funding

 

The purpose of this section is to:

• give information and guidance on applying for funding from Arts Council England, South West
• provide signposts to funding from other sources

It is hoped that this will make it easy for all working in these sub-sectors to find their natural partners for developing projects together.

first steps

If you have an idea for a project that involves the arts and artists and for which you are seeking support, it is always advisable to talk to a local authority arts officer (or the officer delegated to oversee arts functions within the authority).

If you believe the project meets Arts Council England priorities the next step should always be to contact an appropriate officer at Arts Council England, South West office in Exeter to outline your ideas.

They will be able to advise on the project’s eligibility for funding, on other potential project partners and other initiatives in the area that might impact on or complement the project.

Arts Council England - rural priorities

In response to the particular needs and opportunities for the arts in rural areas, Arts Council England has developed its own set of priorities for work in this area, namely that it will:

• respond to the particular needs of rural areas
• support artists working in rural areas
• improve access for rural audiences
• build partnerships for growth
• campaign with rural arts organisations for recognition of their work (4)

awards and timing

Arts Council England operates a single grants programme, Grants for the arts, with money from the National Lottery Fund.

It gives grants to individuals as well as to organisations. The average grant awarded to organisations for 2004/05 was £18,000 but grants range from as little as £200 to as much as £100,000 over three years.

A minimum match funding requirement of 10% is required for any grant. This can sometimes be met by local authority arts officers, at district or county level, if the project meets their priorities.

Grant applications cannot be processed retrospectively so it is essential that any application for funding is made in good time.

other funding sources

There are many alternative sources of funding for arts projects. Some of these can be found via Arts Council England’s own information sheet or through the invaluable Directory of Social Change.

The following links will provide good information on potential sources of funding or contacts. Again, a telephone conversation in advance of any application is advised. The priorities of many trusts and foundations change regularly so it is always worthwhile checking that your project is still eligible.

www.dsc.org.uk
www.trustfunding.org.uk
www.companygiving.org.uk
www.governmentfunding.org.uk
www.artscouncil.org.uk/documents/information/ otherfunding

sample budgets

click here to view sample budgets.

Arts Council criteria and priorities

All applications for Grants for the arts are assessed against five criteria:

• the artistic quality of the activity or its ongoing effect on your artistic practice (or both)
• how the activity will be managed and its ongoing effect
• how practical the activity is financially, and its future effect
• how the public will benefit from the activity, immediately or in the longer term, and
• the contribution of the activity to meeting our (Arts Council England’s) priorities, which are detailed at www.artscouncil.org.uk. A copy of priorities may also be requested from the enquiry service on 0845 300 6200

The assessment process will also take into the following list of priorities:

• whether the application is from an individual or organisation that has not received Arts Council England funding before
• whether the activity will benefit areas of the country with social deprivation (social and economic problems) or communities at risk of ‘social exclusion’ (not being able to take part fully in society because of, for example, poverty, prejudice or isolation*)
• will benefit areas of the country or communities that have limited cultural opportunities* and will contribute to arts development, regionally or nationally or both.
  

the application process

application process consists of a simple form and a written proposal. The application form can be filled in online, printed or hand written on a preprinted application form. The form does include basic information on the budget for the activity planned.

The most important advice here, as with other funding applications, is to ensure you complete the application form, and to ensure that the budget you submit, no matter how simple, balances (ie: the amount you are going to spend is equal to the amount you are going to earn, including your grant).

The written proposal describing the project will vary according to the amount you are applying for:

• 350 words for applications up to £1,000
• 1,000 words for applications between £1,000 to £5,000
• 2,500 words for applications over £5,000

Whatever the amount requested, the written submission needs to address the following headings:

• you and your work - about your organisation and what it does
• making it happen - how you will approach the project and its management
• your budget - where it will come from and how it will be managed and monitored
• benefit to you and the public - what will be the effect of the activity on you and your target audience
• meeting our aims for Grants for the arts - how your activity will further the Arts Council’s priorities (see above)
• evaluation - what systems will be in place to monitor the progress and effectiveness of the project and assess the value of its outcomes

application forms

Application forms, guidance notes and a range of other resources to help you access funding from Arts Council England can be downloaded from its website at: www.artscouncil.org.uk or requested through the Enquiry service on 0845 300 6200