Arts funding news
Current funding opportunities available in the arts are listed alphabetically below, divided into the following sections:
Public sector funding
The Big Lottery Fund has announced that it will launch a new £190 Million fund to support projects that deliver world-class facilities for young people. The programme “myplace”, which will run between 2008 and 2010 will provide grants of between £1 million and £5 million for projects that:
- Provide young people with exciting and safe places to go in their leisure time where they can get involved in a positive range of activities
- Allow more young people, particularly the most disadvantaged, participate in positive leisure time activities that support their personal and social development
- Enable more young people to have access to information, advice and support services from within places they feel comfortable and
- That provide for stronger partnership working between local authorities, third, private and public sector partners to plan, deliver and operate financially sustainable youth facilities with and for young people.
All projects will need to demonstrate genuine cross-sector partnership between public sector bodies and third and/or private sector organisations. £160 million will be available to support projects in the first year of which £50 million will be available for fastrack projects that are already well developed and therefore able to submit robust business and capital plans with their application. Application and guidance materials for the first funding round will be available from 6 May 2008. Regional seminars are taking place during early May to inform groups about myplace.
The deadline for fast track applications is 29 July 2008 and the deadline for the standard route is 30 September 2008.
Private funding and charitable trusts
Promotes outstanding examples of community regeneration and advocates the involvement of community organisations as key partners in developing integrated, holistic programmes of regeneration. It operates Best Practice in the Community Regeneration Awards, and Best Practice in Waterways Development and Regeneration Awards. Eligible projects must display the majority of the following criteria: be community inspired, contribute to the raising of community spirit and improve quality of life, be viable and sustainable, be accountable and respond to local stakeholders and have a track record of success.
33 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DX. Tel: 0800 0181260 Email: info@bura.org.uk
An independent not-for-profit organisation supported by Channel 4 with at least £500,000 a year to give to film-makers to make documentaries that fall outside the British TV system.
The Foundation team are passionate about documentary and want to work with people who share that passion. The Foundation are looking to back short films, particularly by new filmmakers, feature-length projects with the potential to break through, experimental films, passion projects by established filmmakers, documentaries by artists from other mediums such as photography or art and ambitious development projects.
As well as directly funding films, the Foundation will offer training and arrange mentoring where appropriate to filmmakers, coupled with practical help and advice on how best to ensure that their films get seen by the right people once they are completed.
There are no deadlines. For more details visit the Channel 4 British Documentary Film Foundation website.
The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation makes grants in four areas of interest: arts and heritage, education, environment and social change. See the website for more details.
The Community Action Programme provides local grants of up to £10,000 to support a diverse range of projects - from funding equipment at a special needs school to supporting a debt advice service in an economically deprived area.
HBOS Foundation donations must fit within the two key themes of:
- Money advice and financial literacy
- Developing and improving local communities
Applicants must be registered charities. Applicants should submit applications for the sums of money needed to do the job, which should be supported by a clear breakdown of how the money will be spent. The foundation do encourage applicants to seek additional funding from other organisations as are sometimes unable to provide all the funds required to finance a complete project.
The Henry Moore Foundation's grant-making programme has been revised to provide additional financial resources to support the work of living artists and contemporary art practice. Special consideration will be given to projects outside London and to venues with limited opportunities to show contemporary art.
Other long-standing categories supporting historic and contemporary sculpture will remain in the programme, including post-doctoral research fellowships assisting outstanding young scholars; exhibitions, providing financial support for established public galleries and agencies towards all aspects of exhibition making in the field, and grants for conferences, workshops and lecture series.
Recognising and valuing the contribution made by the arts to the mental and physical health of the nation, The LankellyChase Foundation wish to encourage access to the arts, in particular amongst those who historically have been least able to participate, such as those in rural areas or with special needs. They also wish to support those who aim to realise their artistic ability.
The trustees have four distinct programmes of work guided by the foundation's determination to promote access for those who seek it and personal excellence for those who work for it:
- Arts and special needs
- Dance
- Transgenerational work with communities
- The pursuit of excellence.
In the light of the many problems communities face, the trustees wish to encourage those of different generations to come together through participation in and enjoyment of the arts.
Every year the Lloyds TSB Foundation funds thousands of charities working to tackle disadvantage across England and Wales. Their focus is on supporting small and medium underfunded charities that can make a significant difference to the lives of disadvantaged people by helping them to play a fuller role in the communities of their choice. Their strong local presence enables them to respond directly and promptly to local needs.
O2 It's Your Community Awards
O2 are asking the question: if you could change one thing about where you live what would it be? To help make these changes a reality, they are offering awards of between £100 and £1,000 to:
- Create a physical improvement that you can touch
- Make real, tangible results that you can see
- Projects which demonstrate fresh, bold thinking, and is innovative enough to inspire others.
There are four It's Your Community categories:
- Community Places – improving the places communities share – this category aims to reinvigorate community, amenity and recreation areas.
- Community People – helping bring people together – the focus of this category is creating a sense of ownership and social responsibility
- Community Pride – tackling issues head on and restoring a sense of pride
- Community Landscape – improving communities natural environments
Applications are made online using a form, it should be noted that each page has a time-out limit of 40 minutes.
Funding Available for Community Projects.
The Big Boost is an awards programme aimed at encouraging more young people in England to run their own community projects. The Prince's Trust is currently offering a number of cash awards of up to £1,000 for 14-16 year olds living in London from their target groups.
If you'd like to know more or to be sent an application pack please contact Corrina Trevail at The Prince's Trust on: corrina.trevail@princes-trust.org.uk or call 020 7382 5175.
Yapp Charitable Trust
The Yapp Charitable Trust makes grants of usually up to £3,000 to charities working with people suffering from social disadvantage. These include, the elderly, young people aged 5 - 25 and people with metal health problems and disabilities, etc.
Other funding opportunities
Dance Bursary Offer for Dancers with Disabilities
ADAD (Association of Dance of the African Diaspora) is offering special bursaries for five dancers with disabilities to attend a dance master class (Sabar and Djembe) for professional and semi-professional dancers.
The day includes two hours of class in the morning, lunch, questions and answers, and networking. Participants should have between two and three years experience in participatory or professional dance settings.
To apply or for more information contact: Jeanette Bain on 020 7841 7357 or email: jeanette_adad@danceuk.org. Venue: Moonshot Arts Centre, Fordham Park, Angus Street, London, SE14 6LU.
Date/time: Saturday 5 July, 11.00am-4.00pm.
For more information visit: The ADAD Website
A new guide and application form for Small Grants in the Creative and Performing Arts is now available form the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The scheme provides support of up to £5,000 to meet the direct costs of research projects, including costs of travel and subsistence, and replacement teaching costs.
A scheme to help small TV production companies bolster the sustainability of their businesses has been launched by Skillset. Forty small to medium sized independent TV production companies will benefit from the Business Growth Opportunity scheme, gaining access to expert consultancy to produce a strategic business plan; financing and funding options master classes; and discounts on training over a 6-9 month period. To be eligible companies must have been in existence for more than two years and had at least one commission. Twenty of the companies must be based in London and twenty in the English Regions.