Grant applications open for Indigenous language arts funding in Australia

The Indigenous Languages and Arts program announces open applications for the 2026–27 open competitive grant round supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander projects in Australia, with submissions accepted until March 16.

The funding opportunity supports projects that conserve, revitalise and sustain Indigenous languages through community-led, culturally appropriate initiatives. Eligible projects include activities that encourage the everyday use of spoken Indigenous languages, strengthen intergenerational language transmission, and support learning and teaching practices within communities.

Funding is also available for projects that build language knowledge and skills, develop local capacity, and create career pathways in the Indigenous languages sector through training, teaching and professional development opportunities. Other supported initiatives include the recording and preservation of Indigenous languages, as well as improving access to language materials that support learning, teaching and community use.

In addition to language-focused projects, the grant round supports Indigenous community-based arts activities that create, promote and celebrate cultural expression. Eligible arts projects may involve the development, production, presentation or exhibition of traditional and contemporary Indigenous art forms, including dance, theatre, film, literature, music, and traditional arts and crafts.

Through the Indigenous Languages and Arts (ILA) program, more than $47 million will be invested in 2026–27 to support projects that strengthen cultural knowledge, artistic expression and language continuity across Indigenous communities.

For more information about the ILA, click here.