Receiving an ARTS Grant

Britain has a very talented pool of Artists, but many of them don’t always get the opportunity to promote or display their work.

There is, however, some help available to those who wish to pursue their talent as an artist and promote their work throughout the country.

The Arts Council England was initially set up to give the British public easier access to art and since they were established they have provided individuals and organisations with over £1 billion to help achieve this.

What is The Arts Council Grant?

When it comes to individual artists, it is difficult to know where to start. You may have painted the picture, taken the photograph or organised a community arts group, but reaching those that may be interested in your work is another kettle of fish altogether.

This is where the Arts Council plays a big role. The Grants for the arts scheme was designed specifically for individuals and organisation whose work is focused around the Arts. This could be, for example, performance related, dance, painting, technical photography, or the most recent addition, visual recordings.

These individuals or organisations can apply to receive this form of funding, which is provided by the Arts Council and the National Lottery, to help them carry out their work.

How Can it Help?

Demand for this scheme is high, but if successful, individuals are expected to be able to contribute 10 per cent of the costs associated with their proposed project. The Arts Council provides minimum grants of £1,000 to both organisations and individuals and this is capped at £100,000 for organisations or £200,000 for individuals – depending on the project and its eligibility.

However, the amount of funding available doesn’t come from a never-ending pot, which means that the Arts Council have to be very strict about who receives financial help.So, along with their criteria, they also assess each application and compare them with the region or community that they could benefit – this way they can be sure that the funding is distributed evenly across the UK.

Helping The Younger Generation

Following on from the success of the Grants for the Arts scheme, a new scheme has been introduced that is designed to give the younger generations opportunities to hone in on their artistic talents at an early age.The scheme allows children to enjoy five hours of arts and culture each week through the Arts Council’s Creative Partnerships – otherwise known as their ‘creativity programme for schools’.

Currently, the scheme – ‘Find Your Talent’ - is being piloted in just 10 locations and will use these experiences to set out ways to engage children in the arts and how to discover and develop their individual talents. The Arts Council has pledged an initial £6 million to the scheme over the next three years and a further £110 million core funding for Creative Partnerships between 2008 and 2011.

The scheme also involves other organisations – the Museums Libraries, Archives Council, the Department for Culture Media and Sport and the Department for Children Schools and Families – who are all making significant contributions to the funding.

Now while this form of funding can’t be directly applied for by individuals, there is no harm is schools contacting the Arts Council for more information on how they can get involved in the ‘Find Your Talent’ scheme.