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Performing Arts Grant: Supporting Excellence and Inclusive Participation (UK)

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Solidarity Fund for Artists and Cultural Organizations in Africa

Deadline: 21-Aug-2026

The Performing Arts Grant supports projects that promote excellence, participation, and access in the performing arts sector. The grant prioritises bursaries, apprenticeships, fellowships, active performance opportunities, skills development, and projects that widen participation for individuals and communities facing barriers. It is especially relevant for initiatives supporting disadvantaged groups, emerging talent, adults excluded from mainstream opportunities, and children and young people from widening participation schools.

Overview

The Performing Arts Grant supports initiatives that create meaningful opportunities for people to engage actively in the performing arts.

The grant focuses on artistic excellence, creative development, skills-building, and access for individuals and communities who face barriers to participation.

The Foundation has a long-standing commitment to supporting the performing arts and continues to prioritise projects that nurture talent, encourage active participation, and create lasting benefits for participants.

Key Grant Details

Purpose of the Grant

The purpose of the Performing Arts Grant is to expand access to high-quality performing arts opportunities.

The grant supports projects that help individuals develop creative skills, build confidence, participate in performances, and improve their future prospects.

It is designed to support initiatives that combine artistic excellence with inclusion, participation, and personal development.

Focus Areas

The grant supports projects linked to performing arts education, participation, and talent development.

Key focus areas include:

What the Grant Supports

The Performing Arts Grant supports projects that provide direct and meaningful participation in creative and performance-based activities.

Supported activities may include:

Support for Artistic Excellence

A key priority of the grant is supporting excellence in the performing arts.

The Foundation may support bursaries, apprenticeships, and fellowships for named individuals of any age.

These opportunities should be provided through institutions that are recognised for:

Applications that benefit individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are particularly encouraged.

Support for Adults Facing Exclusion

The grant supports projects that enable significant and active participation in performances by adults who are often excluded from mainstream opportunities.

Priority groups may include:

These projects should help participants develop practical skills, confidence, social connections, and meaningful engagement through the performing arts.

Support for Children and Young People

The grant also supports children and young people who face substantial barriers to participation in the performing arts.

Eligible projects should provide meaningful opportunities for engagement, skills development, creative expression, and performance.

The Foundation expects that most participants in these projects will come from widening participation target schools or educational settings where more than 40% of students receive pupil premium funding or free school meals.

Who May Benefit?

The Performing Arts Grant is designed to benefit individuals and groups who can gain meaningful creative, educational, and personal development through active participation.

Potential beneficiaries include:

Priority Projects

Trustees are likely to prioritise projects that actively involve participants and create clear developmental benefits.

Strong projects should:

Active Participation Requirement

The Foundation places strong emphasis on projects that involve participants directly in performances.

Projects should go beyond passive attendance.

The strongest initiatives are those that allow participants to create, rehearse, perform, collaborate, learn, and grow through direct involvement in performing arts activities.

What is Less Likely to Be Supported?

Projects focused mainly on passive attendance are less likely to align with the grant’s priorities.

The grant is intended to support direct creative engagement, performance, learning, and personal development.

Applicants should focus on how beneficiaries will actively participate and how the project will strengthen their skills, confidence, and future opportunities.

How the Grant Works

The Foundation assesses applications based on the potential benefit to participants and the quality of the proposed creative opportunity.

Trustees consider whether the project will promote excellence, widen access, support disadvantaged individuals, and create meaningful long-term outcomes.

Priority is given to projects where the performing arts are used as a practical pathway for learning, confidence-building, inclusion, and talent development.

How to Apply or Prepare

Applicants should prepare a clear proposal that explains the performing arts activity, target beneficiaries, expected outcomes, and the need for support.

Step 1: Define the Performing Arts Activity

Applicants should clearly describe the project or opportunity.

This may include:

Step 2: Identify the Beneficiaries

Applicants should explain who will benefit from the project.

The proposal should describe whether the project supports emerging talent, children, young people, adults facing exclusion, or individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Step 3: Show Active Engagement

Applicants should clearly explain how participants will be directly involved.

Strong proposals should show that participants will take part in activities such as:

Step 4: Explain the Developmental Impact

Applicants should describe how the project will improve participants’ skills, confidence, creativity, social connection, or future prospects.

The application should focus on practical and lasting benefits.

Step 5: Demonstrate Need

Applicants should explain why the project is important and why beneficiaries face barriers to participation.

Projects involving disadvantaged groups should clearly describe the barriers being addressed and how the project will reduce them.

Step 6: Highlight Quality and Excellence

Applicants should show how the project supports high-quality creative development.

If the project involves bursaries, apprenticeships, or fellowships, the application should explain how the supporting institution is recognised for creative quality and talent development.

Step 7: Focus on Long-Term Benefit

Applicants should explain how participation will create benefits beyond the project itself.

This may include improved skills, confidence, progression opportunities, social connection, creative pathways, or future engagement in the performing arts.

Expected Benefits

Funded projects are expected to create artistic, educational, personal, and social benefits.

Expected benefits may include:

Why This Grant Matters

The Performing Arts Grant matters because many talented individuals and underserved communities face barriers to accessing high-quality creative opportunities.

Without targeted support, people from disadvantaged backgrounds may have fewer chances to participate, perform, and develop their skills.

By supporting excellence, inclusion, and active engagement, the grant helps widen access to the performing arts while creating meaningful personal and artistic development.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid submitting projects that focus mainly on passive audience attendance.

Projects should not be vague about who will benefit or how participants will be actively involved.

Applicants should avoid weak descriptions of impact. A strong proposal should explain how the project will improve skills, confidence, participation, or future prospects.

Projects involving children and young people should clearly demonstrate how they reach those facing substantial barriers.

Applicants should also avoid failing to explain how the project supports artistic excellence, inclusion, and meaningful participation.

Tips for a Strong Application

A strong application should clearly show creative quality, participant benefit, and long-term impact.

Applicants should:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Performing Arts Grant?

The Performing Arts Grant supports initiatives that promote excellence, participation, and access within the performing arts sector, especially for individuals and communities facing barriers.

What types of projects are supported?

The grant supports performing arts education, bursaries, apprenticeships, fellowships, active performance opportunities, skills development, and projects that widen participation among disadvantaged or underrepresented groups.

Who are the priority beneficiaries?

Priority beneficiaries include emerging talent, individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, adults excluded from mainstream opportunities, and children and young people facing barriers to performing arts participation.

Does the grant support bursaries and fellowships?

Yes. The grant supports bursaries, apprenticeships, and fellowships for named individuals of any age, especially through institutions recognised for creative quality and talent development.

Can projects support adults facing exclusion?

Yes. The grant supports projects involving adults who are often excluded from mainstream opportunities, including people experiencing homelessness, asylum seekers, prisoners, and people not in education, employment, or training.

Can projects support children and young people?

Yes. The grant supports children and young people who face substantial barriers to participation, especially where most participants come from widening participation target schools or settings with more than 40% pupil premium or free school meal eligibility.

What makes a strong project?

A strong project actively involves participants in performance, develops practical skills, promotes excellence, widens access, supports disadvantaged groups, and improves beneficiaries’ future prospects.

Conclusion

The Performing Arts Grant supports projects that combine artistic excellence with active participation, inclusion, and personal development.

The grant is especially valuable for initiatives that help disadvantaged individuals, emerging talent, adults facing exclusion, and children and young people access meaningful performing arts opportunities.

This opportunity is best suited for projects that involve direct participation in performance, strengthen creative skills, widen access, and create lasting benefits for participants and communities.

For more information, visit The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation.

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