THE ART FUND: STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMME
Grants of up to £10,000 are available to UK public museums, galleries, historic houses, libraries and archives for projects that provide paid opportunities for full-time university students to gain work-experience that allows them to explore their interest in the visual arts, as well as related future career options before they graduate.
__________
o Application deadline: FRIDAY 10th JANUARY 2025. Two further application deadlines for 2025 are provided in the main article below. Please note that that organisations interested in applying are requested to contact the Programme Partnership Manager, Robert Dingle, in the first instance to discuss their project.
o Funder: The National Art Collections Fund (founded 1962. Charity number 209174. Total charitable expenditure for the year ended 31 December 2023: £19,402,000 (2022: £20,870,000)).
o Who can apply: UK public museums, galleries, historic houses, libraries and archives.
o Key words: Visual Arts, University Students, Work and Creative Experience, Career Development, Museums, Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Historic Houses, United Kingdom.
___________
The Art Fund: Student Opportunities programme aims to harness the talents of university students to help realise a project in the visual arts at a UK museum or gallery. Eligible organisations can apply for a grant of up to £10,000 to pay the students and receive support from the Art Fund to recruit suitable candidates from its network of students.
The Art Fund encourages applications that focus on facilitating public engagement with visual art, whether online or in real life. The Fund will cover the costs associated with paying students for the time they spend supporting an organisation in delivering projects. Student payment is based on the current national and London living wage rates.
Grants of up to £10,000 are available. Although matched funding is not a specific requirement of the scheme, applying organisations will be expected to make an in-kind or cash contribution to their project.
To be eligible to apply, organisations should be UK public museums, galleries, historic houses, libraries and archives that:
1. Can demonstrate that they operate to standards of best practice within the sector (eg through Arts Council England accreditation), and
2. Have a public presence (for example, a building open to the public) or a public outcome, such as a festival or public art programme.
Funding is not available for:
o Artists’ groups.
o Core staffing costs or ongoing overheads.
o For-profit and commercial organisations.
o General Partnerships.
o Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Partnerships.
o Organisations with a focus on music, drama, dance and art forms outside the visual art
o Places of worship.
o Projects in a healthcare or hospital setting., or
o Retrospective funding.
To apply for a grant, applicants should:
1. Contact the Senior Programme Manager, Robert Dingle (contact details below) to discuss their project prior to making an application.
2. Register an account on the Art Fund website.
The deadline for applications is Friday 10th January 2025. Further deadlines during 2025 are scheduled for:
o Friday 9th May, and
o Friday 19th September.
Once an application has been submitted, the Arts Fund usually takes 8-10 weeks to assess each project proposal and make a decision on whether or not to provide a grant.
Further information, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and guidance is available on the Art Fund website.