Our Ralph Mclean Microgrants program is jam packed with small parcels of cash (a microgrant if you will) to support artists who are finding the rego fee or other upfront costs a barrier to participation.

You can apply to have your rego fee waived (partially or in full) if that’s the particular thing standing in your way from registering an event.

The program also covers other upfront costs experienced by the artist - so not costs to put on your show, but costs that you experience that the average artist does not; this might be fuel a bursary for a regionally based artist, or late night transport assistance for a trans artists to get home safely, or a social interpreter for an artist with limited English to attend a networking event. The fund will not cover show costs or other costs that the average artist would also encounter; so things like venue hire, licensing fees and artist costs are not covered by this fund - it is specifically to remove barriers unique to your circumstances.

We are not waving large wads of cash around here but if you don’t have the cashflow to pay for a few small things, these microgrants are for you. Think about upfront costs in the $150-$300 range that you're not able to afford. 

Whether you are applying for a theatre show, a digital performance or any other type of Fringe event, Ralph is here to help. Priority for this program will be given to artists from our communities of focus (First Nations peoples, people of colour, Deaf and Disabled people and trans and gender diverse people) but the program is open to all other people who have experienced structural disadvantage.

There is no closing date for the Ralph Mclean Microgrants - applications will be assessed on a fortnightly basis until the budget is expended. A notice will be placed here when we are not accepting any more applications.

Our Ralph Mclean Microgrants program honours the amazing legacy of our former Chair of the Board and all-round legend, Ralph Mclean, a true champion of access and diversity in the arts.

As mentioned in the info section, we have a small amount of discretionary funds to support artists who are experiencing financial distress, who are from our primary communities of focus, or who otherwise have urgent need of funding support. The funds provided as part of the Ralph Mclean Microgrants are for artist support, not for an event - so this section has nothing to do with your event pitch, it's entirely about the personal barriers you experience that would prevent you from participating in the Festival if we're not able to assist in some way.

Demographics 

Your answers to the following questions help us better understand who is taking part in the Melbourne Fringe Festival. We capture this information for our reporting, evaluation and when applying for funding so we can best represent the diversity of artists who contribute to Melbourne Fringe Festival. With accurate information, we can ensure that we can improve our accessibility, outreach and maintenance of culturally safe spaces. Plus we can learn more about our amazing artists.

For the purposes of the Ralph Mclean Microgrants, anyone experiencing financial barriers may apply, and we will be prioritising funding allocations to artists from our Communities of Focus (First Nations peoples, people of colour, Deaf and Disabled people and trans and gender diverse people).

Your answers in this section are not made public and any use of the data in reporting will be anonymised. Please only answer these questions if you feel comfortable to do so.

Disability includes visible and invisible disability, chronic illness, Deafness, mental illness and neurodiversity; and other barriers, identifiers and experiences that people have as part of the disability communities.

Thanks for filling out the form to apply for our Ralph Mclean Microgrants.

If you know someone else who would be interested in getting involved with Fringe and could do with some assistance to make it happen, let them know about this easy application process!

Click the Submit button below to finalise your application