Background to the Fund

In 2020, in response to Covid-19, The Mighty Creatives (TMC) launched the first round of our Sector Support Commissions, now known as the Creative Communities Fund.

In the midst of the period of uncertainty of what Coronavirus would mean for the creative sector and our regions’ young people, TMC stepped up to the challenge by repurposing some of our planned investment through The Cultural Life Fund to support the arts, cultural and education sectors at the height of the pandemic.

The first round saw 8 commissions of grants ranging between £3,000 – £5,000 awarded to cultural organisations and individuals to produce projects that supported vulnerable children and young people by delivering creative responses to the challenge posed by Covid-19. The second round awarded 7 grants of up to £7,500, with the emphasis remaining on supporting children and young people to overcome the challenges which have arisen due to the pandemic.

Our latest round of the Creative Communities Fund continues TMC’s support of supporting projects that respond to the identified needs of children and young people that have arisen throughout the pandemic. We are also keen to see how the idea of creative communities is incorporated into project ideas and how this can benefit our region’s young people.

Creative Communities Fund

Objectives

The Creative Communities Fund will:

• Support individual creative and cultural business leaders aged 21-30, Individuals aged 30+, or Small and Medium sector organisations across the East Midlands.
• Design activity aimed at supporting vulnerable children and young people. For example children and young people:
  • with special education needs or disabilities (SEND)
  • with additional mental health or emotional wellbeing needs
  • who are looked after or in the care system
  • in youth justice settings
  • aged 0-5, early years
  • with English as an additional language

If you are not already working with a group of young people in any of the above settings, you should be able to show how you are working with children and young people with the highest level of needs in your community.

• Ensure our most vulnerable children and young people do not get left behind.
• Prioritise the following areas in the East Midlands:
  • Chesterfield
  • Leicester
  • Newark
  • Skegness
  • Wellingborough

We particularly encourage applications from cultural organisations and individuals in these areas. We are still open to supporting projects that sit outside of this list if a strong case of need is evidenced within your application.

• Raise the profile of Local Cultural Education Partnerships.
• Create a cohort of grant recipients that share ideas, progress and learning throughout the process.

TMC are offering up to 8 commissions for creative and cultural business leaders aged 21+, or small to medium cultural sector organisations to undertake and deliver creative responses to the current needs of our region’s young people.

Fee and timescale

Commissions can apply for up to £7,500.

Commissions will need to define their timescale in their application using a timeframe of August 2022 – January 2023 at the latest for planning, delivery and celebration of the children and young people’s work.

Please note: This round of the Creative Communities Fund is made possible through TMC’s ACE Bridge funding. TMC’s funding contract with ACE ends in March 2023, by which all monies must be spent. No contract extensions can be provided. It is recommended that projects aim to end in December 2022.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for the Creative Communities Fund you must be a creative and cultural business leader aged 21+ or a small to medium cultural sector organisation. You can be:

• a business that operates in the creative and cultural sector
• a start-up business
• a sole trader, partnership or SME
• Have up to date safeguarding policies & practices that cover on and offline work

What to do next?

Make sure that you have read all the supporting documents available online. If you would like to discuss the application process and the fund, please book a time for a telephone call with Hannaa Hamdache or Laura Bates, Creative Communities Manager (job share). Email: hannaa@themightycreatives.com or laura@themightycreatives.com

Please complete an online application form on The Mighty Creatives’ website.

If you are finding it difficult to apply via our application form online, please get in contact via the email above for alternative ways of applying.

Deadline for applications is  9am Monday 27^th June 2022