ESSEX County Council’s Arts and Cultural Fund is now open and local communities are encouraged to apply. Between £2,500 and £30,000 will be granted to successful applicants for free and low-cost activities, events and exhibitions.

It aims to engage communities, enhance wellbeing and benefit residents.

The fund has supported nearly 80 arts and cultural projects since launching in 2021.

Since launching the fund has:

Seen 420,000 residents access arts and culture activities
Seen over 25,000 workshop participants
Given the opportunity to over 14,000 schoolchildren to engage with arts and culture
Employed over 630 creative people to deliver projects
Attracted just under £1 million in match funding
The fund is a key part of the council’s Everyone’s Essex and Levelling Up strategies. It has supported people living with dementia, celebrated Essex’s diverse communities and engaged with school age children on themes like climate change and health and wellbeing.

Eligible projects include:

film
music
theatre
dance
visual arts
literature
combined arts projects.
It could also include festivals and carnivals, museums and creative sectors.

Individual artists and co-operatives, community groups, charities and trusts, are also eligible.

Councillor Mark Durham, Cabinet Member for Devolution, the Arts, Heritage and Culture and representative for Arts Council England in the Southeast area, said: “The Arts and Cultural Fund has proved to be extremely popular among the county creative sector and has led to a number of wonderful projects taking place that have engaged the county’s residents and visitors alike.

“We look forward to continuing to deliver free and low-cost events for Essex residents of all ages to enjoy and working with the county’s great arts and cultural practitioners in 2025.”

Interested applicants can attend two online information sessions in November to find out more about the funding process. More information on the sessions will be available online soon.

Artists and cultural organisations can submit their applications until Monday 2 December 2024. Successful applicants will be notified in February 2025.