Category Archives: Realise Your Dream

Realise your dream

Over the past nine years, the British Council Realise Your Dream programme has gained a reputation as one of Australia’s leading creative industry prizes.

Renowned for recognising Australia’s most promising emerging talent, Realise Your Dream nurtures Australian creatives through targeted career development in the UK creative industries. By tapping into a wide network of the UK’s finest practitioners, the British Council helps open doors to the experiences winners most need to develop professionally and creatively while making lasting UK connections that will inform their work for years to come.

So far, 40 awardees have travelled to the UK with Realise Your Dream, many of whom attribute their continued successes in the creative industries to the learning and connections made whilst in the UK.

THE PRIZE

There are five Realise Your Dream awards up for grabs in 2011. Winners will receive:

$8000 cash as a NAB Cash Passport to assist with expenses in the UK
A return Virgin Atlantic economy flight to London
A tailored professional development programme, devised in consultation with the British Council

WHO CAN ENTER

Realise Your Dream is open to citizens and permanent residents of Australia in their emerging years of professional creative practice. This means that you should be working within the first 10 years of your career – or since you finished your undergraduate degree or equivalent experience.
We’re looking for applicants who show innovation and leadership in their field, can demonstrate their creative potential, and have a clear vision for their practice and for how it will benefit from a professional development trip to the UK.

Applicants must be holders of, or eligible for, a passport and any necessary visas for the UK.

Any Place. Any Thing. Any Age.

The British Council believes that dreams can be as unique and diverse as our applicants are. Realise Your Dream doesn’t try to put creativity in boxes or limit its definition. We’re open to applications from emerging practitioners working or studying across the spectrum of creative fields including visual arts, design, architecture, music, digital media and performing arts. Applicants are encouraged from all corners of Australia and people of any age can apply.

APPLICANTS MAY WORK IN:

Advertising; animation; architecture; broadcasting; communications; craft; design; digital media; fashion; film; literature; music; object design; performing arts; photography; publishing; visual art… or any other industry where creativity plays an important role.

* Please contact us realiseyourdream@britishcouncil.org.au if you are unsure of your eligibility.

Entries close 6pm Monday 4 July 2011

APPLY

Applicants must complete the online application form addressing a number of selection criteria
Applicants should attach their support material to the application form
Entries should be submitted by 6pm AEST Monday 4 July 2011

Please note that you are only able to submit an application once. We recommend you use our application template to draft your submission before submitting the final application.

Having problems with the application form? Email us for technical support

APPLICATION PROCESS

After close of applications a panel of creative industry specialists will assess submissions.

Semi-finals

You will be informed of the outcome of your application by email during August. If you are shortlisted you will be required to attend a preliminary interview between Monday 5 September and Wednesday 7 September, 2011.

In previous years interviews have been conducted in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, though we reserve the right not to hold interviews in one or more of these cities should numbers make it unreasonable for us to travel there. We will reimburse travel costs for semi-finalists who reside outside metropolitan areas or are invited to travel interstate for an interview.

Finals

Ten finalists will be invited to Sydney to attend a final interview on Tuesday 27 September, 2011. Finalists are also invited to attend a creative careers workshop in Sydney and the awards night celebration on Wednesday 28 September, where the winners will be announced.

Please note

If you are unable to attend either the regional semi-final or national final interview due to work, a prior engagement, or unforeseen circumstances, you will not be eligible for the award.