This fund is now closed for new applications

This fund is supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

About the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will support the UK government’s wider commitment to Levelling Up all parts of the UK. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK under three investment priorities: communities and place; supporting local businesses; and people and skills. For more information see the UK Shared Prosperity Fund prospectus.

UKSPF outcomes:

•        Increased visitor numbers

•          Improved community engagement

•          Increased the number of activities happening in North or Central Halifax

Year of Culture 2024

Calderdale is turning 50 in 2024. To celebrate we’re hosting a Year of Culture (CultureDale) from April 2024 to April 2025. We want to encourage creativity and activity in the build up to CultureDale 2024 by developing opportunities throughout 2023.

We want the Year of Culture to:

• • Be inclusive of, accessible to, and representative of our residents

• • Showcase talent of the borough

• • Have opportunities for people to have their say and co-create projects

• • Share the stories of our culture, history, and people

• • Get people active, interacting, and taking part

• • Celebrate Calderdale

We will do this by:

• • Centring local residents in the creation and delivery of the programme

• • Supporting local artists and organisations

• • Ensuring opportunities and activities across the whole borough

• • Elevating current work and support audience development for those already working with our communities

• • Encouraging new partnerships and joined up working

• • Supporting young people to get creative

• • Creating projects that tackle loneliness and isolation, mental health and wellbeing, engage underserved and marginalised people, and encourage physical activity

Find out more about the Year of Culture on our CultureDale website.

Calderdale’s Cultural Strategy 5 priorities:

• • A Larger Creative Life: Each and every person has culture and creativity woven into the fabric of their lives – whatever their age – the delight and inspire happier, healthier lives.

• • Creative Citizens: Every community is empowered to grow and sustain its own cultural capacity – bringing to life the unique identity of each place and community.

• • A Resilient Valley: The cultural sector inspires creative and regenerative actions to rebuild a sustainable future.

• • Distinctly Calderdale: Businesses and visitors are attracted by the vibrancy of the cultural offer, strong sense of identity and creative possibilities.

• • A Thriving Cultural Scene: The sector – its people and organisations – is invested in so that it flourishes and plays a unique, dynamic and effective role in wider society.

Please find the full Cultural Strategy here.

Overview

This fund is part of the
West Yorkshire UKSPF Programme

This grant scheme will support organisations and practitioners to deliver a broad and exciting range of work and activity to engage people living in North and Central Halifax.

The purpose of this fund is to encourage collaboration and new partnerships, and engage with and bring residents together. We are looking for applicants who wish to develop projects that will feed into the Year of Culture through exhibitions, performance, events, and continued activity.

Applicants of this grant must use the funding to connect with a new group or collaborator. This can take the form of:

• • Two practitioners collaborating for the first time.

• • An organisation working with a specific demographic or group they have not previously reached out to.

• • A community group funding a freelance artist to run workshops.

• • Other collaboration opportunity.

We are looking to fund projects that:

• • Are based and delivered in North or Central Halifax

• • Start before March 2024

• • Have a clear plan for how the project and legacy will feed into or contribute to the Year of Culture 2024

• • Demonstrate clear partnership and collaborative working

• • Engage new audiences

• • Have a clear understanding of the needs, interests, and barriers faced by audiences when engaging with creative and cultural activity

• • Demonstrate inclusive and accessible ways of working

• • Support volunteering, co-creation, and active participation

• • Help foster a sense of local pride and belonging

• • Provide new skills or opportunities for residents

• • Support the wellbeing and happiness of local people

• • Improve access to culture, heritage, and arts in North and Central Halifax

• • Enhance the area with public art, murals, and planting and gardening

• • Support the growth of the cultural community

• • Strengthen or build on the applicant’s operations and sustainability

• • That could not otherwise happen, or enables a project to be larger or of greater quality

Who can apply

Examples of eligible applicants include:

• • Individual artists or artistic cooperatives – NB: these must be trading as businesses/sole traders, we cannot fund individuals

• • Freelance practitioners

• • Community groups

• • Charities or trusts

• • Community interest companies

• • Social enterprises

• • Public sector organisations (not local authorities)

• • Private sector organisations

• • Organisations that are part of a local authority’s direct provision will be considered on a case-by-case basis

• • Applicants must live or be based in Calderdale

How to apply

This fund is now closed for new applications.

Under certain circumstances we can accept applications by video see here : https://cffc.co.uk/support-for-your-grant-application/

We encourage you to get in touch. If you would like to discuss your project, have any questions about the process, or need some help completing your application please get in touch with:

Kayleigh Boyle, Cultural Programme Manager kayleigh.boyle@calderdale.gov.uk, and:

Rob Billson, Grants Manager, CFFC, rob@cffc.co.uk

Fund Timeline:

Open: 4th September 2023

Close: 12.00 noon on 16th October 2023

Pre-Assessment: up to 6th November 2023

Panel: up to 20^th November 2023

Decision sign off: 27 November 2023

Notification/acceptance/payments: before Friday 22nd December 2023

Funded projects have to be completed and grants spent by end of March 2025

Further criteria for applicants

If applying as organisation, to be eligible, your organisation should:

• • Be financially viable

• • Have demonstrated its ability to manage its work effectively

• • Demonstrate effective policies in equal opportunities, health and safety, equality and diversity, children, and vulnerable adult’s protection

Grants will not be made for the purposes of:

• • The promotion of faith

• • The promotion of political ideals

• • The reinstatement of reserve funds

• • Retrospective payments

For both organisation’s and artists/cultural practitioners, the fund will not support:

• • Fundraising events where there is private gain.

• • Applications from students unless the project is separate from or does not form part of their studies.

• • Prize money.

• • Applications for support towards the cost of attending courses in Further or Higher Education.

• • Purchases of large items of equipment or assets.

• • Capital works, renovation, or conservation projects.

• • Touring productions.

• • Capital works, renovation, or conservation projects will not be supported by the scheme. Reasonable and proportionate materials and equipment can be supported and will need to be justified in the application.

• • Projects in deficit.

• • Projects which have taken place.

• • Projects for commercial gain.

• • School projects that are part of the school’s curriculum activity. Any schools work will need to be extra-curricular.

How much funding is available?

We have a total fund available of £50,000. Applicants can apply for grants between £500 and £8000.

What can you spend the money on?

Funding can support any costs directly related to the successful delivery of your project including core costs like staffing, transport, hiring equipment and venues, printing costs, consumables such as materials or refreshments. Any equipment or resources costing over £100 should have prior approval.

If applying from a religious organisation and/or place of worship we will expect to see a clear division in both your accounts and application between your religious and non-religious activity.

If you have any questions about this please contact culturedale@calderdale.gov.uk.

Monitoring and evaluation

Funded projects need to:

• • Collect data that complies with our evaluation requirements

• • Monitor the equality and diversity of their project

• • Provide a full breakdown of spend

What happens next:

Once received, we will acknowledge receipt of your grant application, via CFFC.