About The Space

Arts Council England and the BBC have announced a partnership to create The Space – an experimental digital arts media service and commissioning programme that could help to transform the way people connect with, and experience, arts and culture.

This new pop up service will launch in May, running until the end of October 2012. It will challenge artists, arts and cultural organisations to collaborate with each other and partners to capture and create a wealth of cultural experiences, drawing on the richness of the summer of arts in the Olympic year.

Arts Council England is investing £2.5 million of its strategic digital innovation funds which will be made available to arts and cultural organisations via a Lottery grant programme. The BBC have committed a £2 million support package including providing the technology solution and training and mentoring for successful applicants.

The programme is designed to encourage experimentation, innovation, and provide an opportunity to learn more about how to connect audiences with arts and culture using digital technologies. The service will use technology across four digital media platforms: PC, mobile devices, tablets and connected TV.

It will showcase a host of content, from both established and up-and coming companies and artists, and will include celebrity curation and critique, live broadcasts and some of the best content from the Arts Council and BBC archives.

Aims of The Space

We expect our investment in The Space will significantly build the digital skills of the arts and cultural sector, ensuring that they are at the forefront of emerging digital technologies, and making their work available to even more people.

Funds available

We are making up to £2.5 million of strategic digital Lottery funds available to support this project. The amounts of funding allocated to each project will differ according to the scope and scale of the work.

Who can apply

The fund is open to  arts and cultural organisations, large and small. Museums and libraries can also apply for work that is primarily arts focused. Artists can apply but must do so in partnership with a lead organisation.

We welcome partnerships and collaborations between arts organisations and independent production companies or digital media specialists, but in these cases, the arts organisation must also be the lead partner.