Firstdraft x Canberra Contemporary
Exhibition Exchange
Applications close 24 March 2026.
ABOUT
Canberra Contemporary and Firstdraft are delighted to announce a new exchange project between Canberra/Kamberri and Sydney/Gadigal: Three Days Walk. This partnership has been developed to support early career artists and arts writers, looking to expand their practice and build new networks nationally.
Three Days Walk will present the work of one Canberra-based artist at Sydney’s Firstdraft gallery, while one Sydney-based artist will exhibit at Platform, Canberra Contemporary’s project space. Each artist will be paired with one arts writer from the host city, who will be commissioned to develop a new critical and/or creative text in response to the exhibition.
This collaborative project has been developed by the teams at Canberra Contemporary and Firstdraft to build meaningful connections between artistic communities from both places. Reflecting the close geographical proximity of the two neighbour cities, Three Days Walk marks an exciting opportunity for artists and writers to reach new audiences.
We strongly encourage proposals that reflect diverse voices and experimental approaches, and that engage meaningfully with the context of Firstdraft and Canberra Contemporary’s Platform as critical and engaged artist-led spaces.
DETAILS
Exhibitions at Firstdraft and Canberra Contemporary will take place from September to October 2026.
Canberra Contemporary and Firstdraft will provide the selected 2 artists (1 from Canberra, 1 from Sydney) with $2750 financial support each, consisting of:
$1,500 artist project fee
$1,250 contribution toward travel, freight, accommodation
Canberra Contemporary and Firstdraft will provide the selected 2 writers (1 from Canberra, 1 from Sydney) with a $750 writer’s fee each.
Successful applicants will be selected collaboratively by a panel consisting of team members from both Canberra Contemporary and Firstdraft.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications open now and close 24th March 2026.
Read the relevant guides below before applying
Prepare all the information prior to commencing the application form
The application form supports file uploads up to 10MB
Complete the application form and enter any information or details requested about you or any collaborators/participants included in your proposal.