Supporting individual creative and cultural practitioners
Scroll down to find out what support we offer to individual creative and cultural practitioners, including the latest funding opportunities and resources available.
Who do we mean by individuals?
Who do we mean by individuals?
The term ‘individual creative and cultural practitioner’ covers a wide range of roles and skills.
We use the term to refer to people who are working (or aspiring to work) independently or freelance in our supported artforms.
Whether you’re funded by us or not, our resources and opportunities are here to support you.
Our commitments
Our commitments
We want to ensure individuals are treated and paid fairly by us and the organisations we fund. We have set out our expectations of organisations and our commitments to individuals below.
Our commitment on pay
We’re committed to ensuring those who work in the cultural and creative sector are properly and fairly paid. We require anyone applying to us for funding to demonstrate how fees for artists, creatives and specialists for projects funded by us are in line with, or better than, recognised codes of practice and guidelines set by the relevant lead bodies.
Our commitment on equality
We know that the pandemic has had a greater impact on those who don’t traditionally access our funds. If we are to ensure the future of the sector is one that truly represents all of our society then we need to target our funding at ensuring practitioners, regardless of their background and where they grew up, establish and sustain independent careers.
Our expectations of organisations
We’ve set out our expectations for all cultural organisations who work with creative and cultural practitioners in our Supporting Practitioners information sheet. We have also produced a practitioners’ version of this information sheet called ‘Expectations when working with organisations’.
Consulting with Creative and Cultural Practitioners Policy
We want to make sure that practitioners who consult with us on projects or other opportunities have a consistent experience and understand what to expect. Our Consulting with Creative and Cultural Practitioners Policy sets out how Arts Council England staff will work with practitioners when seeking their input and expertise on Arts Council projects.
Raising a concern
Anyone may raise a concern about an organisation that has applied to or has received funding from us. As a custodian of public money, we will always take such concerns very seriously, and we have processes to ensure they are thoroughly investigated.
Read our guidance to find out how to raise a concern and how we will deal with it.
Funding for individuals
Funding for individuals
National Lottery Project Grants
We support thousands of individual artists, community and cultural organisations with arts, libraries and museums projects. This fund is open all the time and you can apply for grants between £1,000 and £100,000.
Developing your Creative Practice
This fund supports individual cultural and creative practitioners ready to take their practice to the next stage through things such as: research, time to create new work, travel, training, developing ideas, networking or mentoring. Its open for applications four times a year.
Supporting your application
Supporting your application
If you’ve not applied to us for funding before, find out more about who we are and how to apply.
Apply to any fund we offer through Grantium.
If you find it difficult to get advice or apply, we can help you. This includes paying a support worker and providing documents in different formats.
Training and resources
Check out these opportunities to support for your professional development.
Signposting the training and resources available to you in safeguarding, business skills and peer learning
Our team of Tech Champions provide expert training and 1-to-1 advice in digital skills and how you can reap the benefits of technology
Case studies, toolkits and more to ensure your practice is inclusive, dynamic, environmentally responsible and ambitious
Other funding and support
Other funding and support
You can find more funding or support from other organisations too
Benevolent funds
Dance Professionals Fund
Equitable Charity Trust
Help Musicians
Theatre Artists Fund
Freelancer networks
Freelance : Futures
Freelancers Make Theatre Work
Freelancers in the Dark
Freelance Taskforce
Your career
Your career
Take a look at job opportunities and unions for your discipline
Jobs
Unions
Artists’ Union England
Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union
Equity
Musicians’ Union
Writers’ Guild of Great Britain
Get in touch
Got a question? Get in touch
Our Customer Services team are available 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and they can answer lots of questions you might have.