Apply for Performing Arts and Heritage Conservation Grants Program 2024-25 (UK)

Categories

• Performing Arts Grants: At the Leche Trust they believe that the arts and artists make the world a better place. A healthy and dynamic society is reflected in a vibrant arts ecology: they want to support work that is original, to nurture artists and their creativity.
• Heritage Conservation Grants: They support the conservation of historically, artistically and culturally significant buildings and objects dating from before 1837 that are in urgent need of remedial treatment.  Items must be in public or charitable ownership and accessible to the public.

Priority Areas

• Performing Arts Grants
  • the development, production and/or performance of new works in music, theatre, dance and performance across all genres
  • to support artists’ professional development through programmes that address a clear need or gap in development. These programmes can be aimed at early or mid-career artists but they need to reflect current context and practices.

Funding Information

• Performing Arts Grants:
  • The performing arts grants are typically around £4,000 – sometimes smaller and rarely larger.
• Heritage Conservation Grants:
  • The conservation grants are typically around £2,000 and under £5,000, but occasionally larger.

Ineligible Costs

• Performing Arts Grants:
  • projects that will commence less than six weeks from the published date of the trustees’ meeting concerned;
  • amateur/non-professional performances or the training of amateur/non-professional artists;
  • artist training and development projects aimed at under 18 year-olds;
  • artist training and development bursaries or scholarships at higher education institutions, such as music conservatoires or theatre/ballet schools;
  • artist training and development projects aimed at a single recipient or fixed-term funding of a creative traineeship, such as Assistant Director or Designer for the production of a new work;
  • general arts programmes or appeals submitted without specific details about the new works or training that they will include;
  • projects in which the primary purpose is health, therapy or social welfare;
  • visual arts projects;
  • capital developments at arts venues or purchase of equipment.
• Heritage Conservation Grants:
  • items that are Victorian or later in date, i.e. post 1837;
  • structural building repairs;
  • new buildings or the installation of modern facilities and services;
  • displays and exhibitions;
  • environmental measures such as blinds, storage equipment and materials;
  • general appeals for funding without details of specific, eligible works
  • general heritage education, outreach and audience development projects;
  • bell restoration projects, unless the bells and their fittings are substantially pre-1837 in date and the aim is to conserve original elements as far as possible, consistent with safe use.
  • organ conservation, unless instruments are substantially pre-1837 in date and the aim is to conserve an original action and/or casework.

Eligibility Criteria

• Performing Arts Grants:
  • They prefer to give grants to smaller projects, or specific elements of projects, where the contribution can have a greater impact.
  • They are keen to ensure the grant-making is spread throughout the UK, particularly encouraging applications from outside London and South East England.
  • They preference is to support organisations whose turnover is less than £1.5 million per annum i.e. smaller and younger set-ups rather than established institutions.
• Heritage Conservation Grants:
  • They prefer to give grants to smaller projects, or specific elements of projects, where the contribution can have a greater impact.
  • Applications for remedial work must be accompanied by a condition assessment carried out by an appropriately-qualified conservator, normally Accredited with the Institute of Conservation (Icon).
  • Projects may include the cost of conservation surveys and assessments as well as remedial work.

Application Requirements

• If organisations are offered a grant they ask them to confirm that they agree to the grant conditions:
  • The grant is solely for the project described in the application. Any changes must be notified to them in advance and approved by them.
  • Any part of the grant that is not required for the approved project must be refunded to the Trust.
  • The Leche Trust must be acknowledged in any publicity material connected to the project.

For more information, visit The Leche Trust.