Level Up youth arts program

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Arts & culture initiatives
Meg Jeffery, Level Up studio residency at Mint Art House.

The Level Up youth arts program supports and nurtures the development of young emerging visual artists in the early stages of their career through a range of programs and professional development opportunities to grow and support a sustainable arts practice and create industry connections.

Key programs:

  • Level Up studio residency at Mint Art House
  • Level Up residency
  • Public programs, exhibitions, events, and workshops 

Level Up studio residency at Mint Art House

This residency assists early career Gold Coast visual artists to take their arts practice to the next level!

Level Up offers two early career artists 8 months of free studio space at Mint Art House, including artist mentorship, stipend and an end of residency exhibition.

The current studio residencies run from 16 March 2026 to 13 November 2026, providing the artists with studio space to develop new work and connect with the creative community of artists that make up Mint Art House, and the Level Up Arts and Culture team.

Eligibility

Applicants must be:

  • early career* visual artist aged between 18 to 30 years
  • Gold Coast resident
  • Australian citizen or permanent resident
  • available to commit to an 8-month studio placement
  • available to attend scheduled mentoring sessions and catch-up meetings
  • available to commit to delivering an end of residency exhibition.

*Early career artist as defined by National Association for Visual Arts (NAVA), is beyond a hobby artist, is an arts graduate or similar, and is actively committed to their professional arts practice.

Previous recipients of the Level Up Studio Residency at Mint Art House are not eligible to apply.


Level Up residency program

Applications for the next residency will open mid-2026.

Youth arts incubator for makers, doers and dreamers

Are you a young artist living on the Gold Coast?

Ready to take your art to the next level?

We want to hear from you!

Level Up Residency is a 3-month incubator for young visual artists aged 18 to 25 transitioning from school, work or tertiary studies with a passion to kickstart their career in the Arts.

The residency provides young artists a co-working studio space, monthly stipend (artist fee), access to professional development workshops and industry experience that will support creative pursuits and sustainable arts practice. The residency is open to local creatives between the ages of 18 to 25, with a maximum of five artists per intake.

This is a unique opportunity for emerging young artists to take their arts practice to the next level and be a part of the city's vibrant cultural landscape.


Contact us

For more information, contact the Level Up Coordinator on 07 5581 6691 or levelup@goldcoast.qld.gov.au