Wandsworth Council’s Arts and Culture Strategy 2021-31 is focussed on ensuring that all residents have access to cultural engagement opportunities in order to lead happier and healthier lives, as well as support in identifying and nurturing creative talents, either as a means of employment or pleasure.

As part of maintaining and growing a robust cultural sector, Wandsworth’s Cultural Capacity Grant recognises that small cultural organisations and collectives need to build management systems as well as programmes to thrive.  

This grant is designed to support the strategic development of a small cultural organisation or artist collective who are based and work in the borough to help ensure their future sustainability. The grant of £10,000 is made only once a year and only single annual award is made.  

The grant should be used by the successful applicant in such a way to help grow the organisation’s capacity in a sustainable way, for example: 

• long term strategic planning 
• training opportunities for existing staff 
• more effective and innovate governance 
• stronger and clearer communications including your organisation mission statements, agendas and aims.  
• more effective evaluations and learnings of projects 
• new audiences and audience development 
• fundraising strategies 

Awards 

One award of up to £10,000 will be made annually and will fund up to 50% of the total cost of the project. Match funding can also include expected income over the course of the project.  Additionally, the grant will also include support including: 

• Quarterly meetings with a member of staff from the Arts Service. 
• Opportunities to attend, and signposting of, various training and networking sessions provided by Wandsworth Council. 

Who can apply? 

Applications are open to artist collectives and small-scale non-profit arts and cultural organisations who have an average income of under £500k per year. Both arts and cultural organisations and artist collectives must have a registered business account. Both artist collectives and small-scale organisations (either registered charity or CIC limited by guarantee) should be based in the borough of Wandsworth and directly engage Wandsworth residents. 

How to apply 

Applicants should complete the following form, taking care to attach the relevant documents. We advise that you speak with the Arts and Culture Service before submitting your application. Please contact Sara O’Donnell if you have any questions on [email protected]   

Deadline 

Applications should be received electronically to [email protected] by midnight Monday 21 November 2022 with subject line: Cultural Capacity Grant, and the awards will be announced in week of 14 February 2023. Projects can start from 1 March 2023, and must be completed by 31 March 2024 (with evaluations for the projects submitted by 1 June 2024).