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East Sussex Arts Partnership

1. Overview

Funding

The East Sussex Arts Partnership has a small number of grants of up to £500 available. These grants are for arts projects which support the East Sussex Cultural Strategy priorities:

  1. Create an environment where great cultural experiences are available to everyone to enhance their quality of life
  2. Create an environment which enables the cultural and creative economy to expand and enhances our ability to attract and retain other businesses
  3. Develop and promote well packaged cultural tourism offers which celebrate the identity of East Sussex, raise its profile and attract more visitors and businesses to the County

In addition, ESAP aims to support early career professionals to foster new creative activity in East Sussex. If you would like support, please use the contacts section to get in touch with your local officer.

Eligible areas for activities are: Lewes District, Eastbourne Borough, Rother District and Wealden District.  If you have questions about what this means for your next application, please do not hesitate to get in touch at Arts.Officer@eastsussex.gov.uk.

Criteria

  • organisations can agree up to a maximum of three grants in any three year period
  • a maximum of four grants are awarded per panel meeting
  • at least 50% of activity must be in East Sussex
  • in line with ESAP's aims to support early career professionals, we will begin to prioritise new applicants for funding
  • activity must be arts based
  • activity must be supported by an Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant
  • activity must not start before our board meets (please see deadlines)
  • applications will be considered prior to an Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant being confirmed but any offer will be dependent on an Arts Council Project grant being secured
  • applications must include the ESAP grant under their income section
  • applicants must supply their final Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant application as submitted to Arts Council England. Any subsequent amendments will render the application invalid.
  • applicant must be a non-profit distributing organisation
  • activity must be open to the general public, be an arts event and have a clear public benefit within East Sussex
  • activity must take place in Rother, Wealden, Lewes or Eastbourne.

Deadlines

The dates below are now confirmed deadlines to apply for 2024 and early 2025.

  • 5 April 2024 (decision 25 April 2024)
  • 5 July 2024 (decision 25 July 2024)
  • 4 October 2024 (decision 24 October 2024)
  • 3 January 2025 (decision 23 January 2025)

You can contact the relevant officer who will be happy to discuss your idea with you and check you are eligible to apply.

When you are ready to submit your application, please send to Arts.Officer@eastsussex.gov.uk

Contacts

For advice, please contact your district representative (see below)

Please send completed applications to the Arts Officer team at East Sussex County Council

Arts.Officer@eastsussex.gov.uk

For projects in Rother District

Lisa Simpson

For projects based in Lewes District and Eastbourne Borough

Helen Browning-Smith

For projects based in Wealden District

Katherine Jenner