The Arts Council will offer emergency funding packages during the COVID-19 crisis
On Tuesday 24 March 2020, the Arts Council announced a £160 million emergency response package to support individuals and organisations across the cultural sector in response to the Covid-19 crisis.
This funding has come from reallocation of National Lottery Project Grants, Developing Your Creative Practice and our Development Funds for the 2020-21 period, and uses up almost all of their reserves.
The Arts Council’s aim is to ensure and protect the people and organisations that compose arts, museums and libraries in England during the Coronavirus crisis.
Funding for National Portfolio Organisations
Fund addressed to all organisations within the Arts Council’s 2018-22 National Portfolio of Organisations (including Bands 1-3, and Sector Support Organisations). They hope the main focus of this fund will be helping NPOs to quickly reboot their programmes of creative work – but some may have to be used to support their ability to operate. They will have a further update on this before Easter.
Funding for organisations outside of the National Portfolio
Organisations with a track record in publicly funded culture can apply for this fund. This fund is to support them to get back on their feet, or to continue making work in the future that will mean they can contribute to delivering their new strategy, Let’s Create.
They will expect organisations who benefit from this fund to show how they will do all they can to support the freelance creative practitioners on whom they rely.
NPOs and Music Education Hubs are not eligible to apply to this fund.
Potential applicants will need to register for Grantium by Friday 3 April. There will be support for people to do this.
This fund is addressed to artists and creative practitioners will be able to apply for grants of up to £2,500 if they have a track record in publicly funded culture.
Creative practitioners whose main work is focused on these artforms and disciplines are elegibles for this fund: Music, Theatre, Dance,Visual Arts, Literature, Combined Arts, Museums practice as well as: choreographers, writers, translators, producers, editors, freelance educators in the disciplines and artforms we support, composers, directors, designers, artists, craft makers and curators.
Magicians and comedians can apply to this fund, as long as they have a track record of receiving public funding for their work.
Potential applicants will need to register on their application portal Grantium by Friday 3 April. There will be support for people to do this.
