Cities Network, which recognises cities that place creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans. Cities of Literature are designated based on the quality, quantity and diversity of their publishing and literary activities (including the number of literary events and festivals, libraries and bookstores) and their commitment to promoting domestic and foreign literature. Melbourne became the second City of Literature in 2008. The network now includes over 63 cities across 6 continents, creating a global community for sharing best practices, developing partnerships, and promoting literature as a tool for cultural, social and economic development.
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Victoria’s colonial history
The successful applicant in this focus area will receive the La Trobe Society Fellowship. This focus area allows you to research the period of Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe’s administration (1839–54). We invite fellows to explore this period from new and surprising perspectives.
You can also research the period immediately before La Trobe’s arrival, or the effects of his tenure after his departure from Australia.
About Charles Joseph La Trobe
Charles Joseph La Trobe was Superintendent of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales from 1839–51. He was Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria from 1851–54. La Trobe was instrumental in the State Library’s formation. He set aside the site and funds for the building, and appointed Redmond Barry chair of the Library’s Board of Trustees.
About the La Trobe Society
The La Trobe Society formed in 2001 to promote recognition and understanding of the life and work of Charles Joseph La Trobe and the period of his administration. The society publishes the journal La Trobeana three times a year. In 2006 the Society raised funds to erect a bronze statue of La Trobe on the Library’s forecourt.
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Open round – any artform
Artists, writers, dancers, performers and musicians – now’s your chance to go wild with the Library’s collections!
We’d love to hear from individuals practicing in any art form, including:
- visual or digital arts
- dance
- performance
- music or composition
- writing (fiction or creative non-fiction).
The successful applicant will be awarded the Patricia O’Donnell Creative Fellowship, supported by the Mietta Foundation.
About the Mietta Foundation
The Mietta Foundation was established to perpetuate the work and memory of Mietta O’Donnell, and to celebrate her life by enhancing the spirit and energy of cultural life in this country. In addition to supporting the Mietta Song Competition, the Mietta Foundation established a series of forums and conversations about food, books, the arts and social engagement issues including diplomacy, culture, economics and the environment. It now supports a range of arts and cultural activities and organisations.
About Patricia O’Donnell
Patricia O’Donnell (1945–2018) was an important figure in Victoria’s hospitality, culinary and cultural life over many decades, as a restaurateur, hotel owner and publican, and as a facilitator of cultural events at the institutions she owned and managed. She was a generous patron of the arts and sat on several boards, including those of State Library Victoria, Abbotsford Convent, the Australian Art Orchestra and the Mietta Foundation. She was also a member of the executive committees of the Friends of 45 Downstairs and the Mietta Song Recital Competition.
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Performing arts
The successful applicant in this focus area will receive the Russell Beedles Performing Arts Fellowship. This focus area supports a project exploring theatre and the performing arts. Your project can focus on any area or topic. Collections that may be of interest include:
- scriptwriting and production
- drama
- opera
- ballet
- musical theatre
- vaudeville
- puppetry
- magic
- theatres, concert halls and venues
- festivals and events.
About Russell Beedles
Russell Beedles (1939–2011) was an award-winning playwright, performer and teacher. His work spanned a range of creative and performing arts, including theatre, opera and drama. He wrote plays and short stories, and taught school and university students.
This focus area is endowed by the Russell Beedles bequest.
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Regional Victoria – any artform
The successful applicant in this focus area will receive the Marion Orme Page Fellowship. This focus area is for artists and creative practitioners based in regional Victoria, or for projects that benefit regional Victorians. We consider regional Victoria to be anywhere outside the urban growth boundary of Greater Melbourne according to the Victorian Government.
We’d love to hear from individuals practicing in any art form, including:
- visual or digital arts
- dance
- performance
- music or composition
- writing (fiction or creative non-fiction)
Successful applicants can receive an additional stipend of up to $7500 for travel and accommodation. This includes regional fellows travelling to the Library, and other project-related travel and accommodation around Victoria.
About Marion Orme Page
This focus area is supported by a generous donation from the Marion Orme Page bequest.
Marion Orme McPherson Page (1918–2015) was the only child of Lady Sidney and Sir Clive McPherson. Her father was a prominent pastoralist, businessman and advisor to former Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies. Marion was a successful businesswoman and generous philanthropist. She completed studies in Law and Commerce at the University of Melbourne during the 1930s and 1940s, and became the first articled woman at Mallesons Solicitors in 1941. She served as an officer with the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Airforce (1944–47). In 1953 she was appointed as private secretary to Lady Violet Brooks, the wife of Sir Dallas Brooks, Governor of Victoria (1949–1963) and Divisional Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Red Cross Victoria (1949–1963).
The Marion Page Archive is held in the State Collection, enriching the diversity of stories held by the Library and deepening our understanding of women’s contributions to history.
We acknowledge the support of Regional Arts Victoria.
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Contemporary visual arts
The successful applicant to this focus area will be awarded the Georges Mora Fellowship. This fellowship allows a contemporary artist to study, experiment and explore fresh thinking in their art.
In addition to the standard offer, recipients receive:
- support to identify and apply for local or international residencies relevant to their project
- help to connect with people, networks and organisations who can contribute specialist knowledge or guidance.
About Georges Mora
Georges Mora was an entrepreneur, restaurateur and art dealer. He was born in Germany in 1913.
After World War II, he briefly settled in New York before immigrating to Melbourne. He purchased and ran the landmark Balzac restaurant in East Melbourne and St Kilda's Tolarno Hotel. The hotel included a gallery, which moved to South Yarra in 1979.
Georges was an avid supporter of Australian artists, including Charles Blackman, Arthur Boyd, Joy Hester, Sidney Nolan, John Olsen, John Perceval and Albert Tucker. His commitment to the arts saw him produce outstanding exhibitions featuring local and international artists. He died in 1992.
Arts advocates generously donate funding for the Georges Mora Fellowship, which is supported by Alliance Française de Melbourne and other partners.
Regional performing arts
The successful applicant in this focus area will receive the Kerri Hall Fellowship for Performing Arts. This focus area supports creatives, artists and writers from regional Victoria, or projects that support regional Victorians, in the field of theatre and performing arts. Your research can focus on any area or topic. Collections that may be of interest include:
- scriptwriting and production
- drama
- opera
- ballet
- musical theatre
- vaudeville
- puppetry
- magic
- theatres, concert halls and venues
- festivals and events.
We consider regional Victoria to be anywhere outside the urban growth boundary of Greater Melbourne according to the Victorian Government.
Successful applicants are eligible to receive an additional stipend of up to $7500 for travel and accommodation. This includes regional fellows travelling to the Library, and other project-related travel and accommodation around Victoria. This stipend is supported by the Marion Orme Page bequest.
About Kerri Hall
Kerri Hall was a librarian at State Library Victoria from 2001 until her death in 2017. Kerri was highly respected for her extensive knowledge of the theatre and performing arts collection. She raised the profile of this collection, and improved access to it through cataloguing and digitisation projects. Kerri was born and raised in the Victorian Mallee district and was deeply connected to the region throughout her life.
About Christopher Baker
The fellowship is generously endowed by the estate of Dr Christopher Baker. It was Christopher’s wish to establish a fellowship in the name of his late partner Kerri Hall, to celebrate her contribution to the Library.
Christopher worked as an executive manager for over 25 years, leading people and managing change across not-for-profit, public and private sectors. He left corporate life in 2003, but consulted on change management and human resources while pursuing his interest in civil society.
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Visual arts/printmaking
The successful applicant to this focus area will be awarded the Tate Adams Memorial Fellowship at Baldessin Studio. You’ll use research material from the Library and the studio facilities at Baldessin to create a limited edition or unique state artist’s book.
In addition to the standard offer, recipients receive access to Baldessin Studio, including accommodation and studio support up to the value of $5000.
Not all areas of Baldessin Studio are wheelchair accessible at this stage. Find out about accessibility at Baldessin Studio.
About Tate Adams and Baldessin Studio
Tate Adams AM (1922–2018) started the artist print department at RMIT in 1960 and championed printmaking in Australia. His students included George Baldessin.
Built from bluestone in 1971, Baldessin Studio is 50 kilometres from Melbourne in the bushland of St Andrews. It’s named in memory of its builder: artist, printmaker and sculptor George Baldessin (1939–1978).
The Tate Adams Memorial Fellowship at Baldessin Studio is generously supported by Morag Fraser and Baldessin Studio.
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Creative residency focusing on the programming themes of ‘Play’ or ‘Wonder’
This year, we invite applicants to our Creative Residencies stream to respond to one of the Library's 2027 programming themes: Play or Wonder.
These themes guide ideas that shape our major exhibitions, programs, educational experiences and digital storytelling. They ensure that everything we create resonates deeply with our organisation’s purpose, our extraordinary collections and the communities we serve.
Play
Play encourages curiosity, experimentation and imaginative expression. It invites creators to explore the Library as a site of joy, discovery and creative risk-taking – a place where ideas can be tested, remixed and shared. Projects responding to Play might embrace humour, interactivity, improvisation, games, movement or inventive reinterpretations of the collection and Library spaces.
Wonder
Wonder invites awe, reflection and encounters with the unexpected. It asks creators to reveal new perspectives, illuminate hidden stories in the collection, or design experiences that spark moments of surprise, contemplation and connection. Wonder-led projects might transform familiar spaces, draw audiences into immersive storytelling, or uncover extraordinary details within the Library’s collections and architecture.
Through this residency, we’re seeking practitioners who can bring these themes to life in thoughtful and imaginative ways. We’re looking for creative practitioners who can activate the Library’s spaces in engaging and innovative ways, connect their practice with our civic role, and shape an outcome that shares new insights or experiences with our audiences.
The successful resident will deliver a publicly engaged creative activation in or around the Library’s spaces, inviting interaction, interpretation or reflection.
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Eligibility criteria
Eligibility is similar across all streams, with minor variations. Check the application form of the stream you’re interested in for the detailed eligibility criteria.
Applicants must:
- Be 18 years or over.
- Not have held a State Library Victoria fellowship previously.
- For the Research Fellowships stream: Have a minimum of 10 years of professional experience in their field
- For the Creative Fellowships and Residencies Streams: Meet NAVA's Creative Career Stages definition of a mid-career or established creative practitioner/artist in your field.
- Be based in Australia and eligible to work in Australia for the duration of the fellowship or residency. The Library is unable to assist in securing visas. The following exceptions apply:
- For the UNESCO Cities of Literature focus area: Applicants must be based in, and applying from, another UNESCO City of Literature internationally. You may only select this focus area if you meet this condition.
- For the England in the Early Modern period focus area: International applicants are accepted for this focus area.
- For regional Victorian fellowships: Live in regional Victoria, or have a project that benefits regional Victorians.
- For the Redmond Barry fellowship: not have received or administered a grant or other funding from University of Melbourne for their project; not be claiming paid study leave; not be undertaking the fellowship as part of exam requirements or towards a degree or qualification.
Projects must:
- relate to one or more of the stream’s identified focus areas.
- be unrelated to exam requirements toward a degree or similar qualification.
- take place during the fellowship period – that is, not already completed prior to the fellowship period.
Award conditions
If shortlisted to the final stage, applicants must agree to:
- undertake their fellowship/residency for the equivalent of 3 months between 1 August 2026 – 30 June 2027
- attend the launch event in Melbourne on 4 August 2026
- attend the in‑person induction on 23–24 July 2026
- take part in at least two cohort events during their term
- deliver a mid‑term work‑in‑progress presentation or written report
- deliver the required final public outcome (as per stream)
- give the Library (and fellowship partners if relevant) first right of refusal to present, publish, exhibit or program future work arising from the project
- acknowledge the Library’s (and fellowship partner’s if relevant) support in all publications, outcomes or media coverage
- follow the Library’s (and fellowship partners’ if relevant) cultural protocols for working with content (where applicable) and get community permissions as required.
Selection criteria
Selection criteria are aligned across streams, with one stream‑specific criterion for each. Refer to the application form for the detailed selection criteria for each stream.
1. Applicant capability
Applicants must show:
- skills and experience suited to effectively delivering the project
- a demonstrated successful record of scholarship, publications, research and/or creative outcomes
- evidence of self-directed practice.
2. Project quality and feasibility
Applicants must show:
- a well-defined concept with clear artistic or intellectual merit
- originality, innovative thinking or interdisciplinary collaboration
- a realistic scope, timeline and plan.
3. Impact and public value
Applicants must show:
- contribution to scholarship, creative practice or cultural understanding
- benefit to the Library and its audiences
- a clear plan for public presentation or sharing of outcomes.
4. Stream‑specific criterion
4a. Research Fellowships: connection to the collections
- Substantive engagement with specified State Library Victoria collections.
- Clear relevance of materials to proposed research.
- Awareness of access, ethical or cultural considerations.
4b. Creative Fellowships: connection to the collections
- Substantive engagement with specified State Library Victoria collections.
- Relevance of materials to the creative concept.
- Awareness of access, ethical or cultural considerations.
4c. Creative Residencies: activation of the Library’s spaces
- A creative response to the Library’s architecture, public spaces or civic role.
- Alignment with the Library’s annual program themes of ‘Play’ or ‘Wonder’.
- Suitability for delivery in a public library environment.
Cultural protocols
If your application has an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander focus/content, you need to show a connection to the relevant communities.
This could be in the form of either:
- a letter of support from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander organisation
- a joint fellowship application with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicant, if you’re not Indigenous.
You’ll also need to talk to the Victorian Indigenous Research Centre team at the Library before you apply. Make an appointment by contacting:
- VIRC Support Officer on 03 8664 7174
- or by emailing the centre at virc@slv.vic.gov.au
Observing and following cultural protocols is necessary to ensure the cultural integrity of a project.
Access and inclusion
We use the SmartyGrants online portal for fellowship EOIs. You can submit your EOI in audio, video or written format.
If SmartyGrants isn’t accessible for you, contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss other options. Please allow at least 5 days prior to the closing date for these requests. These could include:
- a Word document of the application
- an Auslan video (we can arrange Auslan interpretation if needed)
- an audio file.
Arts Access Victoria can provide access support with your EOI. This could be reviewing your draft proposal, helping you compile support material or helping you complete the form. For information about access support, contact Alanah Guiry via email at aguiry@artsaccess.com.au or phone at 03 8640 6020. For more information, visit the Arts Access Victoria website.
Read about accessibility in the Fellowship office spaces, including information about access paths, doors and entry ways, furniture, lighting and more.