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Funding and Resource Information

The City of Edinburgh Council’s Flexible Fund 2023/24 (Diversity & Inclusion - £70,000) - seeks to support the work and narratives of ethnically diverse artists and creatives which have been developed and delivered through multi-art form collaborations and partnerships. This resource offers an opportunity for exploration and innovation to ethnically diverse artists and creatives who wish to share their voices and celebrate their heritage, explore intercultural dialogue and provide spaces and experiences for diverse residents to engage with arts and culture by including different languages, forms of creative expression, and engagement models.

The Diversity & Inclusion Fund 2023/24 was launched on 2 August 2023 and closed on 13 September 2023.The list of successful applicants can be found via our Updates page. 

Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards - VACMA: Edinburgh

Cultural Development, in partnership with Creative Scotland, offer funding opportunities to Visual Artists /Craft Makers who can demonstrate a commitment to developing their creative practice and are living or working or maintaining a studio space within Edinburgh.

For further information and to download the application form and guidelines visit VACMA Edinburgh 23/24

You can find out more about general information about VACMA on Creative Scotland's dedicated VACMA webpage VACMA 

Events Strategy Fund - Edinburgh sustains a core programme hosting world class sporting and cultural events delivering the maximum possible benefit for residents and visitors while enhancing the city’s and Scotland’s international profile. The annual allocation of this resource across sporting and other events is aligned to the Strategy.

Strategic Events Programme planning is delivered in partnership with key agencies including Event Scotland, Creative Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG), sportscotland, VisitScotland.  Funding is allocated and agreed at Council Committee level in line with the City’s Event Strategy, which reflects the National Events Strategy.  

Local Cultural Festivals and Events Fund 2021/22 - This funding was allocated as a result of the city’s role in supporting the recovery of live activity as part of local cultural festivals and events affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and to offer wider access to Council cultural funding opportunities, ensuring Edinburgh is a city of creative opportunities. Grants were awarded to existing cultural Festivals and Events, that celebrate their local creative communities and promote greater partnership collaboration between artists/practitioners, independent creatives, our diverse communities and creative practitioners, and/or their festival or event. Please see list of the 2021/22 fund recipients. This fund is now closed.

Community Grants Fund - The Community Grants Fund (CGF) is a small grants scheme provided by the Council. Small grants of up to £5,000 can be awarded to constituted groups for local community activity. Grants can be applied for throughout the year.

Non-Council Funding Sources

Creative Scotland - Creative Scotland offers a number of investment opportunities for both visual arts and crafts including support for projects, residencies, capital projects, organisational developments and research and development.  For further information on applying for investment contact: Creative Scotland Helpdesk - Tel: 0845 603 6000 - email: enquiries@creativescotland.com

European Cultural Foundation – Funding to support outstanding artistic projects which show vision in illuminating the issues of diversity in Europe. Artistic uniqueness and European relevance of projects are vital.  Cultural organisations and individual artists can apply.  For further information:  email: ask@culturalfoundation.eu

Dewar Arts Awards - The Dewar Arts Awards were set up in 2002 as a memorial to Scotland's first First Minister, Donald Dewar.  Their aim is to give exceptionally talented young people of insufficient means some assistance in fulfilling their potential in any branch of the arts.  Any person under the age of 30 who is living and working or studying in Scotland, demonstrate outstanding talent in any artform and if their financial circumstances make it difficult to progress fully in their chosen field.  For further information contact: email: admin@dewarawards.org

The Churchill Fellowship - Please note not currently accepting applications due to Covid 19.  Travelling Fellowships – The Trust will directly support UK citizens/employees who want to travel overseas to gain knowledge, experience and best practice to benefit others in their UK professions and communities, and society as a whole.  Successful applicants grants cover return airfare, daily living costs, insurance and travel within the countries being visited, for approximately 6 weeks overseas.  

The University of Edinburgh - Local Community Grants Scheme - This fund helps the development of projects, community activities and sustainable local action through funding and collaboration. The University supports local people's vision for a better Edinburgh.

The aims of the Edinburgh Local Community Grants scheme are to: 

  • increase engagement between the University and local communities
  • have a positive social impact
  • create learning opportunities (including informal and non-traditional forms of learning).

They welcome applications for projects or activities that will involve and benefit people living and/or working in the Edinburgh City Region. (The Region includes the City of Edinburgh, Fife, West Lothian, Midlothian, East Lothian and the Scottish Borders). Applications are welcome from not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises.

The Cross Trust - The Trust was established by Sir Alexander Cross to carry out his wish to provide opportunities for young men and women of SCOTTISH BIRTH OR PARENTAGE (if you were not born in Scotland and also neither of your parents then your application will not be considered) to extend the boundaries of their knowledge of human life.  The Cross Trust is a charitable body which gives grants to young Scots who are of merit and in financial need.  The Cross Trust supports a system of awards to promote the interest of the most distinguished undergraduates in the general field of the Arts.  The Trustees adopt a broad interpretation as to what is understood by the Arts.  The field is not to be restricted only to the subjects covered by the traditional "Faculty of Arts".  These vacation study awards are to enable students of the highest academic merit and limited financial circumstances to attend conferences, symposia, workshops or master classes or to visit libraries, museums, galleries, concerts or centres of excellence in direct and demonstrable connection with their studies.

Visual Arts Funding

The Hope Scott Trust - The Hope Scott Trust was set up by the late Mrs Hope Scott to help promote Music and the Visual Arts in Scotland. Preference will be given to applicants who are Scottish by birth, or live permanently in Scotland.  The Trust allocates a proportion of its resources to help musicians, artists, sculptors etc., with grants for commissions and musical events, and on the art side, to help with exhibitions, travel etc.  In some cases grants are given for further tuition and costs of travel in the UK and in other countries. However, grants are not given to cover ordinary educational/course fees, except in exceptional cases but this is very seldom.  Next deadline tbc. For further information contact:  Amanda Farquhar-Scott, Grants Applications Administrator – email: amandahtrust@gmail.com 

The Royal Scottish Academy - The Royal Scottish Academy offers a number of opportunities for visual artists. 

Jerwood - The Jerwood Charitable Foundation is a UK registered charity dedicated to imaginative and responsible revenue funding of the arts, supporting artists to develop and grow at important stages in their careers.  It works with artists across art forms, from dance and theatre to literature, music and the visual arts.  The Foundation seeks and proactively initiates imaginative projects with a broad range of exceptional organisations and individuals in the UK.  Current opportunities include:

Jerwood/FVU Awards 2022

The Jerwood/FVU Awards 2022 are a major opportunity for UK-based moving-image artists in the first five years of developing their professional practice. Jerwood Arts and Film and Video Umbrella invite early-career artists to make proposals for ambitious new works in any form of the moving-image

We welcome applications from individual artists or collaborative groups working with moving-image who are within the first five years of beginning their professional artistic practice. 

We recognise that in the nine-year history of the awards some groups have not been represented within the awardees. We are committed to facilitating an increase in applications from artists whose background and/or identity is under-represented in the awards’ history. This includes but is not limited to artists from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds, artists based outside of London, artists from lower socio-economic backgrounds, d/Deaf artists, neurodiverse artists, artists with disabilities or long-term health difficulties and artists with LGBTQIA+ identities. 

What will the two awarded artists receive?

  • – £25,000 each comprising a £6,000 artist fee and £19,000 production budget to create the proposed moving-image artwork.
  • – Full production support from FVU across fourteen months including a dedicated Producer.
  • – A premiere exhibition at Leeds Art Gallery in January 2022.
  • – An exhibition at Jerwood Arts, London in April 2022.

To find out more/apply visit Jerwood/FVU Awards  

Crafts Funding 

Inches Carr Trust - The purpose of the craft bursaries is to help established makers to push the boundaries of their practice and to make innovative new developments in their work. Part of an award could enable a successful applicant to learn a new skill, or significantly improve their existing skills, to achieve these objectives.  Applications closed for 2020. For further information contact: Inches Carr Trust, 2 Blacket Place, Edinburgh EH9 1RL – email: info@inchescarr.org.uk 

Craft Pottery Charitable Trust Annual Awards - The Craft Pottery Charitable Trust (CPCT) was set up in 1991 under Emmanuel Cooper’s Chairmanship of the CPA to support educational activities associated with ceramic activity, in all its variety, across the UK.  For over two decades potters and ceramicists ranging from recent graduates beginning their careers to Fellows of the CPA with many years’ experience, have benefited from the Annual Ceramics Grant scheme initiated and administrated by the CPCT.  Applications for the annual grant scheme must be submitted by 15 December each year and decisions are announced early the following year.  The maximum grant amount that you can receive from this program is £1,000.  For further information contact:  JohnHigginsceramics@gmail.com 

Support Resources

Resource Directory for Covid-19 - Creative Scotland - Creative Scotland have pulled together an A-Z of funding and resources available to those in the creative community, who have been affected by Coronavirus (Covid-19). This information continues to be updated on a weekly basis with links to all relevant bodies offering support to the arts industry.

Edinburgh 4 Community Funding - Edinburgh City Libraries “Edinburgh 4 Community” funding update service allows you to search /filter and be notified weekly of new International, European and domestic funding opportunities available to your sector.

Cultural Enterprise Office - The Cultural Enterprise Office offers a free business information, advice, development and support service for individuals and micro businesses operating in Scotland’s creative and cultural industries. They can offer help to those starting out as well as experienced practitioners needing specialist advice.  For further information contact: Tel No: 0333 999 7989.

Voluntary Arts Network / Voluntary Arts Scotland - The Voluntary Arts Network aims to promote participation in the arts and crafts across the UK and Republic of Ireland and maintains an extensive list of trusts, foundations and public funders for the voluntary sector.  For further information: Mansfield Traquair, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB – Tel No: 0131 474 6172 - email: info@vascotland.org.uk

Residency Unlimited (RU) - Residency Unlimited (RU) is moving to a new platform called Rivet.  It supports the creation, presentation and dissemination of contemporary art through its unique residency program and year-round public programs.  They offer a free listing service delivering up-to-date information about artist residencies worldwide.  Artists can search residency program opportunities, or subscribe to a weekly email digest.  

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations - The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is the membership organisation for Scotland’s charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises.  SCVO works in partnership with the voluntary sector to advance their shared values and interests. They have over 1500 members who range from individuals and grassroots groups, to Scotland-wide organisations and intermediary bodies. Through lobbying and campaigning SCVO works to advance the interests of their members and the people and communities that they support.  Their services help charities and third sector organisations across Scotland focus on what they do best, whether that’s supporting the most vulnerable people in our communities or conducting cutting edge research. From providing a payroll service to third sector organisations to creating thousands of jobs for young people in charities across Scotland, SCVO’s services make a real difference.  For further information contact: Edinburgh Office, The Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB - Tel: 0131 474 8000 - Freephone information line: 0800 169 0022 – email: enquiries@scvo.org.uk 

Rehearsal Space

epad.space is a new directory of rehearsal spaces in Edinburgh, Scotland, curated by Edinburgh Performing Arts Development, a small independent project which provides support and facilitates opportunities for Edinburgh's performing arts sector.  

Council's Estates Service

Provides information on council-owned commercial property for sale, let, rental or purchase. 

Operational Estates:

Email enquiries to: commercial.property@edinburgh.gov.uk

Tel: 0131 529 5828