Cash for Culture

Last year, the annual scheme which is made up two separate funds, the Community Arts Fund and the Development Fund supported 40 arts events and activities throughout the county.

The Community Arts Fund is open to any arts group or community group planning an arts project or event in Staffordshire (excluding Stoke-on-Trent).  The activity must have an arts basis and can feature one or more artforms.  The maximum amount you can apply for is £600. 

One of the successful applicants last year was Staffordshire Wildlife Trust who was awarded community arts funding of £600 towards a storytelling project to help teach children about the importance and value of the local landscape.

The project involved sessions in two local schools, The Prince Henry Primary School, Mayfield and All Saints First School, Denstone and culminated in a story telling event at Thorswood Nature Reserve in Stanton near Ashbourne. The event which took place in the summer celebrated both the work undertaken by the schools and the special characteristics of the landscape and site. Families within the local community had fun learning new skills by taking part in a workshop with Artist Spencer Jenkins who worked helped to create a keepsake to take home with them. 

The Development Fund on the other hand supports groups and organisations with a proven track record in managing and developing arts projects and initiatives which address a variety of social issues or target marginalised groups.  The maximum amount you can apply for is £2,000. 

A grant of £1,500 from this fund was awarded to Frontline Dance to help support 'Untitled' - a dynamic 8 week integrated dance, music and film project for young people. 

The project involved pupils at Blackfriars Special School and Cedars Pupil Referral Unit in Newcastle Under Lyme and encouraged them to work together to produce a site specific dance film where they gained new artistic, social and personal skills.

County Councillor Maureen Compton, Cabinet Support Member for Cultural Services said: "Having access to the arts enriches people's lives.  The Arts Grants Scheme is one way that the County Council can support groups and organisations that have the imagination and enthusiasm to take projects out into the local community and involve others."

For an application pack, please contact Staffordshire Arts and Museum Service, Floor 3, Tipping Street, Stafford ST16 2DH. Telephone: 01785 278339 or click on the following link:

Arts Grants Scheme 2008/2009 

Applications to either fund will be accepted throughout the financial year until 8^th February 2009.

Your arts activity would need to benefit the community and be scheduled to take place before 31 March 2009.