News Arts Groups invited to apply for Creative Communities Grants
Arts Groups in and around Maidstone are being invited to apply for the next round of Creative Communities Grants which have now been launched.
Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) has opened the second Creative Communities Grants this week with all applications being invited to be made before Tuesday 28 February 2023.
The grants which are funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, are aimed at creative individuals and arts groups in Maidstone. The money which totals £90k will be shared between 2022 and 2025 with £30k being made available to apply for each year. The grants will help support events and activities that encourage arts engagement and community cohesion in Maidstone town centre.
The first Creative Communities Grants have been awarded this week to 18 successful applicants which included projects bringing music, dance, drama and visual arts to Maidstone.
Cllr Claudine Russell, MBC Lead Cabinet Member for Leisure and Arts said:
The Creative Communities Grants offer fantastic opportunities to Maidstone arts groups and could help launch a project for them. This is the second round of grants which are being made available between 2022 and 2025 which will help creative groups that may not have been able to get projects started without this money.
The second MBC Creative Communities Grants will be awarded on Monday 17 April 2023 when monies will be allocated according to the appropriateness of the application.
Claudine continued:
We had such a great response to the first Creative Communities Grants with applications from so many fantastic arts and creative groups in Maidstone. It is clear that these community grants make such a difference and will help groups to deliver their projects and I would encourage everyone who meets the criteria to apply for the second round of grants now.
One of MBC’s four priorities is Homes and Communities and the Creative Communities Grants reflect that.
Creative Communities Grant application criteria:
Who can apply: Individual artists and creatives, community groups and cultural organisations located in the borough of Maidstone.
There are four key priorities for the Creative Communities Grants:
- Increasing pride in our borough and its communities
- Increasing participation/engagement in arts and cultural activities; working with diverse audiences
- Supporting new and existing creative talent in the borough
- Promoting the benefits of arts and culture to our society, economy, health and wellbeing
Cllr Russell continued:
I am always so impressed by the amount of amazing talent we have in Maidstone when it comes to creative arts and I am really looking forward to seeing the projects that will come out of the second round of funding from these community grants.
The deadline for the next round of funding closes 28 February 2023.
- Total fund available: £30,000 per annum
- Grant range available to apply for: £500 - £2,000
Further details about the grants and a link to the online application form can be found at https://arts.maidstone.gov.uk/home/funding