Breaking down barriers for emerging comedians
Round 1 Applications are now open!
Apply now via this online form.
APPLICATIONS EXTENDED: New due date is midnight, Friday 19th April
Important Information for Applicants
How the process works
Applications are open now and close Tuesday 9th April.
Once applications close our independent assessment panel will assess the applications against the criteria.
Successful applicants will be contacted within 6 weeks of applications closing.
Assessment Criteria
All applications will be assessed against the following criteria, which are equally weighted.
| Creativity | How unique, interesting, outside the box is your idea? |
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| Diversity | Who is involved in your idea? What unique and different points of view are they bringing to the project? |
| Ability | What makes you the right person to make this project? |
Budgets
Right now we have a pool of approximately $4309 that will be provided to successful applicants as in-kind support. This can go towards space hire, equipment or crew to support the development or execution of your idea.
In cases where a successful idea may require a bigger budget than we have available, we will discuss with the artist the best way to support that idea with the resources that are available.
Pilot and Feedback
Comedy Lab is a pilot program and as such we are still working out the best way to support artists and assess ideas. We welcome any feedback as part of this process and have included a feedback section as part of the application form. We will also provide an anonymous feedback form after the initial round of assessment.
What is Comedy Lab?
In a nutshell - Comedy Lab is a crowdfunded program that gives comedians access to our studios, crew and equipment for free, to make whatever they want!
It could be something as simple as a new headshot or access to our podcast studio, right through to more ambitious projects like creating a proof of concept or filming a live performance.
Funding and opportunities for new comedy content are hard to come by, so Comedy Lab aims to break down barriers and provide practical career support for comedians – performers, writers, and directors – helping them take their screen and audio content to the next level.
Four ways Comedy Lab can help
Space to work
Creators can access our state-of-the-art production studio for video work, live performances, and streaming.
Also available are our video podcast studio, writers’ rooms, and edit facilities.
Crew support
Our award-winning team of videographers, writers, directors and producers can support creators in realising their ideas by providing hands-on and creative support.
Equipment
Creators can access professional video and photography equipment including cinema cameras, lenses, microphones, lighting.
Networking
Creators can connect to our network of comedy makers and industry professionals for collaboration and career support.
Help fund Comedy Lab
Comedy Lab is funded by generous industry supporters and comedy fans. The more money we can raise through our community and our peers, the more projects get made!
Any money you give to Comedy Lab directly improves the quality and broadens the range of voices producing comedy content in Australia.
Monthly
Recurring contributions help to grow the program and secure its future. Choose any amount and stop whenever you like!
One-time
Choose any amount as a one-time payment. Every bit counts!
Got questions?
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Stupid Old Studios is a certified social enterprise whose purpose is to support emerging and diverse Australian comedians by providing access to our state of the art facility and award-winning production team. Our goal is to break down barriers, support new talent, and make Australian comedy more varied and inclusive.
Creator applications will be assessed by a panel independent to the Stupid Old Studios team.
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Comedy Lab will support artists by providing free access to our resources across four broad categories: Studio space, crew, equipment and networks.
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Comedy Lab is open to all Australian comedy practitioners including performers, writers, directors and producers. The assessment panel will however take into consideration the overall goals of supporting new talent and making Australian comedy more varied and inclusive.
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The application process is still being developed, but we intend to make it as quick and easy as possible. Artists will just need to fill out a short form that covers info about their project, some background on themselves, and what support they require.
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Specifics around the assessment process are still being developed, but applications will be assessed by an independent panel who will score them and allocate resources based on the funding available.
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No
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Formal accountability and transparency measures will be developed prior to the launch of the program in early 2024, but will include an independent panel for assessing applications and regular email updates reporting income and project activity.
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Payments can be made via credit card using the Memberful platform and Stripe to ensure secure payments.