National Lottery Funding

A4E ( Arts For Everyone ) and A4E Express are new National Lottery grant funding schemes. A4E in particular can offer grants of £500 to £50,000 over an indefinite period. These grants can be used to fund people and equipment; up 'til now grants have been available for capital projects only, ie. buildings. The new schemes are designed to get as many people as possible involved in a wide range of cultural activities throughout the country. Music, literature, drama, dance, film and visual arts are all eligible for funding. It is particularly aimed at young people, with a special scheme for groups which have never before received any kind of arts funding.

Criteria

• Encouraging and developing participation in the arts
• Getting more young people involved in cultural activity.
• Supporting new work and helping it develop an audience.
• Building people's creative potential through training or professional development.
• Encouraging new audiences to experience high quality arts.

A4E Express candidates need only meet one of these criteria (But the scheme only runs for six months). A4E applicants must satisfy three of the criteria for grants under £100,000 and all five for those over £100,000. Applicants will have to contribute at least 10% of the overall cost from other sources, applicants asking for more than £100,000 must find 15%

The schemes are administered by the Arts Council of England, they have £20 million to distribute. Your county council and your area arts board have officers who can advise on grant applications. Your local library will be able to provide the necessary names and addresses.

It shouldn't be too hard to meet some of the criteria listed; the definitions are broad enough that you could cover them all by, for example: Building a new giant, showing other people how you did it, and parading at a local youth event.

Interested? so am I.