Since 2003 the annual award has played an important role promoting the work of Australian designers. Winners over the past eight years including Jon Goulder, Adam Goodrum, Lucas Chirnside, Charles Wilson, bernabeifreeman, Rohan Nicol, Trent Jansen, Ilias Fotopoulos and Daniel Emma (pictured).

Of the ten finalists, the winner receives AU$30,000.00 to build their business, along with a trip to an international design fair. While four runners up each receive AU$2500.00 and the five finalists AU$1000.00 each.

Enter by 2 September 2011.

To enter visit the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Awards facebook page here.

Applications for 2012 are now open for Barcelona, Helsinki, Liverpool, London, New York, Paris, Rome and Tokyo. Studios are booked far in advance and there are limited options regarding the timing of residencies. If you are unable to take up your residency at the time allocated, it may be offered to another applicant.

The selection process for the Berlin residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien is in two stages. Applicants are short-listed by the Visual Arts Board, with the Künstlerhaus Bethanien making the final decision.

All residencies are allocated in set time-blocks. This is determined by the relative ranking of the successful applicants. You can apply for the following:

For further information and to download a copy of the overseas studio factsheet go here.

JUMP supports the career development of artists aged 18-30 who are in the first five years of their professional practice and provides mentoring opportunities with established professionals in the artist’s selected art form. Artists receive funding of up to AU$5,000 for a creative concept, to be realised through a one-on-one relationship with their chosen mentor, and access to a range of professional development, showcasing and networking activities.

Three annual mentorship rounds of up to 10 months duration will be delivered from 2010 to 2012, funded by the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body, through the Opportunities for Young and Emerging Artists initiative.

JUMP is managed nationally by Youth Arts Queensland, and will be delivered in 2011 in collaboration with state delivery partners Carclew Youth Arts (SA), Propel Youth Arts (WA),Carriageworks (NSW) and Melbourne Fringe (VIC).

Applications close October 2011.

For further information and to apply visit the Australia Council for the Arts here.

Firstdraft aims to encourage excellence in arts writing practice and increase professional development opportunities for emerging arts writers through a process of mentorship and the provision of remunerated publishing opportunities.

What the program involves:

–3 month writing mentorship with an established arts writer. The mentorship will involve critical feedback and guidance about your writing practice and the arts writing sector
–Mentorship with your nominated arts writer negotiated by Firstdraft on the writers’ behalf
–Publication of a critical review, interview or short essay
–Printed publication to accompany an exhibition of your choice at the Firstdraft exhibition program
–The opportunity to interview Firstdraft Studio artists to be published on the Firstdraft Studio blog and/or the annual Firstdraft Studio Publication
–Critical discussion with Firstdraft artists and directors over a 3 month period
–Writers’ fee of AU$500.00

Applications for 2012 close 6.00pm Friday 12 August 2011.

For further information and to download an application form visit Firstdraft here.