How to apply for the Arts Grants Scheme

  1. Information about the Arts Grants Scheme, who can apply and what the grants can be used for.

  2. Information about the role of the Arts Grants Advisory Panel, the panel composition and when they meet.

  3. Information about how Arts Grants applications are assessed and the things you need to do if your application is successful.

  4. Read and understand the full terms and conditions of the Arts Grants Scheme and the commitments you are agreeing to if your application is successful.

  5. Guidance on how to complete the Arts Grants Scheme Application Form.

  6. Information about the projects and artists the grants were awarded to in Autumn 2023.

Completing the application form

Applications for the Arts Grants Scheme can be completed using the online application form. Please note that you cannot save and come back to the application form at a later date. If you leave the portal before submitting your completed application you will need to start again from the beginning. We recommend that you save your answers somewhere separately before continuing to the next section.

The application form is divided into the following sections:

  1. About You / Your Organisation
  2. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Monitoring
  3. The Project
  4. Audience, Participants and Location
  5. Budget- Expenditure; Budget- Income
  6. Declaration – Supporting Information

1. About You / Your Organisation

  • Basic information about you and/or your organisation, such as contact details
  • Your organisation or individual status i.e. charity, CIC, Individual
  • More information on the nature of your work, and any recent professional experience that demonstrates your ability to deliver your project.

2. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Monitoring

  • Protected characteristics are captured to help monitor the accessibility of the Arts Grants Scheme, and inform our annual review of activity run by the Arts Service.
  • This information is not used in the assessment process

3. The Project

  • The type of arts activity the project involves.
  • Detail on what you are proposing and what you hope to achieve.
  • Evidence that demonstrates that there is a need for the project.
  • Local organisations you have approached or identified as project partner(s).
  • Detail of your marketing plan and how you intend to promote the project.
  • Detail on how you intend to monitor and evaluate the success of the project, such as audience feedback, participant surveys, case studies etc.

Recommendations

Arts Council England provides helpful advice on monitoring and evaluating projects that you can access online.

The Creative and Credible report by the University of West England and arts consultants, Willis Newson provides guidance aimed at evaluating arts and health projects.

4. Audience, Participants and Location

  • Detail on your intended audience or participants, and if your project is targeted at any specific community, age demographic or gender group etc.
    • Participants are defined as those directly contributing to the contents, organising or delivery of your project, and might include artists, members of the community or organisation staff
    • Audiences are defined as those benefiting from engaging with the end product of your project, e.g. viewing an exhibition, performance or attending an event.
  • The venue or location of your project including a post code and ward name and, if this is not yet confirmed, an indication on what type of venue or space you’re looking for.
  • Applicants intending to base their activities in public spaces (e.g. streets, council parks or squares) are required to email the Events Team prior to submitting an application or read the guidance about holding an event in a public space in the borough.

5. Budget- Expenditure; Budget- Income

  • Your budget needs to be separated into two sections: income and expenditure. Both must balance by showing equal totals in each section. If the totals do not balance, you will not be able to progress to the next section.
  • You must show how you have arrived at your figures, for example the number of days you will be employing an artist; or the number of tickets you expect to sell and at what price.
  • Please include the value of any in-kind support, showing this in both the income and expenditure columns to ensure that your budget balances.
  • At least 10 per cent of the total project income must come from sources other than the Arts Grants Scheme; the cost of your time as in-kind cannot exclusively account for this 10 per cent.
  • The income from other sources can take the form of:
    • A grant from another public funding body
    • A grant from a trust or foundation.
    • Sponsorship or donations from a business
    • Your own or another private individual’s contributions.
    • Earned income, for instance sales of tickets, merchandise, refreshments or advertising.
    • In-kind support such as materials, equipment, work or rehearsal space, transport and professional time given free to the project (both artistic and administrative).

Recommendations

The Arts Council England provides helpful guidance on recommended payment rates for artists.

The Musicians’ Union provides similar advice for paying musicians.

The organisation A-N promotes good practice in working with visual artists, including the calculation of fees.

6. Declaration – Supporting Information

  • If you feel that your application will benefit from supporting information, such as visuals of your work that cannot be accessed on a website, you can upload this as a PDF, the equivalent of two sides of A4.
  • If you are the lead applicant and are not based in Kensington and Chelsea you are required to submit a letter of support from a local project partner. This should be no more than one side of A4.

Last updated: 10 May 2023