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RESOURCES

Funding

Below you will find funding and resources available to those in the creative community and cultural sector. Opportunities with deadlines in the near future are ordered at the top and those with rolling deadlines or open programmes further down. Information is accurate at time of writing but please ensure you visit the website of the individual funder as some details may be subject to change due to the current situation.

This list will be updated as and when information becomes available so make sure you come back and keep looking. If you know of something that we've missed and could be shared please do let us know by contacting TheFireWithin@wigan.gov.uk.

Open opportunities

All deadlines are open/rolling unless stated otherwise. Published: 26 March 2021

Actors Benevolent Fund

The ABF supports professional actors and stage managers who cannot work with helping you manage your household expenses until you get back on your feet.

Art Fund - Small Projects Grant

Grants supporting organisations in continuing to engage with the public during periods of closure. Encouraging innovative and creative approaches that can be delivered digitally.

Asda Foundation - Supporting Communities Grant

Community Grants providing support throughout lockdown in the areas of food, hygiene, and wellbeing.

Aviva Community Fund

Supports projects that boost the resilience of communities and provides causes with funding, skills and resources.

Book Trade Charity (BTS) - Hardship Grants

Hardship grants to people who are working or have worked in a bookshop.

The Belgae Trust

Fund to support projects in IT, Health, Education, Arts and Environment.

The Bruce Wake Charitable Trust

Grant applications related to the provision of leisure activities for the disabled (wheelchair users).

The Charity Service – Main Fund

Grants for supply of equipment, activities and amenities to organisations in Greater Manchester assisting individuals who are disadvantaged, sick, have a disability and or living in poverty.

Charity Finance Group

Financial help and advice, including FAQs on the furlough scheme, info on gift aid, insurance, and links and resources.

The Coalfields Food Insecurity Response Fund

The Coalfields Food Insecurity Response Fund is a new fund to tackle food poverty. We have seen a significant rise over recent years in the coalfields of the number of projects providing food to those who cannot afford it. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated this problem.

Crowdfunder - Pay it Forward

Offering creatives 100% free tech and tools to pre-sell tickets, products and bookings now to be redeemed after the crisis.

Dance Professionals Fund - The Dancers' Hardship Fund

Support given to freelance dancers across genres including ballet, contemporary, Black and Asian dance and hip hop including those with portfolio careers, e.g. choreography, who whose work would normally include employment in the subsidised dance sector.

Directors Charitable Foundation - Directors Support Scheme

The Directors Support Scheme offers emergency help to Directors in acute need and is designed for short-term support.

Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund

Small grants available for community organisations within the North West that benefit and support local people.

The Eaton Fund

Grants up to £300 for artists and art students within the field of visual arts to fund art materials, items of equipment and exhibition costs, such as framing

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation

Grants are awarded to organisations that provide opportunities to take part in the arts in educational and community settings, especially for people or groups with limited access to the arts.

Equity Charitable Trust - Coronavirus Emergency Welfare Support for Freelancers

These emergency funds are available to all freelance professional performers and those who work in the theatre profession on a freelance basis.

The Elephant Trust

Main aim is to support new work and make it possible for artists and those presenting their work to undertake and complete projects when frustrated by lack of funds with grants up to £2,000.

Foyle Foundation – Main Grants Scheme

Grants for UK charities who help make the arts more accessible by developing new audiences, supporting tours, festivals and arts education projects, encouraging new work, and supporting young and emerging artists.

Foyle Foundation – Small Grants Scheme

Grants for UK Charities to cover core costs or essential equipment, to enable ongoing service provision, homeworking, or delivery of online digital services.

Friends of the National Libraries

Funding to help regional, national and specialist libraries, archives and museums acquire books, manuscripts and archives that they could not otherwise afford.

Friends of the Elderly - Grants For Older

Friends of the Elderly provides grants to older people living on low incomes from a referral agent.

Government – Support for self-employed people

Self-employed people can now access Universal Credit at rate equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay. Next self-assessment payments deferred until January 2021.

Government - Job Retention Scheme

Employers can reclaim up to 80% of their wage costs up to a cap of £2,500 per month, plus (not including) associated employer NICs and minimum auto enrolment pension contributions on that wage.

Government - Tax Credits

Government information concerning the change to Working Tax Credits and other benefits in light of the current crisis.

Government - Business Rates Holiday

Business rates holiday for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England for the 2020 to 2021 tax year. Businesses that received the retail discount will be rebilled by their local authority shortly.

Government - Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Scheme giving access to loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5 million and for up to 6 years.

The Golsoncott Foundation

Charity to promote, maintain, improve and advance the education of the public in the arts generally and in particular the fine arts and music.

International Federation of Arts Councils and Cultural Agencies (IFACCA)

A network of arts councils and cultural agencies that share knowledge and create understanding to promote the arts and cultural activities.

Lancashire Covid-19 Community Support

To support community and voluntary organisation on the frontline. Prioritising delivery of services and projects supporting the most vulnerable in the community.

Lloyds Bank Foundation

Grants to charities working with people living with mental health problems that disrupt their daily lives. Also grants to care leavers and charities supporting learning disabilities.

Manchester Guardian Society Charitable Trust

Grants made to a wide variety of community based organisations in the Greater Manchester area but particularly interested in arts organisations and those that work with young people and vulnerable groups.

Musicians Union Hardship Fund

Small hardship grants for musicians who are part of the Musicians Union who have lost work due to the pandemic.

National Heritage Memorial Fund

The NHMF provides financial assistance towards the acquisition, preservation and maintenance of some of the UK's finest objects and landscapes, from trains to artworks, wildlife havens to manuscripts.

The National Lottery - Community Fund

Supporting organisations to continue delivering services to people and communities affected by Covid-19.

Nesta - Funding Innovation: A practice guide

This practice guide shares the funding tools that Nesta has used to support innovation, and offers practical advice on how to make money work harder.

Nesta - Arts and Culture Impact Loan

This funding is for arts and cultural organisations to show how impact investment could transform the arts and cultural sector.

Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Arts Access and Participation Fund

The Fund addresses inequalities of opportunity to access and participate in the arts. We want to support change in the way the arts are created, presented, accessed and experienced.

Paul Hamlyn Foundation – Arts-based Learning Fund

Supports work enabling pupils, particularly those experiencing systemic inequality or disadvantage, to thrive through engagement with high quality, arts-based learning.

Pixel Fund

A charity that distributes grants between £500 and £5,000 to other charities aiming to support mental health and wellbeing.

Persimmon Community Champions

Grants available for organisations that works with or supports the over-70s.

The Ragdoll Foundation

Supports projects developing the creation, appreciation and awareness of imaginative content for children.

Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain

Funds to cover musicians and their families in times of hardship, for example, illness, accident or healthcare costs.

Society of Authors - Authors' Emergency Fund

This funding is to help support authors who have lost income due to cancellation of book tours, lectures, talks, school visits, performances and sales.

Schroder Charity Trust

Covers charities for both core costs and specific projects. Currently runs fund to help with organisations impacted by Covid-19.

the7stars Foundation

Assists forgotten and challenged young people over 16 (affected by abuse, drugs, alcohol addiction) and young carers.

Theatre Helpline

A portal to various sources of information and help, including financial, available to those whose work in the theatre has been interrupted due to the Coronavirus crisis.

Wooden Spoon Society

Funds life changing projects over £5,000 for disadvantaged children or children with disabilities.

Yapp Charitable Trust

Grants to help sustain the existing work of charities undertaking work with priority groups. Focusing on social welfare and education and learning projects.

Youth Futures - Development Grants

Grants available for organisations providing young people with skills to get into employment.

Youth Futures - Impact Grants

Grants available for organisations providing young people with skills to get into employment.

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