A new £100,000 fund to support Edinburgh-based Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) artists, practitioners and producers in the Capital’s arts and culture sector opens for applications.
The City of Edinburgh Council’s Diversity & Inclusion Fund will focus on projects that promote greater creative collaboration between black, Asian and minority ethnic artists, practitioners and producers and Edinburgh-based cultural organisations.
Grants of up to £5,000, £10,000 and £20,000 will be awarded to organisations or individuals based in the Capital to help with the costs involved in developing new performing artwork (music, dance, spoken word and theatre), film making and screenings, digital art, cultural events and creative writing.
This is the first of two cultural project funding opportunities in Edinburgh, established through the creation of the Flexible Fund as part of the new approach for Third Party Cultural Grants agreed by the Council last year. Details of a second Flexible Fund opportunity, currently planned for Arts and Health Projects, will be announced in May 2020.
Cllr Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener for City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Edinburgh has a long and strong reputation for creativity and excellence in the arts and we must continue to identify new and collaborative ways of resourcing the sector, and this fund will go some way to support new talent.
“As part of our policy of widening and deepening engagement with artists and communities across the city this fund is targeted at Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic artists and Edinburgh-based cultural organisations.
“We are committed to promoting stronger collaboration, developing new partnerships and creating new funding streams. The creation of our new Flexible Fund will help nurture more new work and emerging artists and enable greater access to our funding programmes for previously unfunded groups or those who have found it difficult to access mainstream funding in the past.”
A Panel of industry specialists will review applications for Diversity & Inclusion Fund grant awards in April 2020.
Further information on Diversity & Inclusion Fund
Who can apply?
Projects involving Edinburgh-based artists and practitioners and taking place within the City of Edinburgh boundary. Grants will be awarded to projects that promote greater collaboration between minority ethnic artists/practitioners, and Edinburgh-based cultural organisations. Projects should reach, involve, benefit and engage BAME artists and/or cultural organisations and creative practitioners.
Projects and activities could include: visual and performing arts (music, dance, spoken word and theatre), film making and screenings, digital art, cultural events and creative writing.
A total Fund budget of £100,000 is available for projects developed in financial year 2020/21 offering:
6 grant awards of up to £5,000;
3 grants of up to £10,000; and
2 grant awards of up to £20,000
The deadline for submissions is 3 April 2020 (23:59 GMT).
An online application form and further information about the fund can be found via the consultation hub.
You can also register your interest in attending information sessions.