VCA Foundation Fund
Help us to prepare and develop creatives and artists for the world’s stage.
Partnerships and giving
The Faculty of Fine Arts and Music offers students and staff a vibrant, world-class learning environment, nurturing the future of creative practice and enhancing Melbourne's connection to the arts.
We support creative learning because we believe artistic minds effect change. Our philanthropic and commercial partners play a vital role in this process by supporting improved learning opportunities, scholarships, outstanding research and world class facilities in the heart of Melbourne's Arts Precinct.
Partnerships
The Faculty of Fine Arts and Music enjoys a range of partnerships and engagement activities with major arts companies in Melbourne's arts and university precincts, smaller companies locally and nationally and sister institutions around the world.
Opportunities
We partner with a range of institutions across a diverse range of areas, including programming, teaching and learning, research, professional development and more. If you're interested in working with us, please contact: Susan Bird, Engagement and Partnerships Manager (Fine Arts and Music), at sabird@unimelb.edu.au
Selected partnerships
Arts Centre Melbourne
Announced in 2023, the University’s partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne builds on a longstanding relationship between our two organisations, driven by a shared commitment to promoting connection, artistic innovation, and collaboration in the Melbourne Arts Precinct.
Five priorities underpin the partnership:
- Precinct and Place
- Training and Learning
- Indigenous Knowledges
- Research
- Programming and Venues
These priorities will be realised through the development of new collaborative projects, enriched learning experiences for students, and platforms for cultural collaboration and interdisciplinary research.
Read more about this partnership
Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO)
In 2019, the University of Melbourne became the official University Partner of the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO). This relationship offers unique training opportunities to students at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, who represent the next generation of professional Australian string players. The ACO works with the University to collaborate with our researchers on areas such as talent development pathways, musician and social interaction, early musical interventions, and performer and audience wellbeing.
Explore the ACO
Read more about this partnership
Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC)
Since 2020 the University of Melbourne has partnered with the ABC and the Australia Council to present TOP 5 Arts – a media residency for graduate early-career practitioners and PhD researchers working in visual arts, performance, design, architecture and screen. The five successful applicants are offered an intensive two-week residency at the ABC’s Southbank headquarters, during which time they will work alongside some of Australia’s top journalists and broadcasters, training in media communication and developing content for different ABC platforms.
Read more about this partnership
Australian World Orchestra
We are the exclusive University Partner of the Australian World Orchestra (AWO), enabling Melbourne Conservatorium of Music students to have unparalleled access to a network of the finest Australian musicians, working in leading orchestras and ensembles around the world and here at home. Students benefit from enrichment opportunities such as instrumental masterclasses and sectional rehearsals with leading AWO musicians and eminent conductors, as well as career development sessions and jointly curated talks.
Read more about this partnership
Impact Australia
The University is the proud Learning Partner for Impact Australia, a program that aims to discover, cultivate, and empower Australian screenwriters. Founded by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, Impact discovers, cultivates and empowers creative storytellers around the world through its innovative talent discovery and development accelerator, which enables promising writers to create their best work and break into the industry in a matter of months.
Read more about the 2022 program and participants
Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF)
The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is one of the oldest film festivals in the world and the most significant screen event in Australia. MIFF showcases the best in current cinema from around the world as well as retrospectives, tributes, discussion programs and Australia’s largest showcase of new Australian cinema. In partnership with the festival, the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music showcases the work of graduating Film and Television students on the MIFF Play platform, and offers students and staff exclusive access to a series of MIFF events and screenings.
Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF)
Our partnership with the Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) enables students from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music to perform at Australia’s largest jazz festival, an annual celebration that showcases the highest calibre of jazz and improvised music in Australia. Alongside performance opportunities, the partnership facilitates workshops, masterclasses, Q&A sessions and instrumental workshops with MIJF artists, giving Conservatorium students further opportunities to connect with creatives from across Australia and all over the world, and gain insight into their creative process.
Read more about this partnership
Melbourne Youth Orchestras (MYO)
Melbourne Youth Orchestras (MYO) is Victoria’s leading provider of ensemble music education for young people aged 8 to 25 years of age. Melbourne Conservatorium Music is an Education Partner for MYO, which hosts its regular programs and annual Summer School at the University's Southbank campus.
SAY Australia
The Stuttering Association for the Young (SAY) provides free in-person and online programs for young people who stutter, providing invaluable opportunities for creative expression and empowerment. The Southbank campus hosts a number of SAY Australia’s in-person workshops, and our students are engaged as volunteers who support the program.
'The time it takes': giving voice to those who stutter
Giving
Philanthropic support of our students and staff contributes to their ability to adapt to Australia’s creative future and lead with vibrancy. Gifts and grants from our loyal supporters nurture the creativity and passion of some of our best and brightest students. Help Australia’s next generation of artists fulfil their potential in the heart of Melbourne's Arts Precinct and increase the accessibility of courses to a more diverse student population.
If you would like to discuss philanthropic opportunities at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, please contact Jaci Maddern, Development Manager for the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music.
Jaci Maddern
Development Manager
Faculty of Fine Arts and Music
E: jmaddern@unimelb.edu.au
M: +61 425 715 618
Gifts in Wills
Support a generous future for music and the creative arts.
Make a contribution
You can help students by supporting one of our existing funds.
New opportunities
Melbourne Screen Fund
Many Australian artists choose film and television to convey their uniquely personal stories through narrative, documentary or animation productions. The biggest barrier to success for these artists is opportunity. This fund aims to support two key groups: final year students completing graduation films and alumni seeking grants for original screen content projects. You can help visual storytellers from all backgrounds succeed in their chosen field.
Giving Stories
Rising stars: The VCA50 Creative Development Grants illuminate the path for emerging artists
6 July 2023
In the shadow of a global pandemic, emerging artists face new challenges. Now, more than ever, they need our support to carve their paths into the industry and make meaningful...
Ngioka Bunda-Heath awarded the 2021 Hutchinson Indigenous Fellowship and Residency
14 December 2021
Dancer, choreographer and storyteller Ngioka Bunda-Heath has been awarded the Hutchinson Indigenous Fellowship and Residency at the Victorian College of the Arts....
Dobell Award continues to support Music Theatre students
8 December 2021
For almost a decade, the Dobell Award has celebrated emerging musical theatre artists from the Victorian College of the Arts....
On Monday 27 August 2018, we celebrated our good friend Lionel Gell's 90th birthday. Lionel has been an extraordinarily generous supporter of the Faculty in recent years, with 2018 marking the 10th anniversary of the Lionel Gell Foundation Scholarships, which have assisted more than 90 students in their studies.
Would you like to create a scholarship?
Scholarships can transform a student’s experience and opportunities for study. We welcome the chance to work with donors to create new scholarships and awards to benefit our students through annual gifts, endowments and bequests.