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Arts Council England Opens £20M Fund for Individuals Working in the Cultural Sector

Arts Council England (ACE) will be opening round one of applications for the fund on 9 April 2020, providing creative practitioners affected by the coronavirus outbreak with grants of up to £2,500.

Published: 03 April 2020 | 12:00 AM Updated: 28 April 2021 | 4:30 PM
a duet performing on the stage
ACE are making grants available to help those who have been financially impacted gain time to stabilise, think and plan for the future. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

The fund is open to those who need grants for:

  • Activity and/or equipment that will help you to sustain your practice and support you in continuing with your work
  • Time to stabilise, think and plan for the future

Musicians applying for the fund will need to demonstrate experience of delivering publicly funded work in the past (for example by bodies such as ACE, local authorities, trusts and foundations etc). However, you do not have to provide a budget on how you would spend this new funding.

Key dates for applications

There will be two rounds of this fund.  You can apply to only one of these rounds.

Round one opens for applications on 9 April 2020 and applicants will need to register by 13 April in order to make an application before the deadline of 12:00 pm (midday) 16 April.

Round two opens for applications on 16 April 2020 and applicants will need to register by 27 April in order to make an application before the deadline of 30 April.

If you apply to the first round you will not be able to apply to the second round, even if ACE are unable to offer you a grant in the first round. The budget will be split equally across both rounds, so it is recommended that you apply to the round that suits your circumstances best.

For more information, including FAQs and key details on how to apply see ACE’s website.

Further sources of financial support

For more resources, including a list of hardship funds and sources for financial advice see our Financial Support page.

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