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Funding & Finance
The UK public and private funding picture is complex and changing all the time. What follows are some key organisations that may provide a starting point in your search for funding and loan finance.
Arts Council England - South East (ACE-SE)
Sovereign House, Church Street, Brighton BN1 1RA
Tel: 0845 300 6200
Email: enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk
Web: www.artscouncil.org.uk
The regional office of Arts Council England, ACE-SE provides a strategic overview for arts development and arts funding for the region. A very informative website with details of Grants for the Arts funding, funding priorities and other useful information. Contact is made to the relevant art form officer.
Awards for All
Tel: 0845 600 20 40
Email: general.enquiries@awardsforall.org.uk
Web: www.awardsforall.org.uk/
Funded with Lottery money, awards for all give grants of between £300 and £10,000 for people to take part in art, sport, heritage and community activities, and projects that promote education, the environment and health in the local community. Application forms and other information can be downloaded from their website.
The Big Lottery Fund
Tel: 0845 4 10 20 30
Email: general.enquiries@biglotteryfund.org.uk.
Web: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
The Big Lottery Fund is an amalgamation of the New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund created as a new lottery money distributor. The Big Lottery Fund provides grants for charities, the voluntary sector, and health, education and the environment. It is also able to fund large-scale regenerative projects.
Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC)
Voluntary Sector & External Funding Unit
Email: volsectunit@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Web: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/communitygrants
BHCC allocates monies from the corporate budget to provide a discretionary grants programme for local community and voluntary not-for-profit organisations working for the wider benefit of residents in the city. Further information, application forms and guidance notes can be downloaded from the website.
The British Council
10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN
Tel: 0161 957 7755
Email: general.enquiries@britishcouncil.org
Web: www.britishcouncil.org/
The British Council promotes British arts, craft and culture around the world. They have a comprehensive website detailing how they work, which is well worth looking at if you are keen to establish an international reputation. They operate a Grants to Artists scheme, that can help with, for example, the costs of transporting work to an exhibition in a gallery abroad. The scheme is competitive and grants are not given to assist with either the production costs of the work, framing and other preparation costs, or catalogue costs.
British Council: Film Funding
Provides grants to enable British film-makers to attend overseas festivals, markets and showcase screenings. Will co-finance showcase screenings (eg the First Film Foundation's 'New Directions' in New York and Los Angeles). They do not fund the development or production of films.
www.britfilms.com/
A subsidiary of the British Council. An excellent website for film, including a ‘who does what in UK film?’ page, a filmmakers resource page, information on training & Courses and news and events.
The UK Film Council
10 Little Portland Street, London W1W 7JG
Tel: 0207 861 7861
Email: info@ukfilmcouncil.org.uk
Web: www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/
The Film Council has a number of funding schemes including a Development Fund which aims to broaden the quality, range and ambition of British film projects and talent being developed, as well as to raise the quality of screenplays from the UK. The New Cinema Fund supports feature films from script stage, pilots, shorts, documentaries, feature films and low budget films.
Finance Southeast Finance South East is a regional funding organisation backed by SEEDA and privately governed. With access to a breadth of public and private resources, FSE specialises in the identification, funding and development of ambitious businesses with high growth potential. Current funds and services under management include: Accelerator Fund; South East Seed Fund; Commercialisation Fund; SECA business angel network; provision of investment readiness and business mentoring programmes to support growth companies.
Riverside House, 4 Meadows Business Park, Station Approach, Blackwater, Camberley GU17 9AB
Tel: 01276 608510
Web: www.financesoutheast.com
High Street Banks
All high street banks offer Business start-up information, help and advice, as well as loan funding if you meet their criteria.
National Endowment for Science, Technology & Arts (NESTA)
Fishmongers' Chambers, 110 Upper Thames Street, London EC4R 3TW
Tel: 0207 645 9500
Web: www.nesta.org.uk
Established was created to invest at the highest point of risk; in ideas it believes will give a commercial, social and/or cultural return. It seeks to create a climate where ideas flourish because they're exciting and original, not because they're safe. It is rapidly becoming a major investor in innovation for the creative industries.
SCIART
Web: www.sciart.org
Will support activities that engage the public with medical and scientific advances and unite the arts and science in imaginative interdisciplinary research and production. Innovation and experimentation are crucial whilst reaching a diversity of audiences.
Unltd
123 Whitecross Street, Islington, London EC1Y 8JU
Tel: 0845 850 1122
Email: info@unltd.org.uk
Web: www.unltd.org.uk
UnLtd Administers the Millennium Awards which are available to individuals (not organisations) for projects that benefit the community. Level One awards are between £500 and £5000 and Level 2 awards are between £5000 and £15000. UnLtd also provides a support package which includes training and networking opportunities to successful applicants.
Trusts & Foundations
UK trusts and foundations prefer to fund those areas which Government funding cannot fully cover, such as one-off projects, access to services for disadvantaged minority groups and experiments using new methods to tackle existing problems.
Some key organisations are listed here, however this is far from a comprehensive list. Major national grant making trusts are listed in a series of publications and online sites. These are available at Brighton's Jubilee Library, Arts & Business Southeast's offices (by appointment), Community Base in Queens Road, Brighton and the Artists Resource at both Fabrica and Brighton Fringe Arts Production.
You could also try:
www.fundingagents .com
www.fundraising.co.uk
The Association of Charitable Foundations
Central House, 14 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0AE
Tel: 0207 255 4499
Email: acf@acf.org.uk
www.acf.org.uk
The Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) promotes good practice among trusts and foundations and seeks to educate the public about their work. ACF's website contains useful tips on how to apply for funds and a list of charitable organisations.
Directory of Social Change (DSC)
Web: www.dsc.org.uk
Tel: 08450 777707
Web: www.trustfunding.org.uk
Publishes some books that provide information on grant-making trusts which are available from its website. The DSC also has a new searchable database of grant making trusts, requiring a subscription.
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
98 Portland Place, London W1B 1ET
Tel: 0207 636 5313
Email: info@gulbenkian.org.uk
Web: www.gulbenkian.org.uk
Provides grants to professional arts organisations or professional artists working in groups. The aim of its Arts Programme is to support experimental research and development activities.
Clore Duffield Foundation: Small Grants Programme
Web: www.cloreduffield.org.uk/small_intro.htm
The Clore Duffield Foundation has launched a Small Grants Programme totalling £1 million over five years, to fund performing arts education initiatives for children (aged up to 18). The Programme will fund project costs ranging from £1,000 to £10,000. Closing dates in early April and early September.
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
11 Park Place, London SW1A 1LP
Tel: 020 7297 4700
Email: info@esmeefairbairn.org.uk
Web: www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk
The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation provides grants to organisations which aim to improve the quality of life for people and communities in the UK. There are four strands of grants programmes: Arts & Heritage, Education, Environment and Social Development. Proposals that benefit audiences and artists outside of Greater London are particularly welcome.
The Foyle Foundation
Tel: 0207 430 9119
Email: info@foylefoundation.org.uk
Web: www.foylefoundation.org.uk
The Foyle Foundation provides grants for charitable organisations throughout the UK whose core remits cover the arts, learning or health. Grants average between £5,000 and £20,000. In terms of the arts, the Foundation’s aim is to widen the opportunity to enjoy and be stimulated by the performing and visual arts and to foster creative endeavour. Projects that focus on access to the arts, new audiences, touring, festivals and arts education will be considered.
