The Paul Hamlyn Foundation sees culture as the heart of a just society, where all people and communities have a right to express themselves through art and culture. It believes that art and artists can help people see the world differently, bringing unheard stories and narratives to the fore and opening up new imaginative possibilities. To realise this potential, the Foundation believes the sector needs long-term structural and cultural change.
The Foundation's Art Fund is a revenue grant scheme that aims to support a portfolio of organisations who represent this change to develop, learn from each other and further explore the potential of art for personal, cultural and social transformation. It wants to:
o Build capacity and resources for culture within historically underfunded communities.
o Explore the role that artists can play in addressing issues of social justice, and
o Create the infrastructure for a more equitable cultural sector.
It is looking to work with organisations for whom these aspirations are central to their vision and mission. The Arts Fund supports the long-term development and transformation of these organisations as a route towards social justice and sustainability.
The Paul Hamlyn Arts Fund is focused on supporting organisations to become more sustainable and to deepen the impact of their work. This can include:
o Support for specific posts.
o Skills development.
o Underpinning of the strategy or business model, and
o Project delivery which is central to an organisation’s mission and vision.
The Foundation’s definition of ‘arts’ includes crafts, creative writing (including poetry), dance, design, film, music, opera, photography, digital arts and media, theatre and drama, the visual arts and cross-arts practices.
The Arts Fund will support eligible organisations (see list above) who:
o Use their creative practice to help us engage with the complexity of the world around us.
o Centre the lived experience of those affected by injustice in their programmes, leadership and governance.
o Are exploring how values of care, equity and justice can be embedded in their own organisational culture.
o Have a clear sense of their own role in supporting change as part of a wider ecosystem.
o Are generous with their learning and working with other organisations towards mutual aims, and
o Use their creative practice to challenge traditional cultural hierarchies of genre and art form.
Revenue grants of between £90,000 and £300,000 are available for a period of 3 years. A bursary of up to £500 is also available to help organisations apply to the Fund. Grants can cover up to 50% of an organisation’s annual turnover over 3 years, based on their last published audited accounts.
Some examples of previously funded projects are provided on the Foundation's website.
Funding is not available for:
o Work that is focused on entry-level employment pathways.
o Work which aims primarily to deliver targeted health, wellbeing, educational or public health outcomes.
o Academic research programmes.
o Organisations who work primarily in formal education settings.
o Newly registered organisations that have yet to produce independently audited or examined accounts.
o Individuals, or
o Capital projects and equipment purchase.
The application process is as follows:
1. Complete the online first stage application form, which opened on Thursday 4th April with a deadline of Friday 31st May 2024 at 12pm (midday). If applicants have an organisational business plan and budget, they are asked to include it with the first stage application form.
2. All applicants are expected to receive a decision on their first stage application by Wednesday 31st July 2024, although this may vary depending on the volume of applications that the Arts Fund receives.
3. For applications that progress to the second round, the Foundation will make contact to arrange an conversation at a convenient time between August and October and request any additional information it needs. The Foundation will send applicants questions for the conversation in advance, and only request additional information that they already have and use.
4. Final decisions on grant awards will be announced by Thursday 31st October 2024.
A second application window for the Arts Fund is scheduled to open on Wednesday 14th August and close on Monday 14th October 2024.
The Foundation has scheduled an online Question and Answer session for organisations interested in applying to the Arts Fund. The online session takes place on Zoom at 10am on Tuesday 7th May 2024. Registration can be made at this link to Zoom.
Further information, guidance and details about how to apply to the Fund is available on the Foundation’s website.
