Deadline: 05-Sep-2025
The South Oxfordshire District Council Performing Arts Grant Fund supports community and voluntary sector performing arts groups across the district.
This fund is intended to enrich the cultural life of South Oxfordshire by providing financial assistance to projects that have a strong community impact, respond to local needs, and promote broad access to the performing arts.
The grant program aligns with the Council’s Corporate Plan by advancing several key goals. These include improving community well-being through accessible arts initiatives, strengthening voluntary and grassroots arts organisations, encouraging environmentally sustainable practices in the arts, fostering inclusivity across all demographics, and building local talent, skills, and infrastructure in the performing arts sector.
A total of £60,000 is available each year for the next three years. Applicants may request between £500 and £5,000 per project. Multiple applications from the same organisation are welcome, as long as each project benefits different groups or audiences. All funded projects must be completed within 12 months of receiving the grant.
Funding will be prioritised for projects that expand arts opportunities, promote diversity and inclusion, support local talent, encourage innovation and excellence, and help attract new audiences and participants to the performing arts.
Eligible projects may include new or improved performing arts activities like theatre, music, or dance classes offered at low or no cost. They can also include launching arts programs in new locations, hiring professional artists to lead workshops or performances, covering start-up costs for sustainable initiatives, or marketing to attract new audiences. Projects focused on skill-sharing, particularly for young people, seniors, or underrepresented groups, are encouraged. Accessibility-focused projects are also supported, especially those that engage low-income families, people with disabilities, or rural communities.
Projects must benefit groups of residents in South Oxfordshire rather than individuals. Eligible applicants include not-for-profit arts or community organisations, voluntary groups with a constitution and committee structure, town or parish councils and meetings, and certain education-based organisations like PTAs, preschools, and schools providing out-of-hours non-statutory programming.
The fund does not accept applications from other local authorities, individual service providers (such as performers or artists), organisations raising money for ineligible entities, profit-making businesses, political or lobbying groups, or national organisations without a local presence or project focus.
For more information, visit South Oxfordshire District Council.
