Arts

The arts cover vital areas of creativity, and arts organisations often work on specific projects, which may be eligible for grants. The following websites should help you with your funding searches and also provide useful background information on applying for funding. The categories below are:

  • General Arts Funding
  • Fine Arts
  • Music and Performing
  • Films and the media

GENERAL ARTS FUNDING

Arts Council for England

The Arts Council has funding available for arts activities that engage people in England or that help artists and arts organisations in England to carry out their work. Grants for individuals usually range from £1,000 up to £30,000 and for organisations normally ranges from £1,000 to £100,000.

There are four areas they are prioritising for 2008- 2011 which are:

  • Digital opportunity
  • Visual Arts
  • Children and young people
  • London 2012

For more information visit: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/ or phone 08453 006200

Arts funding: The Colwinstin Charitable Trust has grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 to registered charities working in the areas of opera, classical music and the visual arts. The funding is to achieve higher quality performances and attract a wider audience. The next deadline for applications is 28 February 2010. For more information: www.colwinston.org.uk

Arts funding: The Foyle Foundation has grants for the arts in the region of £10,000 to £250,000. The key priorities are making arts more accessible, encouraging new work/ artists and building infrastructure projects to construct or improve arts facilities. Community arts activity will not generally be supported. For more information: www.foylefoundation.org.uk or phone 020 7430 9119

Voluntary Arts Network  The Voluntary Arts Network (VAN) offers guidance and advice on applying for funding for the arts and includes a selection of UK charitable trusts who make grants to arts organisations and projects. You can read more details at: www.voluntaryarts.org

Visiting the arts  You can look up some grantmaking trusts and foundations that fund the arts at: www.visitingarts.org.uk/info_resources/index.html

British Arts  Although the British Arts do not give grants directly, you can read their sound advice on approaching funders and view links to other sources of arts funding at: http://www.britisharts.co.uk/artsfunding.htm

Arts and business  In addition you may like to look at the Arts and Business website at: www.aandb.org.uk

Arts funding  The Garrick Charitable Trust has grants of about £2,500 available to community and voluntary for theatre, music, literature and dance projects. For more information phone 02078 361737

Arts and heritage: The Old Possums Practical Trust has funding of up to £5,000 available for charities that work to increase knowledge and appreciation of the arts and heritage. For more information: www.old-possums-practical-trust.org.uk

Community Money  The Wakeham Trust has grants of between £75 and £750 available to help people improve their communities. They are very interested in funding neighbourhood projects, community arts projects, young people involved in community service and projects set up by those who are socially excluded. For more information: www.wakehamtrust.org

Charitable Trust  The Peter De Haan Charitable Trust has funding available for social welfare, the environment and the arts. They have grants streams focusing on young people and innovative and cohesive projects. For more information: www.pdhct.org.uk

Grants for young artists and performers  The European Cultural Foundation has grants available for young artists and performers to collaborate and network with other young Europeans. The STEP beyond fund will make a contribution to travel costs, visa costs, and, in certain cases, accommodation costs (through an allowance) of those awarded a grant. Applications can be made anytime. For more information: www.eurocult.org/we-support-cultural-cooperation/programmes/mobility/apply-step-beyond

Broad range of funding  The John Paul Getty Junior Charitable Trust has funding available for a wide range of projects including social welfare, the arts, conservation and the environment. Funding is not given to individuals. For more information: www.jpgettytrust.org.uk

Arts funding  The Fidelio Charitable Trust has funding available for the dramatic and operatic arts, music, speech and dance. Institutions, colleges, arts festivals and other arts organisations can apply, along with selected individuals (who are not seeking support for themselves). For more information: www.fideliocharitabletrust.org.uk

All sorts of causes  The Garfield Weston Foundation has grants available of between £3,000 and £1million. They support a wide variety of good causes including: education, the arts, welfare, youth, community, environment, mental health, health, religion (especially church restoration) and others. For more information: www.garfieldweston.org or phone 02073 996565

Arts and Science  The Wellcome Trust has grants of up to £30,000 available to support projects that engage the public with biomedical science through the arts including dance, drama, performance arts, visual arts, music, film, craft, photography, creative writing or digital media. For more information: www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Public-engagement/Grants/

Cultural Venues  The START programme has funding available for cultural venues in the UK to develop and deliver arts enrichment programmes for schools. Projects should provide students with the opportunity to attend at least two professional performances, concerts or exhibitions as well as cultural learning. For more information: www.childrenandarts.org.uk

Authors  The Society of Authors has funding available to authors. For more information:  http://www.societyofauthors.org/prizes-grants-and-awards/

European Art  The European Cultural Fund has grants available of up to £60,000 to cultural organisations and individual artists and their partners from other eligible European countries. The programme supports outstanding artistic projects which show vision in illuminating the issues of diversity in Europe. For more information: www.eurocult.org

FINE ARTS
Please also see the other funding opportunities on this page- but these are specific:

Fine Arts Funding  The Elephant Trust has funding available of up to about £2,000 to help artists and institutions develop and improve the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of fine arts in the UK. For more information: www.elephanttrust.org.uk

Arts Projects and Buildings of Importance  The Idlewild Trust have grants available to support registered charities in encouraging excellence in performing and fine arts and the preservation of buildings and items of historical interest or national importance. The next closing date is 29 December 2009. For more information phone 0208 7723155 between 10am and 4pm.

MUSIC AND PERFORMING
Please also see the other funding opportunities on this page- but these are specific:

Music makers and performers  The BBC Performing Arts Fund has grants available to help aspiring music-makers and performers looking for a way to get ahead. For more information: www.bbc.co.uk/performingartsfund

Do you have a performance group?  The Performing Right Society Foundation has grants available twice a year for performance groups based in the UK, including duos, bands and symphony orchestras, who perform together in public regularly. The scheme is to support sustained activity rather than one-off performances. For more information: www.prsfoundation.co.uk

Music for the elderly  The Concertina Charitable Trust has grants of approx. £500 available to charities to help them improve quality of life for the elderly through musical entertainment. For more information: www.concertinamusic.org.uk

Money for the Arts  The Garrick Charitable Trust has grants of about £2,500 available to support institutions that work in the areas of dance, theatre, music or literature. For more information phone 02078 361737

Music development  EMI Records has grants available of up to £2,500 to support projects that encourage the education, in particular for young people, in all aspects of music. Individual students, schools, music teachers etc can apply. The next deadline is 21 August. For more information: www.musicsoundfoundation.com or phone 02077957000

Music for under 18’s:  Youth Music often has funding available for activities that provide structured, regular and progressive music-making activities for children and young people. You must be a not for profit organisation more than one year old. For more information: http://www.youthmusic.org.uk/looking_for_music_funding.html or phone 02079 021060

FILMS AND THE MEDIA
Please also see the other funding opportunities on this page.  The following are specifically for films and the media

Interested in movies?  First Light Movies has grants available of up to £25,000 for projects that enable young people to take part in all aspects of film production. For more information: www.firstlightmovies.com

Creative Media  Mediabox have funding available for organisations to help disadvantaged 13 to 19 year olds develop and produce creative media projects using film, television, print, radio or online. There are 3 grant schemes, Mini Mediabox, Mid Mediabox and Big Mediabox for different amounts of money. For more information: www.media-box.co.uk/funding.php?ID=1

Community Radio  Ofcom has grants of over £5,000 available to support Community Radio Stations. They can apply for funds to pay their core running costs such as management, administration, financial management, community outreach work and costs involved in using volunteers. Grants can only be made to community radio licensees that are broadcasting under a community radio licence. For more information visit: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/Communityfund/ or phone 02079 813860

UK Film Council:  The UK Film Council has grants available to support new filmmakers, fund exciting British films and give audiences the opportunity to see the best of world cinema. For more information: www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk or 02078 617861

FURTHER ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE
If you need further assistance or advice, please contact: Jamie Buckley, Engagement and Funding Officer, East Devon District Council, Tel no: 01395 517569  email: jbuckley@eastdevon.gov.uk