What the micro-bursaries can cover
The micro-bursaries are designed to help you overcome what might otherwise be a barrier to your practice.
You can apply for anything that will make a difference to your practice. This might be something that is practice-based – for instance, materials, travel or research – or it might be about removing an obstacle to your practice, such as essential childcare, or even buying out your time from a non-art based job in order to spend crucial time on your art practice. It could also be a ‘capital’ purchase – a piece of equipment which helps you to make work, for instance. There are no ‘correct’ answers, and there is no exhaustive list, but in general, if it’s something that would help your practice, and which you couldn’t otherwise afford, it’s eligible. If you’re unsure and would like further advice, please contact us.
Eligibility
The fund is designed to help individual practitioners. This includes but is not limited to:
- visual artists
- curators
- critical writers on visual arts
- freelance art technicians
- freelance producers
You must be 18 or over to apply. The fund is not open to HE / FE students or organisations.
See the FAQs for more information.
How much to ask for
You can apply for anything from £1 – £500. Most of our awards will be between £101 – £300, so bear in mind the urgency and need of your application. There are two ways your application will be assessed, depending on how much you’ve asked for.
For £1 – £100, we will assess your application directly and can provide a decision in 10 working days.
For £101 and above, you will need to apply by the deadline and wait. There are three deadlines. Your application will be assessed by a panel.
Please only apply for what you need. The overall fund is small, and we want it to reach as many people as possible. With this in mind, we will sometimes decide to award less than the amount requested.
Tips for a successful application
The more detail you can give us, the better we can assess your application — and the greater your chance of success. Try to think about why you’re applying, what you need and how that will help you. Be as specific as possible: if, for example, you’re applying for assistance with the cost of installing your next exhibition, make sure you tell us where and when the exhibition is. It’s fine to make more speculative applications, too – for instance, running a workshop in your community to test whether it would be viable in the longer term – but be as direct as you can about the variables you know about: how have you gauged demand for the workshop? What would a successful outcome look like to you? And what will you do if it goes well — do you have a plan for the future after this micro-bursary is spent?
If you’re in any doubt, or confused or unclear, don’t forget you can always get in touch!
Deadlines
The fund for 2023-24 launched on 10 July 2023.
For £100 and under, you can apply at any time until 29 February 2024. We aim to give you a decision within 10 working days (N.B. turnaround in August and December is 15 working days).
For £101 and above, there are three deadlines:
Round 1 opened on 10 July, with a deadline of 31 August. Applicants received decisions by 22 September.
Round 2 opened on 1 October, with a deadline of 30 November and decisions by 22 December.
Round 3 opens on 8 January 2024, with a deadline of 29 February and decisions by 22 March.
How to apply
Please apply by completing the online form. If you find it easier, you can send a video/audio (2 minutes) or hard copy (address at the base of this page), addressing the questions on the form. If you have any questions, contact us before applying.
After applying, please also complete the diversity monitoring form to help us ensure that what we do is representative of the diversity of the region. It’s voluntary, anonymous and has no bearing on your application — and will take 1 – 2 minutes.