Arts Council England’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund for Individuals Opens Soon

Arts Council England’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund for Individuals Opens Soon

Financial support is being provided to individuals in England working in the cultural sector who have had their work affected by the COVID-19 emergency.

Arts Council England (ACE) has announced further details of the short-term, exceptional funds it has created in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The Emergency Response Fund for Individuals provides grants to artists, creative practitioners and freelancers who have had their work affected by the COVID-19 emergency, resulting in a loss of income, additional costs and financial challenge.

The objective it to help individuals to better sustain themselves, and their work, in the coming months. The scheme can support activity and/or equipment that will help with sustaining artists’ practices and support them in continuing with their work, affording them time to stabilise, think and plan for the future.

The Arts Council is making £20 million of financial support available to individuals. £16 million can be applied for through this fund. The other £4 million will go to benevolent funds targeted at other cultural workers. Individual grants of up to £2,500 are available (£3,000 for those with extra costs relating to a disability).

The money can be used to fund:

Lost wages or living costs, like rent, bills or food.

IT equipment or software to help the applicant do their job from home.

Time to work on a creative practice. This might include practice, research or making new work.

The scheme is open to freelance creative practitioners in England, whose main work is focused on combined arts, dance, libraries, literature, museums, music, theatre and visual arts. Sole traders may apply. At least 50% of the applicant’s normal income must come from their creative freelance work.

There will be two funding rounds and applicants can apply to only one of these.

Round one opens on 9 April 2020 with a deadline for applications of 16 April 2020. Round two opens on 16 April 2020 with a deadline for applications of 30 April 2020.

To apply, applicants must first register on ACE’s Grantium application portal.

More information about this funding opportunity and the application process is available on the GRANTfinder funding information platform. GRANTfinder provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on funding news and policy. To find out more about how GRANTfinder can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.