December: funding opportunities & competitions

Immersive Arts

Immersive Arts is a brand new funding and support programme for UK-based artists, designed to help them develop their art by using immersive technologies. The initiative is divided into three strands: Explore (grants of £5,000), Experiment (grants of £20,000) and Expand (grants of £50,000), tailored to artists at various stages of their careers. Deadline for Round One applications for all strands (Explore, Experiment and Expand) is 2 December 2024. More info here.

The Fore

Unrestricted funding to small charities across the UK that are making a big impact and who want to significantly grow, strengthen, become more efficient or resilient. The national funding programme is open to any sector and region within the UK with particular interest in grassroots organisations working with underserved communities. Opens at 12pm (midday) on 4 December 2024 and close at 12pm (midday) on 11 December 2024. More info here.

Association of Independent Museums’ (AIM) Training Grants

Grants of up to £350 to support museums in developing the skills and expertise of their workforce. This could include course fees, accommodation, travel costs, seminars and workshops, museum study visits and mentoring placements. Deadline: 16th December 2024. More info here.

John Ellerman Foundation Museums and Galleries Fund

Aims to strengthen regional museums and galleries in the UK, support projects that enable new ways of working for both established and emerging curators, and help safeguard and advance curatorial skills during periods of development or change. The Foundation expects to award five or six grants of around £90,000 each for projects lasting two to three years. Deadline: 6th January 2025. More info here.

The Central Scotland School of Jewellery (CSSJ) Setting Inclusivity

A new project delivered in partnership with the Goldsmiths’ Centre aims to tackle financial barriers so that more people can learn the traditional skill of jewellery making. The initiative addresses challenges like high costs, social exclusion and lack of access, making it easier for everyone to enjoy the benefits of jewellery and creativity. Deadline: Tuesday 14 January 2025. More info here.

The Elephant Trust

Funding for UK Visual Artists and Small Arts Organisations.Grants for artists, small organisations and galleries within the UK to make it possible for artists and those presenting their work to undertake and complete projects when frustrated by lack of funds. Grants are usually between £2,000 and £5,000. Deadline: 19 January 2025. More info here.

Taic Freumhan Coimhearsnachd Fund 

Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s primary fund for supporting community organisations in delivering projects to promote and increase the usage and learning of Gaelic at community level. Deadline: Tuesday 28 January 2025. More info here.

Creative Scotland Tasgadh—Small Grants for Traditional Arts fund

Provides support for traditional artists and organisations to create, perform, tour, and showcase their work. The Fund, managed by Fèisean nan Gàidheal, will provide grants of between £250 and £1,000 to organisations and individuals involved in Scottish Traditional Arts, including dance, music, and storytelling. Deadline: 31 January 2025. More info here.

Amazon Literary Partnership (ALP)

Provides one-off grants to not-for-profit literary organisations that support and champion writers of all ages and stages on their creative journey. Deadline: 31 January 2025. More info here.

Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Arts Fund

The Foundation provides long-term, core funding to not-for-profit organisations who work at the intersection of art and social change so they can continue the work they are already doing and for programmes which are central to their mission. The funding will cover work that involves any of the following: crafts, creative writing (including poetry), dance, design, film, music, opera, photography, digital arts and media, theatre and drama, the visual arts and cross-arts practices. Deadline: 31 January 2025. More info here.

The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust

Grants available for UK registered charities seeking to enhance and improve people’s lives through advancing the arts, health and medical welfare, and the environment. Typically awards grants of between £500 and £6,000 for projects and core costs, with a preference for small-scale, locally based initiatives. The next deadline for applications is 4 February 2025. More info here.

Weir Charitable Trust

Grants of up to £25,000 to small charities and community groups across Scotland with an annual income of less than £125,000 to deliver projects and activities that improve the quality of life for local communities, including Culture - Supporting the heritage - tangible or otherwise - of Scotland, through projects that encourage participation in and preservation of Scotland's distinctive culture. Deadline: 28 February 2025. More info here.

Tom Grass Spirit of Adventure Literary Prize

The prize is for a short piece of stand-alone prose in either Fiction or Non-Fiction. It can be adapted from a longer work but must be satisfying to read by itself. The prize invites writers from all walks of life, whether writing a short story, essay, memoir, piece of reportage, historical investigation, or other hybrid form, as long as the writer reflects the sensibility of the prize. The prize is not aimed at the action-adventure genre nor limited to the idea of physical adventure. We invite writers to grapple with the spirit of adventure in any way they interpret. Deadline: 31st March 2025. More info here.

The Brit Trust

Funding is available for organisations that use the power of music and the creative arts to improve the lives of young people of all backgrounds across the UK. This funding supports music and arts initiatives that promote education, wellbeing, and community engagement, helping individuals realise their full potential, regardless of ability, ethnicity, gender, or sexuality. Deadline: 30 April 2025. More info here.

The Cruach Trust

Grants of up to £2,000 are available to small Scottish charitable organisations to support environmental, community and music projects. Applications are considered once a year and the next deadline for applications is 12 September 2025. Find out more here.

Maker Relief Fund

The Maker Relief Fund is offering grants to UK-based professional craftspeople facing financial hardship. Grants of £1,000 will be awarded to 50 eligible applicants. Deadline: October 2025. More info here.

Music for All Community Project Funding Programme

Grants are available to community groups, schools and individuals under a number of different categories, each with their own criteria and award amounts. More info here.