With a dedicated Resource Development Manager on our team and a strong track record at successful funding applications Generator are in a position to advise organisations and indeed individuals on accessing funding and preparing bids. What we have to say here though is that we can’t get funding for you.
There are however many different funding streams out there and the most common one for music projects is Arts Council of England Grants for the Arts scheme which you can apply for directly to your regional Arts Council office although from March al applications will be handled by a central team based in Manchester.
If you are an organisation starting out or developing you may be able to access funding from Business Link and their Innovation Advice & Guidance Fund. If successful, this can pay for between 30% and 50% of the costs for a consultant who you would bring in to help with a particular area of expansion. You will have to demonstrate how this investment will help your organisation grow, sometimes as a business and use someone who is on the Business Link registered supplier list in your area but this can be a massive help during organisational change and development. Examples are not limited to central structure but can also include strategic development with particular aspects of the organisation such as marketing, PR and in some cases sales strategies.
Northern Rock Foundation
Northern Rock Foundation is a long-term supporter of Generator and they have funded us to develop some fantastic programmes over the years, including ‘The Know How’ which continues to run. They have 3 different programmes for their work across the North East and Cumbria, and they are as follows:-
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Independence and Choice – services for people with mental health problems, people with learning disabilities, older people and carers;
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Building Positive Lives – one-to-one help for young people at risk, homeless people, substance misusers and groups that face prejudice and discrimination;
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Safety and Justice – reducing the incidence and impact of domestic and sexual violence, abuse and hate crimes.
Generator used to make its application to the Culture and Heritage Programme which unfortunately stopped running in August 2009. The trustees agreed that from this point, they wanted to re-focus culture and heritage grants towards projects that tackle disadvantage as a primary objective. This was, in part, a response to changing regional circumstances, including the impact of the recession.
Northern Rock Foundation will continue with their policy of funding fewer, better grants and engaging with applicants and grant-holders to help them maximise their effectiveness. If you have read through all the guidelines and your project idea matches Northern Rock Foundation priorities, we would encourage you to pick up the phone in the first instance, as NRF are extremely approachable and are happy to discuss ideas at a relatively early stage.
The Performing Right Society Foundation
The PRSF is the largest independent funder of new music across all genres – it leads and supports prioneering new music activity. They have given more than £12 million to over 3,000 new music projects since the year 2000. The PRSF want to stimulate the creation of new music and its performance to the widest possible audience.
Funding schemes include:
- Bliss Trust and PRSF Composer Bursaries
- British Music Abroad
- Performance Groups
- Festivals
- Live Connections
- New Works
- Organisations
- Promoters
They are extremely approachable and have a comprehensive understanding of the needs of the music sector.
See their website for details on all PRSF funding opportunities and the increased number of application deadlines for 2010.
Heritage Lottery Fund
Your Heritage provides grants of between £3,000 and £50,000 to support projects that relate to the local, regional or national heritage of the UK.
No deadlines (rolling programme)
Decision: within 10 weeks.
Three aims which relate to learning, conservation and participation.
It must meet the first aim:
To help people learn about their own and other people’s heritage.
It must meet either or both of the following:
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Conserve the UK’s diverse heritage for present and future generations to experience and enjoy;
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Help more people, and a wider range of people, to take an active part in and make decisions about heritage;
Heritage projects might include:
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People's memories and experiences
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Histories of people, communities, places and events
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Cultural traditions
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Historic buildings and townscapes
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Sites and collections linked to our industrial, maritime and transport history.
It must have this clear focus on heritage.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Prefer to make a grant over 3 years
Average grant: £80,000
The programme supports the development and dissemination of new ideas to increase people's experience, enjoyment and involvement in the arts.
For example, how participation in the arts contributes to education and learning processes, or how the arts and/or education and learning affect social change.
Enable organisations to experiment with and develop new ways of engaging with audiences and participants.
Applications must focus on achieving innovation and change in relation to our theme:
Innovation can be:
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Radical (e.g. researching, developing and implementing completely new ideas) - likely to involve creativity and some risk-taking, rather than incremental innovation.
Esmee Fairburn Foundation
Main Fund
It supports work that focuses on the UK’s cultural life, education, the natural environment and enabling people who are disadvantaged to participate more fully in society.
Primary interests are in the UK’s cultural life, education, the natural environment and enabling people who are disadvantaged to participate more fully in society.
Particularly interested in hearing about how the work you are proposing:
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Addresses a significant gap in provision
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Develops or strengthens good practice
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Challenges convention or takes a risk in order to address a difficult issue
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Tests out new ideas or practices
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Takes an enterprising approach to achieving your aims
Sets out to influence policy or change behaviour more widely
The average grant is worth about £50,000.
Baring Foundation www.baringfoundation.org.uk
New Grant announced in June 2009
Do you want to play?
Take it Away is an Arts Council initiative designed to help more people get involved in learning and playing music. The scheme allows individuals to apply for a loan of up to £2,000 for the purchase of any kind of musical instrument, and pay it back in nine monthly instalments, completely interest free.
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Offer subject to age and status. Terms and conditions apply.
Typical 0% APR Take it away is operated by ArtCo Trading Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arts Council England and a limited liability company registered in England & Wales under No. 2758433. Registered address: Arts Council England, North East, Central Square, Forth Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3PJ
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