Before we get into it, I am excited to share that I have launched my website!

It has a lot more info and updates about my current services, which include:

• 1-to-1 strategy and advice calls

• Access support for Arts Council England (currently open for Music Growth Fund projects)

• Application feedback and edits

• I’m expanding my work within the music sector, offering more in-depth bid writing support

You can also download my e-book with templates and more in-depth guidance here!

As I’ve now made my substack fully free - you can also access my archive of tips and resources! The posts are going to be less regular as I focus on other projects, but the monthly round-ups will continue!

The Supporting Act Foundation - Impact Grant

10 grants of €50,000 will be given to arts-focused nonprofits that are already working to support emerging artists from marginalized communities.

These grants are given over a two year period and are designed to support organizations whose aims are aligned with our own: improving living conditions for artists, enabling them to dedicate more time to developing their practices, increasing the visibility of their work, and boosting their self-confidence.

To be eligible nonprofits must have been registered between 2016 and 2024, and be based in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, or the UK; or have a fiscal host in one of those countries.

Region: International w/ fiscal host

Deadline: 1st October

The Supporting Act - Artist Grant

10 grants of €10,000 will be given to emerging artists from underrepresented groups whose practices involve a form of collaborative, collective, or creative processes that incorporates or benefits their community.

These grants aim to improve living conditions for recipients and to enable them to dedicate more time to developing their practices. The grants are open to artists with 2-10 years of professional experience living in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, or the UK.

Region: Select Europe

Deadline: 1st October

Youthmusic Nextgen Fund

What is the NextGen Fund for?

✓ To support early-stage musicians and music-adjacent creatives.

✓ To help young people invest in themselves, develop their skills, and bring their creative ideas to life.

Who is the NextGen Fund for?

✓ 18-25-year-olds or 18–30-year-olds (if someone identifies as d/Deaf, Disabled, or Neurodivergent).

✓ Those who have never received funding before.

✓ Those who face significant barriers to further their careers and make their ideas happen.

✓ Those who are in early career stages.

Region: UK

Deadine: Sept 25th

FAC UK Artist Touring Fund

By plugging genuine shortfalls and de-risking touring, the FAC’s UK Artist Touring (UKAT) fund, developed in partnership with the Music Managers Forum and the Musicians’ Union and backed by the LIVE Trust, aims to protect the UK’s cultural infrastructure, deliver renewed vitality in the grassroots, strengthen the pipeline of future talent, and ensure that genre, regional and cultural diversity can flourish while also supporting the development of new and existing audiences, so music can thrive sustainably across the UK.

UKAT is open to artists from all backgrounds, all parts of the UK, all genres and all career stages.

UKAT seeks to ensure artists can present their artistic work and vision in the manner in which audiences are intended to experience it.

For Phase Two, we have partnered with the Northern Music Export Office (NMEO), which will increase UKAT support for artists based in in the North East, Tees Valley and West Yorkshire.

Region: UK

11th September

EFFEA Fund

The European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists (EFFEA) is an initiative of the European Festivals Association (EFA) supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, built to empower festivals and offer emerging artists a platform to establish themselves on the international stage. EFFEA extends an open invitation for festivals to work across borders and create a network of colleagues with shared goals. It recognises that the future lies in the synergy of diverse perspectives and collective efforts. Through an EFFEA Residency, festivals join hands to foster the success of emerging artists.

EFFEA is the next step in a movement of festivals in Europe that recognise themselves and commit to working together at a European level. It builds on the preparatory action called EFFE: Europe for Festivals Festivals for Europe.

Region: Europe

Deadline: 3rd November

VACMA - Visual Artist Awards

The Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) are a programme of small grants schemes delivered in partnership with local authorities and art organisations across Scotland. The schemes are managed locally by these partners.

The purpose of these bursaries is to support visual artists and craft makers in their creative and professional development.

In 2026/27, VACMA is offering fixed bursaries of £500 and £1000. You should apply for the level of bursary that best suits your proposed activity.

Region: Scotland

Deadline: 20th October

Real World Studios - amplified

Record a professional EP at Peter Gabriel’s legendary studio in Box, Wiltshire. Plus get industry mentoring and a live showcase in front of music industry professionals. Open to unsigned artists and bands from the South West – no polished demo needed.

amplified@rw is an incredible new opportunity (funded by Arts Council England) for grassroots artists and bands from the South West of England to record a professional EP at Real World Studios – the iconic studio founded by Peter Gabriel, where The 1975, Beyoncé, Harry Styles and so many other great artists have recorded.

Region: SW England

Deadline: 9th September

PRS - Hitmaker Fund

The Hitmaker Fund offers an opportunity for songwriters and producers working in popular music genres to further develop their careers and writing/production with grants of between £5,000 – £10,000.

Region: UK

Deadline: 28th September

44 Visual Artist Commision: Reimagining Ghana

We’re seeking three visual artists to become part of the next phase of Reimagining Ghana.

This is an opportunity for artists who enjoy asking questions as much as making work—artists who are curious, reflective and excited by the possibility of developing new ideas.

Selected artists will receive a paid commission, research and curatorial support, opportunities for dialogue with peers and project collaborators, and the chance to contribute to a growing conversation about Ghanaian identity and contemporary artistic practice.

Region: Ghanaian artists worldwide

Deadline: 7th September

Julia Rausing Bursaries

The initiative will support 20 outstanding dance artists with the funding, mentoring and platform they need to bring a creative passion project to life and help take them to the next stage in their careers.

Region: UK

Deadline: 9th September

Firstly, I want to say thank you to everyone who has paid to subscribe to my Substack, over the past year - it really means a lot that you want to support my work

I’ve been restructuring how I run Funding with Mina moving forwards, and as a result I have decided to remove the paid subscription tier from my substack.

From September onwards, I will be sharing monthly global funding opportunities round-ups (bigger, bumper editions!), plus all my articles and resources will now be available for everyone to read. There will also be occassional guides, news and updates.

As a token of my gratitude, I will be sending my top paid supporters a free copy of my Workbook - look out for it via email very soon.

I’ve got some really exciting projects coming up, including writing bids for grassroots organisations I really admire, and leading my own development projects for artists in Bristol. (I’ve also built a website!)

I’m leading on a couple of workshops on self-employment and income s…

Read more

Welcome to the last funding round up of August. Hope you are all doing great!

I made a website! Check it out here

I’m leading on a couple of workshops on self-employment and income streams for artists soon - this one in London still has spots!

Climate Playwriting Prize

The Climate Playwriting Prize 2026 will uncover the most exciting new plays about the climate crisis, and support them to find their audiences.

We believe that playwrights have a vital role to play in the conversation around the climate. Theatre is a space for animating audiences, forming communities, and experimenting with form; a space for processing the past, articulating the present, and imagining the future. In order to surface the breadth and diversity of new stories about this planetary moment, the Climate Playwriting Prize is an open invitation to playwrights to respond creatively to this subject matter. Regional and touring theatre is playing a vital role in engaging audiences, and we are partnering with org…

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I have also updated my availability for 1-to-1 calls for this month - you can book here!

I’ve also just announced my first Ableton Live music production workshop for beginners - over 4 days, fully remote! You can sign up here

And you can download my arts funding workbook here!

Please get in touch at fundingwithmina@gmail.com for feedback + edits, access support and workshop enquiries :)

Future Bubblers

We are now moving forward as Future Bubblers Academy, a reimagined programme with a renewed focus on developing both emerging music makers and behind-the-scenes industry talent. With Gilles Peterson’s legacy of championing boundary-pushing music at its core, Future Bubblers Academy remains committed to barrier-free access, regional representation, and empowering the next generation of UK music innovators.

Region: UK

Deadline: August 31st

Gasworks - Studio Bursary for Hong Kong Artists

This open call is for a London-based artist of the Hong Kong diaspora to take up a free studio at Gasworks for three years, from 4 January 2027 – 3 January 2030. The selected artist will become part of Gasworks’ close-knit community of artists and benefit from professional support and opportunities to connect with our exhibitions, residencies and participation programmes.

The selected artist will receive:
• 24/7 access to a private 25-square-metre private studio at Gasworks
• An annual materials stipend of £1,000 each year
• Regular invitations to Gasworks’ activities, including Open Studios, exhibition openings and networking events

Region: London

Deadline: 1st september

Youth Music - TrailBlazer Fund

The Youth Music Trailblazer Fund, supported by Arts Council England, offers grants of £2,000 to £30,000 to organisations in England to run projects for children and young people (25 or under) to make, learn and earn in music. The project should trial work or test a new way of working, sustain a grassroots programme or disrupt the status quo (or all three!).

Your work must meet one of our themes:

• Early years

• Disabled, d/Deaf and neurodivergent young people

• Youth justice system

• Young people facing barriers

• Young adults

• Organisations and the workforce.

Region: UK

Deadline August 28th

Paul Mellon - Author Grants

Grants of up to £6,000 to support individuals seeking to disseminate research on British art through the publication of monographs, edited collections, catalogues and articles. The funding can support the practical elements of publishing costs, such as image copyright fees.

Region: UK

Deadline: 14th September

Day Job Film Fund - Global Short Film Grant

The Short Film Fund offers an opportunity for emerging screenwriters and filmmakers to receive much-needed financial support to get their work produced and seen. In addition to cash grants, our partnerships with ARRI Rental, Oscar-nominated producer Maria Gracia Turgeon, and Tribeca short film programmer Kimberley Browning elevate the films that come through our Fund through free camera equipment, mentorship, and film festival strategy.

Region: Global

Deadline; August 20th

Open Call: Zahabu Artist Commission

For the launch, we're commissioning three new artworks across sound, visual arts and performance that respond to the question: what does Tujali - taking care - mean to you?

This opportunity is open to individual artists or collectives, one application per artist/group.

Selected artists or collectives will receive a KES 40,000 honorarium to support their time and production costs in developing and presenting their artwork live at the launch.

Region: Nairobi

Deadline: 14th AUgust

Connect & Create # Professional Mobility 2027

This call for projects is aimed to support organisations and international events (festivals, professional meetings, trade fairs and markets, conventions, etc.) in Sub-Saharan Africa and European Union countries that host delegations of professionals (excluding artists) from both continents.

Delegations may notably include:

• programmers/curators;

• producers;

• agents;

• event organisers;

• network coordinators;

• company representatives;

• festival representatives.

Eligible events

Mobility programmes may be integrated into international events such as:

• Festivals, trade fairs and professional markets;

• Conventions, seminars and symposiums;

• Workshops and professional meetings.

Region: Sub Saharan Africa + EU

Deadline: September 30th

Music Growth Fund

The Music Growth Fund (MGF) (£1,000-£40,000 and £40,001-£100,000) is a new investment programme designed to support growth across new music.

It is open to music festivals, music managers, music promoters, music publishers, record labels, recording studios, rehearsal spaces and grassroots music venues as well as the sector bodies and other sector support organisations that support them.

We define new music as original music (i.e. live performance, sound recording or musical work) recently or newly created or performed by living, UK-based artists or music creators.

Region: England

Deadline: 3rd September

Creative Youth Network - Creative Futures Open Call

Applications are now open for four early-career artists aged 16–25 to join Creative Futures and develop a new piece of creative work with support from Creative Youth Network.

Creative Futures offers emerging artists and musicians the time, space and support to develop their practice through a three-month residency, a £500 commission and a programme of mentoring, workshops and creative exchange.

Region: Bristol

Deadline: August 31st

The Liveline Fund

Liveline helps reduce the financial risk of putting on grassroots shows through supporting venues, artists and promoters.

The types of funding Liveline offers are:

Guarantorship Scheme:
Supports individual shows or a tour by covering up to 80% of losses. Catered to promoters, in-house bookers, artists or their representatives planning shows.

Local Scene Development Fund:
Supports regular programming through promoter development by covering venue hire costs. Catered to independent promoters or venues looking to develop an in-house programme.

Tour Extension & Regional Access Fund:
Supports the additional travel and accommodation costs that prevent tours from reaching remote parts of the UK. Catered to promoters, artists or their representatives planning a tour.

Genre Specific Safety & Access Fund:
Supports genres and scenes that face additional structural or operational barriers. Catered towards venues, promoters, artists or collectives looking to put on shows that entail additional costs such as security, licensing or specific show requirements.

Region: UK

Read more

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Super exciting! You can read more here

Read more

I’ve updated my availability for this month if you want to book a 1-to-1 call with me

And I also have my Applying for Arts Funding workbook available online to download!

Here’s this months opportunities:

Saffron Emerging Artist Development Programme

Saffron has just announced its next artist development programme, designed to nurture Black women and gender diverse music creators based in South West England.

The programme offers a year-long package of mentoring, music industry training, an artist’s retreat and funding towards music creation.

Deadline: 31st July

Region: South West England

British Council: Connections Through Culture

Connections Through Culture (CTC) grants are designed to enable meaningful partnerships, cross-cultural exchange and long-term collaboration between the UK and participating countries.

Grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 are available to support creative practitioners, cultural professionals, artists, organisations, festivals, biennials, hubs and collectives to develop and deliver projects across a range of themes and art forms.

Region: UK & Select International

Deadline: 12th August

Hugo Burge Foundation: Creative Communities Fund

This fund is open to organisations, community groups, festivals, and fairs that are planning on developing and delivering initiatives focusing on culture and creative arts in the United Kingdom.

We are interested in supporting people to engage and connect as participants – not just audiences – in creative activities.

We hope to enable more people to regularly take part in or practise cultural activities.

We prefer to invest in organisations rather than one-off projects.

Deadline: 31st July

Region: UK

Supporting Grassroots Music

Jointly funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England, Supporting Grassroots Music (SGM) is designed to help secure the sustainability of the grassroots music sector.

This investment programme currently supports venues, festivals and promoters, recording studios and rehearsal spaces as well as sector bodies operating in grassroots music. It also supports grassroots music sector bodies in their work to develop and support the sector.

Eligible projects support the transition of artists, bands and industry professionals to sustainable careers in music, as well as the development of new audiences and the grassroots music sector as a whole.

Region: UK

Deadline: 23rd July

Bristol City Council Culture Fund

Bristol City Council wants to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in arts and culture for all Bristol’s citizens and invest in people, places and partnerships to respond creatively to need.

We will provide up to £5000 grants for Bristol-based artists, creative freelancers or organisations that clearly demonstrate one or more of the following. Applications addressing multiple priorities will be considered more strongly. The funding requested can be to support a project or to support your core activity.

Deadline: 6th August

Region: Bristol

Club Nothing

The Club Nothing (R) fund will award four individuals or collectives $10,000 each so they can throw a club event, series or festival later this year. We want to support the disruptors bringing new sounds and experiences to their communities through nightlife – anywhere in the world.

Region: International

Deadline: 9th August

Testing Ground: Artist Residency in Sheffield

We’re pleased to share that this autumn we are offering another Testing Ground residency, providing an intensive period of creative experimentation for an artist currently based in Sheffield.

We want to hear from artists across the city — how would you use this opportunity & what would it mean to you?

The residency provides:

— 24/7 access to a large public-facing studio;

— £2,000 artist fee;

— £500 materials grant;

— Opportunity to share work in a crit;

— 121s and studio visits;

— Professional photography;

— Short commissioned essay;

— Limited edition publication about your work;

— Public open days & closing event.

The residency will run from 8 Sep — 31 Oct and you must be able to commit at least 3 days per week to being onsite — ideally two of these will be weekdays.

Deadline: 15th July

Region: Sheffield

She Got Game

She Got Game is a mentoring programme promoting equal opportunities in the Swiss and international game industry. It supports the representation of women in management positions through dialogue with experienced international experts from the game industry.

The call for applications is aimed at professional game designers who identify as women from the regions of our liaison offices (Arab region, East Asia, South America, South Asia and Vietnam, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa).

Deadline: 1st September

Region: Select International

Cinema for All equipment Fund

As part of our Equipment Fund you will receive:

• Up to £750 to repair, improve or replace your existing equipment.

This fund could support:

• A laptop to enable you to screen via digital download.

• A new bulb for your projector.

• Replacement cables (HDMI, auxiliary etc).

• Black out blinds for your venue.

Deadline: Once funds have been allocated

Region: UK

Earth Partner Prize

We invite artists of all nationalities, races, genders, and faiths, aged 14 to 30, to submit work that comments on the ecological crisis.

Eight finalists will be awarded cash prizes of $10K, $5K or $2K. An additional 20 creatives will receive honourable mentions by a globally recognised panel of judges.

Deadline: 7th October 2026

Region: International

Read more

If you are applying for DYCP and would like to book a 1-to-1 call, I have added some more times to my calendly.

And don’t forget to read through my “Demystifying DYCP” series if you need any advice or guidance on how to write a great application

Read more

The DYCP written answers is broken down into three parts, we’re going to look at them and I will provide some examples of how to answer each question:

Question 1: About you and your practice

This is your chance to really break down how much you have achieved so far, where you are at currently in your career, and why you are at the right stage in your practice to make a step change.

I would recommend starting with an intro sentence, example:

• I am a music producer and DJ working in electronic music for 10 years.

• I am a painter and printmaker working in contemporary visual art for 5 years.

Then flesh out the key opportunities, highlights and work you have done. Use bullet-points and lists to save space in the word count.

Then for the final paragraph, you need to give some context about why you are ready to make this step change. The best way to do this is to demonstrate that you have been making some investigations/research/trials into the area you want to move into. For example:

• My practice has been focused on DJing however recently I have begun playing around with ableton, I released my first single and it was well received, and I feel I am ready to make this step change into focusing on developing my practice as a music producer.

• I have mainly been performing with a band, however due to rising touring costs, I believe that streamlining my band set up to play on my own will set me up for more opportunities and a more sustainable career.

• I was recently made redundant from my office job, therefore I now have the time to spend an extended period developing my practice as a fiction writer.

Question 2: About your development activity

This is where you summarise your actual project plan. How is it going to be structured, and what networks you have in place to undertake this, and what steps you will take. This word count is very tiny, so I would recommend including key points and highlights, and then going into more detail on the granular plan in your activity plan, which has no limit on the number of dates you can add.

Example first sentence for this question:

• I would like to take an extended period to develop my skills as a music producer. I will do this through structured mentor sessions, self directed practice, and the purchase of new software.

• I would like to develop my practice as a fiction writer through a research trip, short course and self directed study.

• I will develop my practice as a solo musician, by creating a new live set up that I can fully automate myself, using new hardware. My project will involve mentor sessions and time to create and rehearse.

You should then break down the remainder of the project into phases, being specific about the names of people you will be working with during the project, and what you will learn from them.

Remember, DYCP is for experimentation, taking risks and trying new things. Try not to be too prescriptive about outcomes, and focus more on the process.

Question 3 - Why is this important for your practice?

This is the most important question - but also hardest to answer! I would break this down into the four subheadings, and then answer each one in turn!

• What your main aims are

  • The main aim of this project is to transition from performing in a band to performing as a solo artist.

• Why now is the right time

  • This is the right time as costs of touring is rising, and touring as a band is becoming unsustainable, I need to make this transition to build a sustainable career and grow my audience nationally and internationally.

• What will be different

  • My practice will be different as I will have new skills in using hardware, including an ableton push and novation touch pad. I will have a new language for performing, and open up new creative possibilities as an artist and performer.

• What you want this to lead to

  • This project will lead to new opportunities for me to tour further afield as a solo artist, and therefore increased revenue from performing, it will lead to new confidence in myself as a performer

Example of work

This is where you can bring your work to life. It’s important that the assessor can access your example with just one click.

If you are including an audio or video file make sure it is under 3 minutes long, put it in a private soundcloud or google drive link.

If you are including a PDF make-sure it is below 5 pages!

Think about what will be relevant to your project at this current stage! It doesn’t need to be a finished polished example of work.

Letter of support / review

This is a great way to really strengthen your application, a good letter of support or review of your work can really bring credibility to your practice.

If you are going to use a letter of support, ask someone who is well respected and experienced in their field, and someone who knows you well. You can structure your letter like this:

• Paragraph One - about the writer, their expertise in their field, and how they know you

• Paragraph Two - What they like about your work, and why they think you would benefit from this activity.

• Headers, footers, signed and dated!

How to use the new portal

So now your application is complete and ready to submit - you need to make an applicant profile on grantium. Use this link, log in and then head to the side bar where it says “applicants”

and then click - New applicant profile +

You’ll then have to wait up to 10 days for the profile to be approved.

Once approved you’ll have to complete an eligibility questionnaire, and then the application form itself.

The portal can be buggy - one thing I found that worked for me was using Firefox and then clearing cache each time it got stuck!

Good luck!

I am running an online workshop on DYCP on Monday 15th June at 6.30pm

During the session we will cover:

• Coming up with a strong project idea

• The three written answers

• Budget and activity planning

• Supporting documents / examples of work

• How to use grantium

There will also be an opportunity for every participant to have 1-to-1 feedback about their project idea during the session, so come the session with a project idea in mind!

Space is very limited and this workshop always sells out - so sign up now!

SIGN UP

• I will be running a workshop at UD Music Rich Mix Takeover on Friday 12th June

• You can download my Arts Funding workbook from Gumroad!

Here are this months global opportunities!

Arts Council DYCP

Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) is a funding programme that supports you as an individual creative and cultural practitioner to focus on your career development.

The programme encourages development by allowing you to learn, innovate and take creative risks. It’s all about you and making a meaningful shift in your practice that leads to future opportunities.

Region: England

Deadline: July 2nd

MOBO Amplified: Help Musicians

MOBO Amplified is a 12-month programme supporting musicians creating music of Black origin to grow sustainable careers.

Musicians creating music of Black origin face continual structural barriers to building sustainable careers, including unequal access to funding, industry networks, and professional development opportunities. Research shows they are less likely to earn a full-time income from music and less likely to feel they can progress within the industry.

Help Musicians, in partnership with MOBO Organisation and MOBO Trust, designed the Amplified programme to address these challenges. Through mentoring, business advice, industry access and funding of up to £3,000, the programme is designed to help you overcome barriers and take the next step.

Region: UK

Deadline: 26th June

UK Global Screen Fund

We make non-recoupable grants to support the marketing, promotional and technical costs associated with the release of a UK game in international territories. We will support games that have clear appeal to identified international audiences and strong potential for international sales.

You can apply for support for a single game per application and can only make one application per game. Your game can be in any language.

Region: UK

Deadline: 14th August

Deloitte Photo Grant

Deloitte’s Photo Grant aims to visually document the daily struggles for the advancement of human rights (for everyone, with no exceptions) and, at the same time, the rejection of all forms of discrimination.

Through the photographic language, the goal is to give a voice to those who are often unheard, laying the groundwork for the creation of a free space dedicated to dialogue, where images can significantly contribute to fostering a constructive discussion on an urgent and relevant issue.

Photography plays a central and key role in contemporary artistic production.
Deloitte’s Photo Grant, under the artistic direction of Denis Curti, aims to stimulate social reflection and, through intellectual awareness, promotes the theme Proximities, offering two grants totaling 75,000 euros.

Region: International

Deadline: 14th June

SummerHall Arts Residency

Summerhall Arts Studios are dedicated residencies for the early development of new theatre and cross-disciplinary live performance work. They are designed to give artists and collaborators time and space to test ideas, explore approaches, and begin shaping work intended for live audiences.

Studios are not about having a finished script or fully realised production. They are about experimentation, exploration and play. We are particularly interested in projects that benefit from working in real space: testing form, staging, sound, movement, liveness, audience relationship or collaborative process.

Region: UK

Deadline: June 22nd

Art Installation at Merhaba Festival 2026

Culture Co-op is looking for a new engaging Visual Art Installation that can be exhibited outside the Rochdale Town Hall for the Merhaba Festival.

They are looking for an artwork that will celebrate the local Rochdale Muslim communities.

Commission fee of up to £6000 available.

Region: UK/Rochdale

Deadline: 22nd June

CIRCUS Loops

CIRCUS LOOPS is a Creative Europe cooperation project exploring how audience feedback can actively contribute to contemporary circus creation. Through the development of the Feedback Loops methodology, the project investigates how dialogue with diverse audiences can function as a co-dramaturgical tool in the artistic process.

This open call invites three contemporary circus artists or collectives based in Europe who are in the early to mid-stage of a new creation. Selected projects will participate in a transnational residency programme consisting of three 10-day residencies in Croatia, Germany, and the Netherlands between November 2026 and July 2027.

Region: Europe

Deadline: 17th June

Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture

The Connect and Create Professional Mobilities call for proposals aims to support organisations and international events in Africa or Europe that host delegations composed of non-artist professionals from both continents.

Connect and Create – Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture is a programme funded by the European Union with a budget of €8 million. The programme is implemented by a consortium composed of the Goethe-Institut and Expertise France, in collaboration with the Institut français.

This Professional Mobilities mechanism seeks to strengthen exchanges between performing arts professionals by supporting mobilities between Africa and Europe, as well as within the African continent.

Region: Sub-Saharan Africa & Europe

Deadline: June 30th

TOKAS Residency Programme

Tokyo Arts and Space (TOKAS), operated by a division of The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, offers artist-in-residence programmes for international creators working in various creative fields to stay, engage in creation and conduct research activities in Tokyo.

There are currently two funded residency programmes that support artist mobility:

• International Creator Residency Programme: Individual Projects (3-month residencies)

• The Curator Residency Programme (1–3-month residencies)

Region: International

Deadline: 16th June

Haringey Unearthed

Artists, collectives, grassroots organisations and local groups can apply for funding from £700 to £40,000 to deliver creative and community-led projects rooted in Haringey’s communities, stories and neighbourhoods. Applications for this first funding round close on 30 June 2026.

As part of Haringey’s year as London Borough of Culture, Haringey Unearthed will support bold, creative ideas that celebrate what makes the borough unique, from performances, exhibitions and workshops to installations, community events and projects in unexpected places. At least £500,000 will be distributed through the programme between now and 2028, supporting a wide range of projects across the borough.

Region: Haringey, London

Deadline: 30th June

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During the session we will cover:

• Coming up with a strong project idea

• The three written answers

• Budget and activity planning

• Supporting documents / examples of work

• How to use the new portal!

There will also be an opportunity for every participant to have 1-to-1 feedback about their project idea during the session, so come the session with a project idea in mind!

SIGN UP

Now let’s get into how to write a great budget for DYCP! So the important thing to note for DYCP is that you don’t need to provide income, only expenditure.

How do I calculate fees for myself and my collaborators (artistic and creative costs)?

So this can be tricky - as the Arts Council England do not give much detailed guidance. The only guidance they give is to use London Living Wage as the minimum (£14.80 an hour). So you can use that as a baseline (so a 7 hour work day would be £103.60 a day)

To calculate day rates, you can also use industry standards from unions, for example the Musicians Union, Equity, Freelance Dancers, and BECTU.

You can base rates off our own expertise and understanding of the industry, and experience doing similar projects. You can base rates inline with experience.

You can ask collaborators and team what rates would be acceptable for them.

The most important thing is that you include a day rate for everyone working on the project. including yourself!

DYCP is about time to create, and that needs to be resourced properly, so please factor that into your budget.

What about other artistic and creative costs?

So this will be things like venue hire, and the hiring of equipment and tools that you need to make your project happen.

The best way to figure this out is through speaking to the venue/space you want to hire and finding out what rate will work for them.

Costs related to travel, are generally quite easy to calculate. This is because things like hotels, flights, trains generally fall into predictable pricing patterns, and depending on when you travel, you can quite accurately estimate how much this will be. Use platforms like skyscanner and booking.com to research. Remember, if you are going to be travelling on a research trip, you need to pay yourself a per diem for every day that you are on this trip. This can get quite expensive, so trips shouldn’t last more than a month.

Assets – materials, equipment, instruments

Assets can form a smaller percentage of your overall project budget. Please don’t spend your entire DYCP project on buying one expensive piece of kit! That is not what this grant is for. Think carefully about what assets will be most important and necessary to your project. You need to justify why you need this particular piece of gear or equipment in your written answers. Research and get a variety of quotes. For equipment hire, again this should be a competitive quote. Don’t buy second hand equipment!

Overheads

These are costs directly related to your project, that occur during the project dates, for example studio rent, phone bills, insurance, accountancy costs.

Other spending

This is where you include a contingency of up to 5% of your total project budget. It is always important to include a contingency into your budget, to account for unforeseen expenses

Personal access costs

Personal access costs are in addition to your total project budget. That means if your total project budget is £12,000 then you can apply for access costs in addition.

It is important that your access costs are relevant to the project itself, and they are all for support that happens within the project dates. You also need to be able to justify why you need this support in your application.

Break down ALL your costs

You can never have too much detail on the budget. the more you breakdown your costs the more the assessor will understand your project. It is vital that you don’t leave the assessor guessing about anything, and give them all the information they need.

Example of all the information you should include below:

• Studio time @ £50 a day x 15 days = £750

• My Rehearsal fee @ £100 a day x 15 days = £1500

• Rhodes microphone (£125) + sound-card (£235) = 360

• Return train from London to Bristol @ £70 return x 3 trips = £210

For the next and final part, we will talk about how to answer the written answers + supporting documents part of the application form!

Now lets get into this weeks opportunities:

Read more

It includes:

• Guidance and tips on how to write a really strong application

• prompts to help you brainstorm and draft ideas

• free access to my universal arts funding budget template.

GET THE WORKBOOK

Now lets get into this months opportunities round-up!

Soho House Foundation -Grants

We are looking for impactful charitable organisations who have creativity and inclusion at their core, along with a proven track record in programme delivery.

We prefer to support programmes run by smaller organisations, located in communities close to the point of programme delivery.

Our grant programme spans cities across the globe, reflecting the locations of Soho House. In 2026, there are 4 grants of £25,000 available.

Region: Select Asia, Americas, Europe

Deadline: May 15th

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Live & Immersive Innovation Fund

The CreaTech Frontiers Live & Immersive Innovation Fund is now open, supporting innovation in the rapidly evolving field of creative technology in the West Midlands. With a total budget of £250,000, CreaTech Frontiers will award 10 grants of £25,000 to projects in two closely connected areas: Live Performance and Immersive Experiences.

Proposals may focus on either area, as well as projects that explore the intersection of both. This funding call offers an opportunity for freelancers, microbusinesses and SMEs to experiment, collaborate, and advance audience engagement and digital innovation.

Region: West Midlands

Deadline: 11th May

The Cooper Playwriting Prize

The prize is open internationally, to published or unpublished playwrights. The submissions will be reviewed by a panel of industry professionals led by Iain Sinclair and Harry Haynes. The winning playwright will receive a $20,000 AUD prize and their work will be considered for a full commission for production. All finalists will receive a professionally directed public reading of their submitted scene with professional actors.

Region: International

Deadline: June 19th

Screenwriters Lab

To spotlight and support emerging female writing talent in film and TV, Women in Film & TV UK hosts the annual

WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab.The programme consists of craft writing masterclasses and workshops led by two course tutors, independent writing time to focus and hone your script and a 1-2-1 session with a tutor to offer project guidance. In addition, across the week there are evening sessions with special guests from the industry.

This 5-day writers’ lab is a fully funded opportunity for 13 screenwriters.

Region: UK

Deadline: 12th May

Supporting Grassroots Music

Jointly funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England, Supporting Grassroots Music (SGM) is designed to help secure the sustainability of the grassroots music sector.

This investment programme currently supports venues, festivals and promoters, recording studios and rehearsal spaces as well as sector bodies operating in grassroots music. It also supports grassroots music sector bodies in their work to develop and support the sector.

Eligible projects support the transition of artists, bands and industry professionals to sustainable careers in music, as well as the development of new audiences and the grassroots music sector as a whole.

Region: England

Deadline: 28th May

Sadlers Wells PlayLab

Led by internationally renowned choreographer Takeshi Matsumoto (Club Origami, Club Ninja) over a six-week programme, six artists will go on a journey of creative exploration, taking artistic risks and testing new ideas in a collaborative, supportive environment; working alongside a group of like-minded artists.

In order to take part in PlayLab you do not need to have experience in creating for young audiences before, but you do have to demonstrate your interest and passion for developing dance for young audiences.

Each participant will receive a bursary and materials budget.

Region: UK

Deadline: 10th May

Magnetic Residencies

Magnetic is a joint Franco-UK initiative that brings together ten institutions to create a programme of artist residencies of 2 to 3 months each: five in France - Capc in Bordeaux, Frac Grand Large in Dunkirk,
Frac Bretagne in Rennes, Villa Arson in Nice, Bétonsalon - Centre for art and research in Paris - and five in the United Kingdom – Wysing Arts Centre and Gasworks in England, Flax Art Studios in Northern Ireland, Aberystwyth Arts Centre in Wales, and Cove Park in Scotland.

Each residency is based on a tandem partnership between one French region and a UK nation. Artists from each one of the five regions in France are invited to apply for the residency based in the associated UK nation; and artists from each UK nation are invited to apply for the residency based in the associated region in France.

Region: UK & France

Deadline: 2nd June

Gasworks Open Call

This residency open call is for an early-career artist based in the Caribbean. The eleven-week, fully funded residency will take place at Gasworks in London from 6 January – 24 March 2027.

Our residencies programme supports professional development, cultural exchange, and artistic experimentation. We host up to twenty residencies each year, bringing artists from all over the world to London. All our residencies are self-led, non-prescriptive and process-based; they are about enabling artists to research and develop new work, engage with the city, and build their networks.

Region: The Caribbean

Deadline: June 29th

Raw Music: First Take

First Take is a new programme at Raw, offering early stage musicians an exciting package of professional studio time, industry mentoring and production to help them invest in their creative work, develop their skills, and finish and release their music.

5 successful applications will be given a package of support worth £3,000 - including professional studio sessions with an engineer, 1:1 mentoring with industry experts, and a grant to help bring your creative work to life.

Region: London

Deadline: May 26th

Bedtime Stories: Open Call

Based at Vivid Projects, Digbeth and MAC Birmingham, participants will attend five sessions over June-July 2026. Sessions will cover the history of DIY and radical radio, the fundamentals of recording, mixing and mastering, and the opportunity to develop a 40 minute experimental radio mix using recorded sound, voiceover, and music (made or sampled).

There are up to 6 placements available, supported by access bursaries of £100 per session. Applicants must be Black (African, Caribbean or mixed Black heritage), 18+ and based in Birmingham/West Midlands.

Region: Birmingham/West Midlands

Deadline: 20th May

UNESCO Diversity of Culture Expressions

The International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) is a multi-donor fund established under Article 18 of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Its purpose is to promote sustainable development and poverty reduction in developing countries that are Parties to the 2005 Convention.

It does this through support to projects that aim to foster the emergence of a dynamic cultural sector, primarily through activities facilitating the introduction and/or elaboration of policies and strategies that protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions as well as the reinforcement of institutional infrastructures supporting viable cultural industries. The IFCD promotes South-South and North-South-South cooperation, while contributing to achieving concrete and sustainable results as well as structural impacts, where appropriate, in the cultural field.

Through an open and competitive process, we fund innovative projects with up to US$ 100,000, implemented over a 12–24-month period. The projects are evaluated based on their relevance, feasibility, financial management capacity and expected results.

Deadline: 6th May

Region: international

Are you based in the UK and looking for help on how to apply for funding?
You can Book a 1-to-1 Video Call with me! or email me at fundingwithmina@gmail.com for feedback on an application.

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GET THE WORKBOOK

This workbook will teach you everything you need to know about writing a really strong arts funding application! It’s based on my expertise in arts funding education, consulting and assessing funding applications.

This guide is for you if you’re an individual creative or small organisation looking to apply for arts-funding. The information in this workbook applies to project-based arts funding applications.

It’s for you if you are:

• New to arts funding

• Struggling to articulate your ideas in a funding application

• Getting repeatedly rejected

Topics this e-book includes:

• Coming up with a project idea

• Building your narrative

• Budget planning

• Timeline planning

• How to speak the language of funders

• How to make your application stand out

• Common mistakes to avoid

• What happens next

It also features:

• Prompts to help you draft and brainstorm ideas

• free access to my universal arts funding budget template