Arts and culture funding

Information about arts and culture funding and how to apply.

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) .

Imagination fund 2020 to 2022: 7 May 2019 to 30 July 2019

To apply for the Imagination fund you must:

• Read the Imagination fund guidance notes (pdf, 587KB) (opens new window)
• Complete the two-part application form and submit it along with the supporting documents

The two-part application form is an online Google document form and you’ll need to have a gmail account to access it.

If you don’t have a Gmail account you can create an account on the gmail account page.

The google form doesn't allow you to save and return to your application.

To work on your form offline, download our two Word documents of questions:

• Form question sheet one (word doc, 83KB) (opens new window)
• Form question sheet two (word doc, 20KB) (opens new window)

You can then copy and paste your answers from these into the online application form.

You can submit supporting documents in Word, Excel or PDF format.

You can also use these supporting documents to help your application:

• Imagination Project Budget spreadsheet (spreadsheet, 51KB) (opens new window)
• Example and template: Memorandum of understanding (word doc, 285KB) (opens new window)
• Other sources of funding spreadsheet (spreadsheet, 49KB) (opens new window)
• Timeline or milestones plan (word doc, 13KB) (opens new window)
• Imagination fund online questions and answers sheet

Any electronic supporting documents you upload should clearly show your organisation’s name.

Apply for Imagination funding on the Google form

Originators fund 2020 to 2021: September 2019

Applications will open in September 2019.

There'll be an information day about the Originators fund in September.

Funds Online sessions

21 May 2019, then every third Tuesday of the month
City Hall, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR

We offer free access to Funds Online, a database of 8,000 organisations and individuals that can provide funding.

To come and use the database, book a place on one of our monthly sessions.

Fundraising training

2 July 2019
Mansion House, Clifton Down, Bristol BS8 3LJ

We're hosting two training sessions with a professional bid writer.

The sessions costs:

• £25 for an individual
• £35 for someone from an organisation

Book a place online:

• Introduction to writing successful applications
• Trusts, foundations and how to budget, evaluate and avoid rejection

Contact us

Email: cityartsfunds@bristol.gov.uk

Twitter: @Brisarts_events