Waltham Forest Council’s Make It Happen: Arts and Culture Project Grants (UK)

Deadline: 30-Oct-20

Do you have an idea for an exciting and innovative project that would involve the community? An innovative dance project for adults, a new craft project for children or a film challenge for everyone? From circus to dance, performance to visual art, music to craft – Waltham Forest Council is looking for big, bold ideas to support. Make it Happen Grant funding is now available to support artists, organisations and creative freelancers to create locally relevant, ambitious and inclusive arts and culture projects right across Waltham Forest.

This is your opportunity to create a cultural programme for everyone in the borough. You do not have to be based in Waltham Forest but your activity must benefit Waltham Forest residents.

The Fellowship Fund arts grants, funded by Waltham Forest Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, through the Great Place programme. This continued investment in arts and culture demonstrates an on-going commitment to culture in the borough, in recognition of the value that creativity brings to people’s lives, local business, prosperity and wellbeing.

Successful applicants will be able to take part in a skills development/learning programme which will consist of:

• Peer to peer networking;
• Professional development programme;
• Advice and support form the LBWF arts team.

Programme Aims

The council will fund arts and culture projects that explore local heritage are high quality, innovative, accessible and joyful. All projects to explain how they meet these and the aims below:

• Are delivered in and around high streets, supporting the local economy;
• Are led by people that identify as Black, Asian, or from a minority ethnic group in the UK, Eastern European, Refugee, D/deaf, disabled or LGBTQI+;
• Explore ideas around sustainability and the environment;
• Create meaningful shared experiences;
• Creatively use digital technology (including animation/performance/games/music);
• Are reflective of resident populations (see borough stats) and bring different communities together.

Funding Information

• The total amount of funding available for this round is £100,000.
• Applicants can apply for one of the following amounts:
  • £1,000 – £10,000
    • The fund would like to see match funding and/or in-kind support of at least 10% but will occasionally fund entire project costs.
  • £10,000 – £20,000
    • Applicants will need to show evidence of match funding of at least 20% of total project costs.
• There is no upper limit on the total project delivery budget, but applicants cannot request more than £20,000 from Waltham Forest Council. Any applications requesting over this limit will not be considered.

Eligibility Criteria

• Who will fund:
  • Applications can be made by individuals, community groups, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations, charities and other forms of social enterprise and limited companies.
  • Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.
  • Applicants do not have to live or work in Waltham Forest (but the project must be delivered in WF), they should demonstrate meaningful levels of engagement with local artists, community groups, businesses or organisations.
  • If applicants have already successfully secured funding from other Waltham Forest Council departments, they can still apply, providing it is relating to a different project. The assessment panel will focus on each project score when awarding funds however, they will consider the level of other funding awarded by Waltham Forest Council.
  • If applicants have received a Make it Happen, Grant, in 2018/19 they are eligible to apply for funding but must demonstrate how this project is significantly different from work have funded in the past.
  • To ensure the programme is more representative of the borough the council will prioritise projects led by people who belong or identify with one of the following groups: Black, Asian, or from a minority ethnic group in the UK, Eastern European, Refugee, D/deaf, disabled or LGBTQI+
• What will fund:
  • Projects must take in to account the most recent government advice around Covid-19 and social distancing.
  • Applications must be for an arts/culture projects, but this may be used to explore a wide range of subject matters, including heritage, identity or current issues.
  • The council will only fund projects with a defined start and end date, this funding is not to support the ongoing running costs of a group or activity.
  • Applications from any art form will be considered.
  • No projects will be funded retrospectively.
  • All projects should be delivered between January 2021 and March 2022.
  • Any income generated as part of the project must be ringfenced for project costs and not redistributed as organisational income/profit or to another project.
  • Projects must be significantly different from work that has previously received Waltham Forest.

Successful Applications

• If successful you will be asked to formally accept the offer via the grant portal within two weeks of notification. A formal offer will then be sent with proposed outputs and payment dates which can be negotiated. Once agreed, this should be signed and returned along with all supporting documentation;
• Your successful award is confidential until an agreed announcement date;
• Only once the supporting documentation and signed offer letter have been received can the first payment be made;
• Payments will be made in three instalments depending on the nature of the project – with 40% paid when the project commences, 40% halfway through the project on receipt of a mid-point report and a retainer of 20% to be withheld until the end of the project and paid upon proven delivery of outcomes and evaluation report;
• Payments take 30 days to process once documents are accepted;
• All publicity for the funded projects must adhere to the London Borough of Waltham Forest branding guidelines, which will be shared on the award of the grant. Waltham Forest Council must be acknowledged in all marketing campaigns of funded projects;
• Subsequent developments or exploitation of funded projects must credit Waltham Forest Council’s support with the following wording: “Originally developed with funding from Waltham Forest Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England”;
• Evaluation is against outputs and outcomes of the project as listed in your application. These will be confirmed in your project agreement form;
• Evidence for and a breakdown of expenditure is required prior to an instalment being paid;
• A simple report will need to be completed on the project at two stages unless otherwise agreed, halfway through the project and when the project has completed. This will include the views of the audience members, participants and volunteers as well as the participant/audience monitoring data;
• All evaluation should be submitted before 31 March 2022 so final payment can be processed.

For more information, visit https://wfculture19.co.uk/fellowshipfunding