The $3 million Culture, Heritage and Arts Regional Tourism (CHART) program is an Australian Government program that aims to support community cultural, heritage and arts organisations in regional Australia as they recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

The Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA) is implementing the CHART program on behalf of the Australian Government.

The CHART program promotes participation in, and access to, Australia’s arts and culture through developing and supporting cultural expression and sharing stories of community and historical significance. Community museums, galleries and historical societies in regional Australia will benefit from CHART program funding. The program will support these organisations to continue to offer appealing cultural tourism experiences to visitors, which in turn will enhance local expenditure.

The intended outcomes of CHART program grants are to:

Contribute to the reactivation and recovery of organisations from COVID-19, and to their ongoing sustainability, by providing grants for eligible activities

Promote regional arts tourism by supporting the development of appealing cultural tourism experiences, including through the preservation of Australia’s cultural heritage and the telling of the stories of local communities and

Support domestic intra- and inter-state tourism and local economies more broadly.

Grants of up to $3,000 (plus GST where applicable) are available in the 2021-22 financial year to support organisations to reinvigorate the preservation and presentation of Australia’s cultural heritage. CHART grants only support new projects. Activities funded must be delivered and acquitted by 31 May 2022.

The CHART program opens for applications in September 2021 and closes to applications on 30 April 2022, subject to the available funds. Funding will be administered in one open round. Applications will be assessed in batches of 100, through a rolling evaluation process. AMaGA encourages organisations to submit applications at the earliest opportunity.

Image: Bread cart Broken Hill Synagogue Museum