The Tri Nations Exchange is a partnership of Creative Australia, Creative New Zealand and the Canada Council for the Arts, running since 2015 with themed cohorts.
This 2026–2028 round links First Nations fashion, textile and adornment practitioners from Australia with peers from Aotearoa New Zealand and Canada through one gathering a year in each country.
Benefits & funding
- Travel, accommodation and local transport for all three gatherings, paid by Creative Australia
- A daily allowance for your time
- Visas and travel insurance for New Zealand and Canada
- Networking: panels and workshops
- Duty: full participation in every exchange plus online pre-exchange meetings
Eligibility
- First Nations individuals only (fashion and textile label owners, designers, industry professionals, adornment artists)
- Must be based in Australia; groups and organisations cannot apply
- Free to travel to Darwin for about two weeks in August 2026, and to New Zealand in 2027 and Canada in 2028
- Passport valid until January 2029 and able to get visas for New Zealand and Canada
- No overdue Creative Australia grant report or debt to Creative Australia
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
“First Nations individuals only” Eligibility
Residence required
Australia
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Application process
- 1Register in Creative Australia’s Application Management System at least two business days before the close.
- 2Answer three questions (about you, impact, alignment) and attach support material, including evidence of following the First Nations cultural protocols.
- 3Submit by 3 February 2026, 3pm AEDT; First Nations Industry Advisors assess.
Program timeline
Applications open
17 Dec 2025
Applications close
3 Feb 2026
Outcomes notified
May 2026
Gathering in Darwin
2–10 Aug 2026
Visits to New Zealand, then Canada (dates TBC)
2027 / 2028