Sponsorship and Donation Requests at Art Shed


Sponsorships and donations

Tell us what you are making.

Art Shed has always been part of the creative community, not just a shop that sells to it. We support artists, schools, community groups and creative events right across Australia, and we would love to hear what you are working on.

We do get a lot of requests, which is a lovely problem to have. It also means we cannot say yes to every one. So we have a simple process instead, and everybody who applies gets a fair look.

Apply for support

Takes about five minutes. Requests are reviewed once a week.

What we can support

If there is art, learning or community at the heart of it, you are in the right place. Most of what we support sits in one of these four groups.

  • Artists and makersMaterials for an exhibition, a new body of work, a demonstration or a residency.
  • Schools and educationSchools, P&Fs, TAFEs, universities, art teachers and student art programmes.
  • Community and charityCommunity groups, registered charities, fundraisers, raffles and not-for-profit events.
  • Events and awardsArt prizes, awards, festivals, markets, exhibitions and gallery programmes.

Support is usually art materials or an Art Shed gift voucher. Cash support is rare, and we keep it for a small number of sponsorships each year.

If you are a business or a brand thinking about a collaboration or a joint giveaway rather than a sponsorship, send it through the same form and we will pass it along to the right person.

What we generally cannot support

A few things sit outside what we are able to do, however much we like the people asking. Being honest about them here saves you the time of applying.

  • Anything without a creative, educational or community purpose
  • Political parties, candidates, campaigns and activist causes
  • Gambling, adult content, vaping and tobacco
  • Anything exclusionary, or that promotes harm or discrimination
  • Personal fundraising for an individual with no creative or community element
  • Events that have already happened. We are not able to backdate support

Community centres, churches and similar organisations are very welcome to apply for art related activities. We look at what the activity is, not who is running it.

When to get your request in

Timing is the most common reason we have to say no, and it is the easiest one to avoid. Picking, packing and delivering materials takes time, and anything our design team makes for you takes a little longer again.

You need something designed

At least 6 weeks before your event

You do not need anything designed

At least 4 weeks before your event

Artwork, a logo file or printed material from us all count as something designed.

Things come up quickly, we know. If you are already inside those windows, apply anyway and put the date somewhere we cannot miss it. We will do what we can, and we would much rather be upfront with you than leave you waiting.

What happens after you apply

  1. Your request joins the weekly review. We work through sponsorship and donation requests in one sitting each week, so nothing gets lost in an inbox.
  2. We look at the fit. What you are doing, who it reaches, and what we have available at the time.
  3. We come back to you. As soon as we can after your request has been reviewed. We are a small team and cannot always reply to every single request, but if the answer is a yes, you will hear from us.
  4. We confirm the detail in writing. Exactly what we are providing, and what we would love from you in return, before anything is locked in.

Applying is not a guarantee of support. We receive far more requests than we can say yes to, and a no is very often about timing or budget rather than the quality of what you are doing. You are always welcome to apply again next year.

If we say yes

Sponsorship works both ways, and we keep what we ask for in proportion to what we are giving. For a small donation it might be as simple as tagging us in a post and sending through a photo. For larger sponsorships we agree the details together, in writing, before anything is confirmed, so there are no surprises for anybody.

If we supply materials or vouchers, we love seeing them being used. Photos of winners, of the event, of the space and of the work being made are always welcome, and we will always credit the people in them.

Good to know

  • Gift vouchers we donate are valid for 3 years
  • We are not able to backdate support for events that have already taken place
  • If you send us photos, please make sure you have permission from the people in them. We will not publish identifiable images of children without written confirmation that permission is in place
  • Our store and social teams are not able to approve requests, so please use the form. They will point you here, and it genuinely is the fastest route

Apply for sponsorship or support

The form below is the only front door, and that is on purpose. It is the one route that reaches the right person and gets your request tracked properly, rather than sitting in somebody's inbox. It takes about five minutes.

If something about your request does not fit the questions, submit it anyway and use the last question to tell us. We would far rather hear from you than have you talk yourself out of asking.

Form not loading? Open the request form in a new window.

Looking for something else? Have a look at our current competitions and giveaways, or set up a school and education account.