Arts and culture funding

Information about arts and culture funding and how to apply.

COVID-19 business support

Visit our COVID-19 information for businesses page for advice and support. 

This is to help organisations, sole traders and freelancers.

COVID-19 event planning support

For information on how to apply for Site Permissions to hold an event in Bristol please visit EventApp Bristol City Council.  

For information on making your events and activities COVID secure, visit our Advice for supporting outdoor events.

Possible extension to Openness and Imagination funds

The current grants agreement for the Cultural Investment Programme may be extended to 31 March 2023.

This will be discussed by the Council Cabinet in June 2021.

If approved, the next rounds of Imagination and Openness will open for new applications in 2022 for activity starting in 2023.

General arts funding

Types of funding: 2018 to 2022

There are 3 funds available through our 2018 to 2022 Cultural Investment Programme:

• Originators
• Imagination
• Openness

Find out more about all the funds in the Cultural Investment Programme Prospectus (pdf, 425KB) (opens new window) .

Originators

The Originators Fund 2021 to 2022 is now closed. 

All applicants will be contacted about projects to be funded by 31 May 2021.

The next round of Originators will open for applications in January 2022.

Updates for 2020 funding

Originators 20/21 was delayed in March 2020 due to COVID-19. The funding has now been released: January 2021.  

Applicants selected for funding have been notified, and have an extended deadline of March 2022 for project delivery.

Find out about the projects previously supported with Originators funding.

• Artists and Organisations receiving Originators funding (delayed), 2020 to 2021 (pdf, 205KB) (opens new window)
• Artists and Organisations that had Originators funding, 2019 to 2020 (pdf, 205KB) (opens new window) (pdf, 205KB) (opens new window)
• Artists and Organisations that had Originators funding, 2018 to 2019 (pdf, 241KB) (opens new window)

Imagination

Find out about the 12 current and 15 previously funded projects being supported with Imagination funding.

• Organisations with Imagination funding, 2020 to 2022 (pdf, 195KB) (opens new window)
• Organisations that had Imagination funding, 2018 to 2020 (pdf, 200KB) (opens new window)

Openness 

Find out about the 17 organisations being supported with Openness funding. 

• Organisations with Openness funding, 2018 to 2022 (pdf, 100KB) (opens new window)

Contact us

Email: cityartsfunds@bristol.gov.uk

Twitter: @Brisarts_events

Join our mailing list 

Sign up to our Bristol Arts and Events mailing list.

This way we can send you monthly updates about: 

• arts and events
• opportunities
• funding