Deadly Fringe x Koorie Heritage Trust Exhibition Commission

Deadly Fringe, in partnership with the Koorie Heritage Trust, is commissioning a new exhibition for Gallery 2 at KHT during the 2026 Melbourne Fringe Festival. The commission is $10,000 cash, open to First Peoples visual artists or collectives based in Victoria, and includes curatorial support, mentorship, and installation costs.

About the Opportunity

Deadly Fringe, in partnership with the Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT), is inviting First Peoples visual artists and artist collectives based in Victoria to apply for a $10,000 exhibition commission, to be presented in Gallery 2 at KHT during the 2026 Melbourne Fringe Festival (29 September–18 October 2026). Please note this exhibition commission will run longer than the duration of the Festival, from 29 September–22 November 2026.

This is a chance to develop a brand-new, site-responsive exhibition for one of Melbourne's most significant First Peoples cultural institutions, with genuine support behind you every step of the way. The commission covers creation, installation, and presentation of the work for the full festival period. Alongside the $10,000 cash, you'll receive in-kind venue hire, curatorial support from Program Manager (Deadly Fringe) Peta Duncan and the KHT curatorial team, installation and invigilation costs, and a bespoke mentorship from a senior First Nations arts producer or artist.

We're looking for proposals from individual artists or collectives who want to create original work that engages audiences with First Peoples perspectives, stories, and creative practice. Any form of visual art is welcome.

Curatorial Provocation

Times have changed in a lot of ways, but some things stay the same. In a modern world that feels dire, we as Blakfulla's find comfort in community and grounding ourselves in Culture and identity. From inherited knowledge to fragmented relationships, artists are invited to reflect on what community and Culture means to them and how these connections continue and shift. We are particularly interested in submissions that explore concepts of community and Culture through the use of new and emerging technologies, including digital, multimedia and interdisciplinary practices.

This exhibition is Gallery 2 will coincide with KHT's main exhibition of the year which will be in Gallery 1. Gallery 1 highlights themes of kinship and knowledge sharing in community. The direction for Gallery 2 is for artists to contribute to a more nuanced picture of kinship and knowledge by exploring how these have shifted over time. 

Words by Peta Duncan, Program Manager (Deadly Fringe).

Key Details

If your application is successful, you will receive:

•  $10,000 cash from the Fringe Fund to produce and present your new idea
• In-kind venue hire from Koorie Heritage Trust
• Free event registration for the 2026 Melbourne Fringe Festival, including an event listing on the Fringe website and in the Fringe Magazine.
• Inclusion in the Deadly Fringe program, which forms part of the Melbourne Fringe Curated Program of works and will receive bespoke marketing support.
• Curatorial support from the Deadly Fringe Program Manager, Peta Duncan as well as venue support from KHT.
• A bespoke mentorship from a senior First Nations arts producer or artist.
• Exhibition installation and invigilation costs covered, including venue hire, installation, didactic panels and label printing as well as staffing at the gallery.

The Project Fee

The $10,000 project fee is intended to pay you, the artist, as well as any creatives you bring in to work with you on the exhibition. It also covers materials costs associated with creating the work. 

Eligibility

This opportunity is for people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and are based in Melbourne and the neighbouring lands of the Kulin Nation. Deadly Fringe would particularly love to hear from Boon Wurrung and/or Wurundjeri artists. Deadly Fringe is for emerging and mid-career artists, which usually means people in the first 10 years of their professional practice. But "emerging or mid-career" is defined broadly here. You might be an experienced artist trying something new; an actor stepping into directing, a painter moving into storytelling. You might be a more established artist wanting to lead a new creative team that includes emerging artists. If any of that sounds like you, this is for you.

You can apply as a solo artist or as part of a collective. If you're applying solo, tell us what kinds of expertise and support you'd need to bring the project to life — specific people if you have them in mind, or just the roles. We can help you find the right people. If you're applying as a group, you'll need a lead applicant to make the application on behalf of the team.
The exhibition must be ready to present during the exhibition dates specified in 2026 (29 September–22 November 2026).

The Venue

Koorie Heritage Trust - Gallery 2, Level 2, Birrarung Building 
Flinders St & Swanston St, Melbourne Victoria 3000
For more information about the space and dimensions, please see the Koorie Heritage Trust Gallery 2 Floorplan Pack.

Key Dates (2026)

Tuesday 24 March

Applications close at 11:59pm.

Tuesday 7 April

Successful applicant notified.

Thursday 16 April

Melbourne Fringe Festival registrations open. This is when we start to collect all the information about your exhibition (lead image, event copy, etc.) so we can promote it in the Festival magazine and on the Fringe website.

Sunday 22 May

Melbourne Fringe Festival registrations close. This is the hard deadline to have all key marketing material ready and entered into our registration portal, Eventotron.

Tuesday 22 September

Exhibition installation commences.

Tuesday 29 September

Exhibition opens.

Tuesday 29 September–Sunday 18 October

2026 Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Sunday 22 November

Exhibition closes.

How to Apply

Applications for 2026 have closed.

Application Questions

Your application will ask you to:

• Outline your vision for the project and how it connects to the curatorial provocation.
• Tell us about yourself as an artist: your artistic goals, ambitions, and practice.
• Include short biographies for yourself and any key artists in your team (as an attachment).
• Attach supporting material: photos, sound, or video as examples of previous work.
  

We're looking for an exhibition that aligns with the curatorial theme. Any form of visual art is welcome. Bonus points if the artist has ideas about additional public programming to coincide with their exhibition. 

Video Applications

Is writing not your strong suit? We also accept video entries of up to 10 minutes, where you need to answer the same questions, but can do it as you instead of writing it down. Just follow the instructions in the online Expression of Interest form.

Applications in Other Formats

If using the application form isn’t accessible for you, please get in touch so we can better understand how to best accommodate your access needs. We can accept applications submitted as text documents, video or audio files and are also happy to work with you on other accessible application processes. Please email both Peta, Program Manager (Deadly Fringe), at [email protected] and Milly Cooper, Program Manager (Access Fringe), at [email protected] to start a conversation, or call the Melbourne Fringe office by phone or the National Relay Service at (03) 9660 9600.

Support for the Successful Applicant

Beyond the commission itself, successful artists receive support from the Melbourne Fringe Program Manager (Deadly Fringe), Peta Duncan, and the KHT curatorial team throughout the development and delivery of the exhibition. We'll work with you to build a tailored plan based on your project and your stage of career.

You'll also be guided through Melbourne Fringe's Artist Development Program, including FAQs, info sessions, and professional and creative development opportunities designed to support artists through the festival and beyond. This includes:

Melbourne Fringe Resource Hub 

A library of guides and information for your Fringe journey

Let's Talk Program

Talks, workshops and skills sessions covering accessibility, touring, marketing, and producing.

Registration FAQs

Group sessions to help artists register their events in the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Context and Expectations for Funded Artists

Receiving support through the Fringe Fund isn’t quite the same as a grant, but it isn’t quite the same as having your work bought by a curated Festival – it falls somewhere in-between. That’s because we’ve raised money from trusts, foundations, government bodies and private donors, and we’ll need your help to ensure certain deliverables are met so we can acquit those funds. It’s the circle of (funding) life.
If your application is successful, you will receive all of the support listed above in “Funding Details”.

You will also be asked to sign a contract that requires an understanding of the expectations that we will have from you as a Fringe Fund artist, which are:

1. You will self-produce a professional, high-quality exhibition in the Deadly Fringe program.

This means: the Fringe Fund support will help your exhibition proceed, but you (or your team!) are responsible for all elements of the production, including:

• managing a creative project plan and schedule that will ensure your project is delivered as a fully realised work;
• budgeting for costs responsibly, ensuring you have put aside funds for materials, artist fee/s, and transporting your work etc;
• producing the event to a high standard of delivery, and completing administration tasks such as registering the event and arranging permits / licences / insurance, etc; and
• sourcing any additional funding required through sponsorship, partnerships or grants.

2. You will work collaboratively with Melbourne Fringe and the Koorie Heritage Trust.

This means: Melbourne Fringe is a key stakeholder in your event, unlike a standard grant where the funder just wants an acquittal report at the end. Because we have a vested interest in the success of your work, we will ask you to collaborate with Melbourne Fringe in certain ways while working on your project. We won’t encroach on your artistic vision, but we will offer support including:

• all of the support outlined above in “Funding Details”;
• curatorial advice to help you position the work in the context of KHT, and for a Melbourne Fringe audience;
• advice or feedback for your budget, to help you work towards financial success;
• inclusion in marketing or publicity opportunities;
• suggesting the scale of your project might require you to allocate funds towards certain infrastructure, an assistant, or outside eye, to help you achieve your creative vision.

To support you in this way, we will ask that you:

•  update us on the creative development of the project, and share your project timeline, budget and marketing plan (once they’re ready to share of course!);
• attend occasional meetings to discuss the work’s progress and how we can better support you;
• be open and available to listen to our feedback, built on many years of experience.

You may also be asked, as part of your funding: to participate in a public panel / conversation event discussing your work (no more than 60 minutes of your time), and/or to collaborate in our evaluation processes (which could consist of a brief interview with a member of our team, a self-filmed video reflecting on your experience, or a short survey – but definitely no long acquittal forms!)
We don’t require a share of the work’s intellectual property, but we do ask for permission to film or photograph the event for marketing, promotional and archival purposes. We also ask that you keep us updated on any future seasons of the work, and always credit Melbourne Fringe as an original funder.

Questions or Enquiries

If you want to discuss other ways to submit your application or have questions about this info pack, please contact us. 

• Email Peta Duncan, Program Manager (Deadly Fringe) at [email protected]
• Call the office on (03) 9660 9600 (or use the National Relay Service).and ask for Peta.
• Make a time to have a yarn: email, call or we’ll sort out a Zoom time for you.

Submission Due Date

Applications for 2026 have closed.

About Deadly Fringe

Debuting in 2017, Deadly Fringe is an annual performance, visual arts and development program for First Nations artists and creatives to explore and showcase their stories, knowledge, and culture in any form or genre. Sitting within the sphere of Melbourne Fringe, Deadly Fringe aims to unearth and develop conceptual artwork from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, enabling them to create works that channel strength and connection to culture and history, shifting the creative landscape of Australia’s identity.  

About the Koorie Heritage Trust

The Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT) was established in 1985 by Uncle Jim Berg and other Elders to act as a community base for the collection and preservation of South-Eastern Australia's oral histories, art and cultural belongings. KHT's collections house the cultural belongings and histories of the Victorian Koorie community. A not-for-profit organisation based at the Birrarung Building at Fed Square, KHT offers exhibitions, permanent collection displays, an oral history program, workshops and public programs, a Cultural Experiences Program (including guided walking tours and cultural competency training), a Koorie Family History Service, and a retail shop dedicated exclusively to Victorian First Peoples art and design.