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:

• Create the space to be able to develop long term strategic planning
• Fund opportunities for existing staff to expand their skill sets
• Support audience development programmes
• Enable stronger and clearer communications and promotion of the organisation’s work and how Wandsworth residents can engage with their programmes
• Allow more effective evaluations and sharing of learning from projects
• Pilot new income generation strategies

Award

One award of £10,000 is be made annually. In addition to the grant, you will also be supported through:

• Quarterly meetings with a member of staff from the Arts and Culture Service to discuss and support the change being implemented through the cultural capacity grant.
• 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 (5 or fewer employees). Cultural organisations or artist collectives must have a registered business account.  Both artist collectives and small-scale organisations (either registered charity or CIC limited by guarantee) must 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. There are no word limits. The boxes expand as you type into them. We advise that you speak with the Arts and Culture Service before submitting your application. Please contact Caroline Simonsen if you have any questions on [email protected] 

Deadline

Applications should be received electronically to [email protected] by 10am on Monday 15^th January 2024 and the awards will be announced in week of 12^th February 2025. The initial instalment of funding from the Cultural Capacity Grant can be claimed from 1^st March 2024, and the initiative being funded must be completed by 31^st March 2025 (with an evaluation report submitted by 1^st June 2025).