The Arts Council has announced a £160 million emergency response package of support across the cultural sector in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
This includes:
- £90 million for National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs)
- £50 million for organisations outside of the National Portfolio
- £20 million for creative practitioners and cultural workers
NPOs will be contacted directly and those benefiting will need to show how they will support the freelance creative practitioners on whom they rely.
Organisations outside of the National Portfolio or Music Education Hubs can apply for a maximum of £35,000. The funding will be available to organisations with a track record in publicly funded culture with the aim to get them back on their feet and continue to work in the future. Organisations benefiting from this fund will need to support the freelance creative practitioners on whom they rely. The Arts Council is also encouraging organisations to develop new ideas to harness the power of digital to share creativity.
Artists, creative practitioners and freelancers will be able to apply for grants of up to £2,500 if they have a track record in publicly funded culture. £4million of this will be set aside for grants to benevolent funds targeted at other cultural workers.
Round one funding for organisations outside of the National Portfolio or Music Education Hubs, artists, creative practitioners and freelancers opens for applications on Thursday, April 9, 2020, and applicants will need to register on Grantium by April 13 in order to make an application for this round.
Round two opens for applications on Thursday, April 16, 2020, and applicants will need to register on Grantium by April 27 to make an application for this round.
For further information on the funding available and the application process can be found at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19.
Other sources of potential funding
Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Entrepreneurs (DBACE) awards of up to £20,000 provide young entrepreneurs between the age of 18-30 in the UK who are looking to enter the creative industries and who have a desire to create and sustain social value through their enterprise. DBACE welcomes applications from the following sectors: Advertising, Architecture, Art & antiques, Crafts, Design, Fashion, Film, Gaming, Immersive technology, Music, Performing & visual arts, Publishing. Applicants do not already have to have set up a business. They just need to be ready to grow with their idea. Start-up capital, business training and mentoring will be provided. The deadline has been extended to Tuesday, April 7, 2020.
PRS for Music Coronavirus Emergency Relief Fund has been set up to provide immediate financial support to Performing Right Society (PRS) members during the coronavirus pandemic. Funding is being offered to songwriters and composers from around the world who are facing significant financial pressure as the global battle against the virus continues. Grants will be awarded based on assessment of individual need and successful applicants will receive support up to a value of £1,000 each. Open to PRS writer members suffering genuine hardship from loss of work due to the coronavirus pandemic. Applicants must have been members for at least two years and earned over £500 of PRS royalties in the last two years.
Help Musicians Coronavirus Financial Hardship Fund offers eligible musicians a one-off payment of £500 to alleviate some of the immediate financial pressures that many professional musicians may currently be facing. A fund of £5m has been created to help reduce the worry many musicians are experiencing about their mounting household expenses. Applications need to be made through an online form. Musicians are encouraged to only apply if they are suffering significant financial hardship to enable the funders to provide help quickly to those who need it the most.
MusiCares Financial and Addiction Recovery Assistance may grant short-term financial assistance for personal or addiction needs that have arisen due to unforeseen circumstances. Funding may be awarded for needs such as rent, car payments, insurance premiums, utilities, medical/dental expenses, psychotherapy, addiction treatment, sober living, and other personal expenses. Applicants must have a minimum of five years employment in the music industry or six commercially releasing recordings or videos. Applicants are required to investigate all other possible sources of aid.