Arts Council funding available to Wolverhampton businesses
Businesses in the cultural sector in Wolverhampton have been urged to apply for a slice of £160 million of emergency funding.
Arts Council England launched the cash boost as part of plan to safeguard the arts from the impact of the coronavirus.
Now Wolverhampton Council has called on people across the city to bid for the UK-wide funding.
Councillor Harman Banger, cabinet member for city economy, said: "It is important we support our cultural sector and the livelihoods of those who work in it during these difficult times.
"Organisations and individuals are finding really innovative ways to stay engaged with audiences digitally, providing families with some welcome relief and positivity.
"These funding opportunities will help sustain the invaluable work of our city’s artists, creative practitioners, tech businesses and freelancers.”
The cash pot includes £90m for Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs) and £50m for organisations outside of the National Portfolio.
A further cash pot of £20m is available for creative practitioners and cultural workers.
NPOs will be contacted directly – with those benefitting needing to show how they support freelance creative practitioners.
Organisations outside the National Portfolio can bid for a maximum of £35,000 to help them get back onto their feet.
The organisations will need to have a track record in publicly-funded culture.
Artists and freelancers being able to bid for up to £2,500, if they have a track record in the sector.
A slice of £4 million has been set aside for benevolent funds targeted at other cultural workers.
Round one of funding will open from next Thursday (April 9) and applicants can register Grantium, via www.artscouncil.org.uk/welcome-grantium
Entries will close on April 13 – with round two of funding opening on April 16 and closing on April 27.
For more information on the funding available and the application process can be found at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19
