State Library Victoria launches their new look Fellowships Program

Fellowship opportunities have dropped for scholars and creatives.

Leading scholars and creatives from all over Victoria and the world are invited into the State Collection and discover the extraordinary, as part of State Library Victoria’s enticing new 2026 Fellowships Program.

State Library Victoria fellows receive $15,000 in funding, an office in the spectacular dome annulus and a dedicated liaison librarian, to support new research, advanced knowledge and exceptional creative works. There are 12 opportunities on offer this year divided into Creative Fellowships, a Creative Residency, and Research Fellowships.

State Library Victoria 2026 Fellowship Program

EOI’s: Open now, apply here.

Keep up to date with all things arts, exhibitions and stage here.

 

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There are 6 Creative Fellowships available. This support tier is for established creative practitioners to interpret and reimagine the Library’s collections through artistic practice – such as Performing arts, Contemporary visual arts and Visual arts/printmaking – including two opportunities for regional Victorians.

There is a Creative Residency available, which invites creative practitioners to showcase the Library’s incredible spaces and architecture as a site for experimentation, response and public engagement.

The final tier is the Research Fellowship. Designed to support excellent mid-career and established researchers to undertake academic enquiry within the State Collection grounded in specific focus areas – e.g Asian Australia, the City of Literature, England in the early modern period and Victoria’s colonial history, there are 5 Research Fellowships available.

The program also boasts two new exciting partnerships and opportunities. Firstly, new for this year is an exciting partnership with UNESCO Cities of Literature, highlighting Melbourne’s strong creative and knowledge ecosystems, and the Library’s incredible collections, to international audiences.

Also new is the Asian Australian Foundation Fellowship which supports the exploration of the Library’s Asian Australian collections including historical resources, works by writers, and creative artists, and, rare printed works from Japan, China, Indonesia and Korea. The State Library Victoria Creative Residency is another new initiative and invites creative practitioners to showcase the Library’s iconic spaces and architecture as a site for experimentation, installation or performance. There is also extended financial support on offer for select fellows from regional Victoria, to assist with the cost of travel to Melbourne to access the Library.

Expressions of interest are now open for these exciting academic-forward opportunities.

For full details and to start the application process, head here.