City of Port Phillip

Community Art Spaces 2026 - Expressions of Interest

The City of Port Phillip encourages and supports innovation in arts practice, celebration of heritage and creative skills development. The Community Art Spaces program provides local creatives and community members with a platform for sharing their work with new audiences, and an opportunity to develop skills in exhibitions and display.

The program presents an annual curated Community Art Spaces program at the following locations: Port Melbourne Town Hall, St Kilda Library, and Emerald Hill Library and Port Phillip Heritage Centre.

We invite individuals and groups to submit an expression of interest to exhibit in 2026. Applications are accepted from individuals or groups who live, work or have a strong connection with the City of Port Phillip.

There is no fee to apply or exhibit in this program.

For all details, download the Community Art Space Information and Guidelines.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with the following selection criteria:

Applicants must live or work in the City of Port Phillip or demonstrate an identifiable connection to the area or issues specific to the Port Phillip community.
Presentation of a well-considered exhibition proposal that is focused on theme, objectives and use of media in relation to a preferred display Space.
Demonstration of creativity and a strong artistic and/or cultural intention and practice.
Demonstration of the exhibition’s appeal to City of Port Phillip audiences.

Other requirements:

Priority is given to artists and groups who have not previously or recently exhibited in any of Council’s spaces.
Artworks or items displayed must be professionally presented or framed and considered appropriate for a community environment.

Before you start

Please contact the Art Activation Officer, Local History and Heritage Team Leader or Team Leader Library Branch and Community Services to discuss your proposal before completing and submitting the application form.

Autumn Tansey
Art Activation Officer
03 9209 6164
autumn.tansey@portphillip.vic.gov.au

Kate Foster
St Kilda Library Branch Team Leader
03 9209 6655
katherine.foster@portphillip.vic.gov.au

Nicole Hilder
Local History and Heritage Team Leader
03 9209 6795
LocalHistory@portphillip.vic.gov.au

Artists are required to submit an online application or contact us for accessibility support.

Documents and files you will need to complete this form:

Examples of the exhibition content, or previous work (images, drawings)
A description of your proposed exhibition
You will be asked to indicate your preferred Space and exhibition timeframe

Please allow 30 minutes to complete the form.

You can save and complete later at anytime using the link at the bottom of each page.

Form closes at 11:59pm on Sunday 16th November 2025. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Your details

First name *

Last name *

Email *

Postcode *

Artist biography or statement *Character limit: 1200 / approx. 200 words

Artist website or social media

Please upload your creative CV or relevant experience* *

Browse

Should be no bigger than two A4 pages. Accepted file types: doc, docx, pdf

Exhibition Proposal *Please tell us what you intend to display, what the work is about, what medium the work is, who is involved, and any installation details. Character limit: 2000 / approx. 300 words

Select your preferred Community Art Space *

Port Melbourne Town Hall - WallsSt Kilda Library - CabinetEmerald Hill Library - Entrance cabinetEmerald Hill Library - Heritage Centre cabinets

Preferred Community Art Space *Please tell us why you have selected this Community Art Space for your project.

Please indicate your preferred exhibition timeframe *

December to February 2026March to May 2026June to August 2026September to November 2026

Please note that some spaces have a term of one (1) month, and some for three (3) months. Your selection will indicate your preference within these time periods.

Exhibition timeframes and availabilityIf you have any further comments on preferred timeframes or availability, please indicate these here.

Please upload a single document with up to 10 images of previous or relevant works, or your proposed exhibition material *

Browse

Please include artwork titles, medium and dates for each image/artwork.

Acknowledgment and Privacy

You must read and agree to the Community Art Space Information and Guidelines to be eligible.

I have read and agree to the Community Art Spaces Information and Guidelines. *

Subscribe to the City of Port Phillip Arts & Culture E-news? *

Yes, I would like to receive arts and culture email updates from the City of Port Phillip. No, I would not like to receive arts and culture email updates from the City of Port Phillip.

Email updates will highlight local arts opportunities and EOI's, exhibitions, public programs, and events.

Data privacy and collection

The personal information requested on this form is being collected by the City of Port Phillip (CoPP) and will be handled in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014. This information will be used solely by the council for that primary purpose or directly related purposes. It will be treated in compliance with the CoPP Information Privacy Policy and the Information Privacy Act.

Yes, I give permission for the City of Port Phillip to store and process my data. *

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