John Lyon's Charity - Cultural Capital Fund – Arts Organisations

This exciting new Fund is exclusive to schools and Arts organisations only. It is designed to ensure that access to high quality Arts activities, delivered by the best Arts practitioners, are accessible to all children across the Beneficial Area. Activities should be planned and delivered as face-to-face experiences; applications for virtual or online delivery are not suitable for this Fund.

This Fund is about creating opportunities for young people to engage with Arts that have been curtailed by restrictions due to Covid-19, particularly those from backgrounds that typically do not engage in Arts activities.

Please be aware that there is limited funding for this particular Grant Fund. John Lyon’s Charity will be accepting applications from 10 Arts organisations and 10 schools for the first round of funding in July 2021. The following round will be considered in November 2021.

Who can apply?

• Arts and cultural institutions in London with registered charity status that have previously been funded by John Lyon’s Charity.
• State schools (primary, secondary or special) or nurseries (including registered charities) that are based in the Charity’s Beneficial Area. Please note that privately run nurseries are not eligible for this Fund. For more information on the Cultural Capital Fund for schools, please click here.
• Arts organisations can apply to take their programmes to multiple different schools.
• Individual schools can apply to work with one Arts organisation that they have identified themselves.
• If you are an Arts organisation that has not received a grant from the Charity in the past, you can still apply for funding under the Main Grants Fund or the Small Grants Fund. Please visit our Grants page for more information.
• There is a one-stage application process for both schools and Arts organisations.

Funding Guidelines

• To be eligible, arts and cultural institutions must be based in London and have received funding from John Lyon’s Charity in the past.
• You are still eligible to apply even if you currently hold a grant from John Lyon’s Charity for another project. You cannot apply for the same project.
• Education / outreach programmes must have been delivered to schools in the Beneficial Area prior to the pandemic.
• Arts organisations must have Arts activities as their core charitable objective.
• Applications should be made to deliver activities in their usual way, in face-to-face environments. Funding will not be awarded for projects designed to be delivered online or digitally. However, if Government guidance changes and face-to-face delivery must pause once a project has commenced, expenditure of the grant towards sessional staffing costs may still continue, if agreed with John Lyon’s Charity.
• Positive recommendations from schools must be demonstrated and any lack of take up only due to the effects of the pandemic.
• Projects must work across a minimum of two or more schools and add value to the curriculum.
• Projects can include elements of outreach, site visits, workshops, materials and CPD support for teachers.
• Costs can include sessional staffing or specialist arts practitioners to deliver projects but not salaries of permanent employees at the Arts organisation.
• Costs can include a proportion of management costs for the organisation.
• Projects should be inclusive and can run across Early Years, primary, secondary or special settings.
• Schools do not need to contribute financially to these projects but must demonstrate commitment in other ways.
• Grants will not be released until schools are confirmed and letters of support received from schools.
• Projects must use the Arts to inspire children and young people. They must spark imaginations and provide children with the space to have fun.
• Projects should prioritise schools in areas that are more at risk of social and cultural deprivation which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
• For more information about the funding guidelines for schools, please click here.

Timeframe

Grants will be considered three times a year in July, November and March. For the first round in July 2021, applications need to be submitted by 11 June 2021. Applications will be considered on merit.

Funding decisions will be made by the end of July and we anticipate that projects will start from September 2021 at the earliest, if Covid-19 restrictions allow.

If you do have any questions regarding the Cultural Capital Fund, please contact your Grants Manager or email info@jlc.london.

For more information or to apply, please click here.