Arts, Culture & Heritage

The National Archives has announced that their Engagement Grants programme will open to applications on the 8th December 2023. This year the grants will be themed around the concept of “Place”, with grants of up to £5,000 available for projects that will engage with new and existing audiences in the places and communities where archives are located. The funding is available to museums and other public bodies, registered charities and not...

The Skinners’ Charity Foundation is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for its Arts, Heritage and Community Grants programme. Arts and Heritage projects can include; local heritage projects which help local groups to conserve and restore their landmarks, landscape, traditions and culture. Examples of Performing and Visual Arts work are those involved in performances, art, music, and drama activities. Community projects...

Grants of up to £8,000 are available to ensure the future viability of museums across the UK. The Association of Independent Museums’ (AIM) Arts Scholars Brighter Day Grant Scheme, funded by the Arts Scholars Charitable Trust, will provide support for museums that are at risk of closing, losing important skills and knowledge, or unable to care for their collections effectively. The funding can be used for educational, training, curatorial,...

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland's Annual Funding Programme is now open for applications. The programme provides grants to help arts organisations deliver programming and support the arts sector in the region. To be eligible for a grant, an organisation must be a registered charity or company limited by guarantee and have a constitution or articles of association that state that their primary purpose is to promote the arts. The organisatio...

Arts Council England has announced that its Developing your Creative Practice programme is open for applications. Grants of up to £12,000 are available to support the development of independent creative practitioners working in dance, theatre, music, visual arts, literature, combined arts or museums practice. The aim is to offer practitioners the time and space to work on ambitious and innovative research and development opportunities to make...

Grants of up to £50,000 will be available to support partnerships of organisations from across the arts, health, social care and third sectors for high-quality creative projects that deliver health and wellbeing benefits for the people of Wales. The funding, which is being made available through the Arts, Health and Wellbeing National Lottery fund, and administered by the Arts Council Wales, will support creative projects that address mental...

The Music Export Growth Scheme, which supports small and medium-sized independent music companies to introduce UK music overseas, is now accepting applications. Eligible applicants include record labels, music promoters, and artists' management agencies. Grants of between £5,000 and £50,000 are available to assist with marketing campaigns overseas. To be eligible to apply, companies must have an annual turnover of €50m or less and no more...

The National Churches Trust has re-opened the Treasure Ireland grants programme. The programme is aimed at supporting improved maintenance and sustainability of historic places of worship in Northern Ireland. Grants ranging from £500 to £10,000 are available for urgent and essential maintenance and repair projects costing up to £100,000 at listed and unlisted churches, chapels, and meeting houses of any Christian denomination originally bu...

UK registered charities and not-for-profit organisations seeking financial assistance for their projects have an opportunity to apply for funding from the Charles Hayward Foundation. The foundation offers two types of grants: main grants and small grants. The grants provided by the Foundation are designed to support projects across various sectors, including heritage and conservation, criminal justice, older people, and overseas aid. The smal...

Grants of between £3,000 and £10,000 are available to not-for-profit organisations and private owners of heritage across the UK for projects connecting people and communities to the national, regional and local heritage of the UK. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis, the National Heritage Fund will prioritise heritage projects that promote inclusion and involve a wider range of people; boost the local economy;...

As part of a legacy from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the government is making £9million in funding available to support not-for-profit organisations that are working to make communities across the West Midlands more inclusive. The Inclusive Communities Fund will award grants ranging from £500 to £300,000 to support local communities to come together through physical activity and sport, mental health and well-being activities, or arts, cult...

Youth Music, a national charity funded by the National Lottery,  has announced that round 6 of the NextGen Fund has opened for applications. The fund supports emerging musicians and behind the scenes creatives aged 18-25 (and under-30s who identify as d/Deaf or Disabled) from across the UK to launch a creative project, idea or business. Grants of up to £2,500 could help people including singers, songwriters, producers, djs, managers and agen...

Grants of up to £100,000 are available to support arts, library and museum projects. The funding is being made available through the National Lottery Project Grants programme, which aims to support thousands of individual artists, community and cultural organisations to create and sustain quality work and help people across England to engage with arts and culture. Priority is currently being given to supporting the grassroots live music secto...

Grants of up to £20,000 are available for the repair and conservation of free-standing war memorials in England. These grants are intended to help those who are responsible for the upkeep of war memorials. The grants support the care and preservation of war memorials to a high standard, and to prevent the decay of this important part of our built heritage. Grants will normally be for up to a maximum of 75% of eligible costs. The funding is be...

The Arts Council of Wales is making funding available to support the development of arts organisations who have typically experienced barriers to accessing funding and opportunities. Funded by the National Lottery, the Creative Steps for Organisations programme has been developed to ensure organisations that are led by ethnically and culturally diverse people, deaf, disabled or neurodivergent people, or people who have experienced racism or di...

Youth Music, which is a national charity that aims to give every young person the chance to make, learn and earn in music has announced that it has updated and re-opened its Trailblazer and Catalyst Funds. The Trailblazer Fund makes grants of between £2,000 to £30,000 for organisations that support children and young people facing barriers to make, learn and earn in music. The Catalyser Fund makes grants of between £30,001 and £300,000...

Grants of up to £8,000 are available to ensure the future viability of museums across the UK. The Association of Independent Museums’ (AIM) Brighter Day Grant Scheme, funded by the Arts Scholars Charitable Trust, will provide support for museums that are at risk of closing, losing important skills and knowledge, or unable to care for their collections effectively. The funding can be used for educational, training, curatorial, and exhibition...

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, in collaboration with the National Lottery and Future Screens NI, has opened an £80,000 awards scheme to help arts organisations develop skills in the use of digital technology to create digital art. The Organisations Digital Evolution Awards will award grants of up to £10,000 to arts organisations, charities and other not-for-profit organisations who are making digital art for the first time or are work...

Smaller museums across the UK will have the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £35,000 to borrow works of outstanding quality and significance from national and major lending institutions. The funding is being made available through the Weston Loan Programme supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation. It has already awarded £1.3m to 78 museums, helping to increase access to notable objects, share resources across the UK, and develop r...

The Elephant Trust has announced that the next deadline for applications is the 21st January 2024. The Trust offers grants to artists and for new, innovative visual arts projects. It aims to make it possible for artists and those presenting their work to undertake and complete projects when confronted by a lack of funds. The Trust supports projects that develop and improve the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the fine arts. Prior...

The Fidelio Trust has announced that the next closing date for applications is the 1st February 2024. The Trust offers grants of up to £5,000 in support of the Arts, in particular Music, including Opera; Lieder; Composition and Dance. The Trustees aim to help individuals and groups such as Colleges; Arts Festivals and other arts organisations who would not be able to carry out a project or activity without financial support.

Accredited museums or partnerships of museums and other organisations can apply for grants of up to £100,000 for projects lasting up to two years that aim to bring their collections closer to people by enhancing accessibility and engagement with the public. The funding, which is being provided through the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s Collection Fund aims to award approximately 12 grants per year, distributed across two funding rounds. The...

Organisations based in Scotland can apply for a grant of between £10,000 and £70,000 to support the development and delivery of film festivals, screening programmes and/or exhibition activity in Scotland. The grant aims to support a diverse range of festivals and programmes that reflect the diversity of Scottish audiences. The grant is provided by Screen Scotland’s The National Lottery Film Festival and Screening Programme Fund. The applic...

Grants are available for UK registered charities seeking to enhance and improve people’s lives through the advancement of the arts, health and medical welfare, and the environment. The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust typically awards grants of between £500 and £6,000 for projects and core costs, with a preference for small-scale, locally based initiatives. The types of services provided to communities could include promoting access to the ar...

Grants of up to £3,000 are available to support the careers of talented artists and groups working in music of black origin. The funding is available for recording and releasing music; helping to build creative portfolios and get music out into the world. The funding is being made available through the MOBO Help Musicians Fund. As well as the funding the scheme also offers one-to-one business advice and one-to-one health consultation coverin...

The John Ellerman Foundation are inviting applications to their Museums and Galleries Fund, which aims to strengthen regional museums and galleries in the UK. A total of £550,000 of funding will be available for applications which enable new ways of working both for established curators and those just starting out; and ensure organisations can safeguard and advance curatorial skills through a time of development or change. The Foundation expe...

The Arts Council Wales are making grants of up to £50,000 available for the development and creation of high-quality arts experiences that help creative individuals and organisations in Wales engage with and connect to the public. “Create”, a National Lottery Arts Funding programme, will provide opportunities for individuals and organisations, including festivals, to produce and present their best work. Applications of up to £10,000 can...

Creative developers and start-up studios are invited to bid for a share of £5 million in government funding to turn their new video game ideas into market leaders. The UK Games Fund (UKGF) Content Fund will provide UK games studios with grants of between £50,000 and £150,000 to support games in development and ready them for market. The funding, which will be available over the next 18 months, will support the development of intellectual pr...

Grants are available to schools, cultural organisations and universities; to develop a greater understanding of Japanese culture. Grants of up to £6,000 are available to support the study of the Japanese language and culture, School, Education and Youth exchanges. In the past, the Foundation has made grants towards visits between the UK and Japan by teachers and young people and the teaching and development of Japanese language and cultural s...

Organisations and individuals in Ireland and Scotland can apply for funding to develop partnerships and community projects that will bring speakers of Irish and Scottish Gaelic together. Foras na Gaeilge offers the funding through the Colmcille Small Grants Scheme, which aims to strengthen the two Gaelic language communities by supporting applicants to research and plan joint initiatives with a partner in the other country. The types of activi...

Grants of up to £5,000 are available through The Theatres Trust's Small Grants Programme for UK non-profit theaters. This initiative, backed by The Linbury Trust, aims to support projects aimed at ensuring the future viability and success of non-profit theaters in the UK, including essential small capital works, digital upgrades, and crucial machinery installations. The deadline for applications in this round is 12 noon on the 12th January 2024.

The Ashley Family Foundation, a UK-based charity, has launched a new funding round for small charities in Wales, in particular mid-Wales. The scheme is open to registered charities and Community Interest Companies with an annual income of less than £2million and provides revenue grants of up to £10,000. The foundation is particularly interested in funding projects that support the arts as well as wider social and community projects.. Project...

Grants of between £500 and £5,000 are available to churches, chapels and other places of worship built before 1896 to carry out small programmes of conservation work to decorative features and monuments. Eligible work includes, but is not limited to, stained glass windows, sculpture, furniture, internal monuments, tombs, and wall paintings. All work funded must be directed by a professional architect or established conservator and completed...

Professional Theatre Companies in London can apply for grants of £250 - £2000 through the Royal Victoria Hall Foundation. Each year, the Foundation awards between twenty and thirty grants to smaller scale professional theatre projects based in London. There are two rounds of funding, with deadlines in February and August. The Foundation has two major aims: to help professional productions in need of financial support and to introduce high-qu...

UK charities and not-for-profit organisations can apply for funding to support classical music performance and training especially chamber music, composition and music education. The Radcliffe Trust Music Grants programme generally awards grants in the region of £2,500 to £7,500, and is particularly interested in supporting music for children and adults with special needs, youth orchestras and projects at secondary and higher levels, includi...

Grants of up to £1,500 are available to support musicians to develop their skills or artistic practice. The funding is available to help solo artists, composers, group members, songwriters, producers, or multidisciplinary artists aged 18 and over with no significant backing to reinvigorate and sustain their careers as music creators through training, mentorship or other learning opportunities. This could be a conference to learn more about th...

The National Events Programme is now open for applications for Round 49. The programme provides funding of between £5,000 and £25,000 for live public facing sporting and cultural events that take place outwith the local authority areas of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Events must have a delivery budget of more than £20,000 and attract over 1,000 in-person attendees. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Wednesday 30 August 2023.

Independent music creators of all genres and disciplines can apply for grants of up to £3,000 to record and release their music. The funding is available from Help Musicians, and it can be used to cover the cost of studio hire, merchandise, PR and marketing, and software. Applicants must be aged 18 or over and have no significant backing. They must also be controlling one or more aspects of their career (e.g., self-managing, self-releasing, s...

To help the museum develop their work and deliver against the priority areas of Scotland’s museums and galleries Strategy. accredited museums can apply for grants of up to £15,000 from the Museums Galleries Scotland Small Grants Fund. Museums working towards accreditation can apply for grants of up to £3,000.The fund can support small scale project work; acquisition of equipment and other resources to address time specific needs ; and pre...

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is investing £3.6 billion in heritage projects over the next decade as part of its new 10 year Heritage 2033 strategy. As part of its new strategy funding will be focused on saving heritage, protecting the environment, increasing inclusion and participation, and improving the sustainability of heritage organisations. The Fund will continue to offer open funding programmes as well as introducing new strategi...

Not for profit organisations and charities that are working with schools, colleges and other formal education settings can apply for grants of between £30,000 and £400,000 to enhance the lives, development and achievements of children and young people through high quality arts-based learning activities. Projects can last for two to three years. The funding is being made available through the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Arts-based Learning Fu...

Cathedrals, choral foundations, parish churches, choir schools and other relevant institutions which promote and maintain to a high standard the choral services of the Church of England, the Church in Wales and the Church of Ireland have until the 28th February 2024 to apply for funding from the Ouseley Trust. Grants are available in the following areas: Courses for individuals or groups; Endowment grants for scholarships or bursaries; Fees fo...

The Performing Rights Society (PRS) for Music Foundation is offering funding support to UK-based artists, bands, songwriters and producers who have been invited to play at international showcasing festivals and conferences. The International Showcase Fund awards grants of up to £4,500 to cover costs such as travel costs, visas and accommodation, marketing and promotion, equipment, and venue hire. Applicants can also apply for grants of up to...

Funding is available to help public museums, galleries, historic houses, libraries, and visual arts organisations in the UK to provide meaningful paid work experience opportunities for full-time university students that enables them to further explore their interest in the arts, and related future career options before they graduate. Through Art Fund’s Student Opportunities programme, organisations can apply for up to £10,000 towards the co...

Grants of up to £7,500 are available to support the development of relationships, collaborations and networks between creative professionals and arts organisations in Wales and international partners. The funding is being made available through the Arts Council of Wales International Opportunities Fund. The Fund will support activity taking place in person, digitally or both, and could be used to cover costs such as artists fees, activity cos...

State schools and nurseries (including registered charities) can apply for grants of up to £5,000 to provide arts opportunities for young people who come from backgrounds that are not typically involved in arts activities. The John Lyon's Charity will support high-quality, in-person arts activities in Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea, and the Cities of London and Westminster. These activities m...

Interest-free loans are available to musicians at all stages for the purchase of musical instruments and equipment, to help ensure that more people across England and Northern Ireland can access instruments and learn to play music. The loans which are made available through the Take it Away Scheme works with 130 music retailers to allow applicants to buy almost any musical instrument and can also be used for musical equipment, software and tu...

Creative Scotland has launched two new funds supported by The National Lottery to help cultural and creative organisations in Scotland currently not in receipt of regular funding. The National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations offers funding of between £1,000 and £100,000 for projects or programmes lasting up to 18 months, while the National Lottery Extended Programme Fund provides funding of between £100,000 and £200,000 for programmes...

Historic Environment Scotland has announced a new funding programme to support not-for-profit organisations such as charities, local authorities, and religious bodies for historic environment projects. The Historic Environment Grants Programme replaces previous funding programmes, and will focus on Scotland's historic environment, from historic buildings, ancient monuments, and archaeology, to stories and traditions. Grants ranging from £1,00...

Emerging and professional musicians of all genres and disciplines can apply for grants of up to £1,500 to help them access opportunities that will allow them to focus on developing their artistic and professional development at a crucial point in their career. Support could include short courses, workshops, training and time limited periods of coaching with an expert in the artists chosen field. Eligible artists may be solo instrumentalists,...

Grants of up to £1,500 are available to support musicians to develop their skills or artistic practice. The funding is available to help solo artists, composers, group members, songwriters, producers or multidisciplinary artists aged 18 and over with no significant backing to reinvigorate and sustain their careers as music creators through training, mentorship or other learning opportunities. This could be a conference to learn more about the...

UK-based organisations with experience of film distribution, exhibition and audience development (such as film distributors, cinemas, and film festivals) will soon be able to apply for funding to increase audience choice and engagement across the UK. The British Film Institute National Lottery Audience Projects Fund will support the delivery of audience development activity with awards of up to £200,000 for multi-year and short-term projects...

Grassroots music venues and promoters in England can apply for a share of £1.5 million in funding to help them deliver and develop their work. Organisations whose main function is to host and/or promote live music events of all types and genres, in particular those working with new, developing talent in small to mid-size venues, can apply for grants of up to £40,000 for projects lasting up to three years. Funding can also be used for activit...

Grants of up to £1,500 are available to support talented children and young people who face barriers to reaching their potential due to a lack of funding. The Sirius Foundation’s Young and Talented Fund will help disadvantaged young people up to the age of 18 (up to 25 for care leavers and those with special educational needs and disabilities) living in Scarborough Borough, the North York Moors National Park, and Redcar and Cleveland to pro...

Funding is available to help public museums, galleries and visual arts organisations in the UK to provide meaningful paid work experience opportunities for full-time university students that enables them to further explore their interest in the arts, and related future career options before they graduate. Through Art Fund’s Student Opportunities programme, organisations can apply for up to £10,000 towards the costs associated with paying st...

The Scottish Government is making £16 million in funding available to help cultural organisations, events, museums and freelancers recover from the economic impact of Covid-19 restrictions. Delivered through the Omicron business support fund, a total of £12 million will be given to Creative Scotland to support a hardship fund for creative freelancers, a recovery fund for cultural organisations, and for Edinburgh Festivals celebrating their 7...

In an effort to level up access to the arts, the UK Government is making an additional £75 million in funding available to culturally underserved communities outside of London. The funding will be distributed by Arts Council England to support new and established arts and cultural organisations to expand their operations beyond the capital to areas that historically have had low investment in arts and culture. This could mean, for example, ne...

Following a review of its existing schemes and a wider public consultation, Historic Environment Scotland has updated and streamlined it grants programmes to promote and protect Scotland’s historic environment. This includes the introduction of Historic Environment Grants, a new open programme for project-based funding enabling applicants to apply for capital and activity costs; a new Partnership Fund; the Heritage & Place Programme to suppo...

Professional UK musicians can apply for funding of up to £5,000 for music-led creative collaborations. The grants will support collaborations between musicians and other non-music artists such as lighting designers, choreographers, gaming designers, and visual artists etc. The funding can be used to cover costs such as venue and rehearsal space, recording costs, travel, and fees for musicians, artists or collaborators’ time. Groups of six m...

Grants of up to £1,500 are available to support musicians to develop their skills or artistic practice. The funding is available to help solo artists, composers, group members, songwriters, producers or multidisciplinary artists aged 18 and over with no significant backing to reinvigorate and sustain their careers as music creators. Groups of six members or less can also apply. The funding is being made available by Help Musicians, the indep...

Grants of up to £1,000 are available to schools for single visits to arts and cultural events in Wales. Go and See Grants will fund the cost of tickets and transport for visits to high-quality arts events in galleries, theatres, arts centres and other venues which contribute to and enrich learning for children up to 16 years of age. This could include visits to performances and exhibitions or visits to experience arts professionals developing...

Grants of between £500 and £100,000 are available to support the creative development of individual practitioners working in the arts and creative industries in Scotland. The Open Fund for Individuals will support creative activity such as a specific project, production or a period of research and development for up to 24 months. It can support an individual’s time where this is related to specific creative outcomes. Creative Scotland is m...

Grants of between £500 and £100,000 are available to enable individuals and organisations working in the arts and creative sectors explore ways of working that will help them to adapt and respond to the current changing circumstances. The funding is available to organisations and groups whose work or project involves the arts, screen and creative industries as well as freelance and self-employed artists and creative practitioners in Scotlan...

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has launched the third and final round of the Culture Recovery Fund to help the cultural, heritage and creative sectors move towards reopening at full capacity. Approximately £220 million in funding will be available via two funding streams: the Culture Recovery Fund: Continuity Support programme will help organisations that have already received fundi...

Grants of up to £5,000 are available to support registered sole traders and small to medium sized enterprises working in moving image for storytelling, including film, television, games and immersive media, to build meaningful connections and create opportunities for business growth. Creative England’s Business Planning Grants can be used to subsidise the cost of working with an expert to support companies in the English regions outside of...

Creative England has reopened their New Ideas Fund to applications from individuals and small to medium sized enterprises working on screen-based storytelling including film, television, animation, games, immersive media or technology that supports these industries. Grants of between £1,000 and £25,000 are available to support the development of new and innovative ideas to help business growth in the English regions outside of London. Applic...

Funding is available to help independent, entrepreneurial music creators of all genres and disciplines build their career. The Help Musicians’ Do It Differently Fund offers a bespoke package of funding and expert advice, including wellbeing and development services, to empower musicians across the UK who are at a crucial point in their career. Grants of between £500 and £3,000 will fund professional development opportunities and creative p...

Musicians can apply for up to £5,000 to undertake a UK-based collaboration between themselves and another non-music artists, for example storytellers, lighting designers, choreographers, technologists, scientists, gaming designers, theatre directors, visual artists etc.  Eligible musicians will be over 18 based primarily in the UK and be in financial need and without significant backing. Solo instrumentalists, conductors, composers, vocalist...

Funding is available to individuals, organisations and networks who work outside school settings to undertake training and continuing professional development (CPD) that will strengthen youth music in Scotland for the benefit of young people. Through the YMI CPD Fund 2021, Creative Scotland will provide grants of up to £750 for individuals, and up to £5,000 for organisations which help people delivering youth music develop their skills and c...

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in partnership with the British Film Institute, has launched a £7 million one-year pilot fund to boost international development and distribution opportunities for the UK’s independent screen sector. The UK Global Screen Fund will support the sector including film, TV, animation, documentary and interactive narrative games to become more competitive internationally by funding business de...