Welcome to the latest edition of the Vibrant Shropshire newsletter.
We want to highlight some of the great opportunities and projects happening across Shropshire's cultural sector.
If you have something you would like to share in future newsletters such as a job opportunity, funding, or a success story, do let us know by emailing culturalcompact@shropshire.gov.uk
Make sure to check out the Cultural Funding Opportunities at the end of the newsletter.
If you think this newsletter might be of interest to someone you know, please forward it onto them. To make sure you get this newsletter every month, subscribe here.
Have you got a project coming up that you would like to promote? Perhaps you know about an opportunity for cultural practitioners that isn't listed here. We want to hear from you.
Please send us details of:
- events
- exhibitions
- classes
- employment opportunities
- shows and performances
- commission opportunities
- available funding
- partnership projects
Our aim is to make this newsletter as informative and useful for Shropshire's Cultural Sector. If you know of an opportunity that's of interest to you, chances are it's of interest to another creative practitioner too.
Thanks to feedback from a partner, we are especially keen to hear about opportunities for visual artists to take part in.
Please send details to culturalcompact@shropshire.gov.uk
 The Wellbeing Art Group, organised by Arts for Health (Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust) provides a safe environment for people in touch with mental health services to come together and make art. The group is led by two professional artists, Jean Mills and Jackie Coyle at English Bridge Workshop in Shrewsbury.
Over the weeks, the group explore different techniques and artforms, bringing their own imagination into the mix.
With the grant from Vibrant Shropshire they have been able to stage two exhibitions of the group’s work. Often, the participants have very low self-esteem and belief in themselves and the exhibition and launch gives them a sense of pride. They can invite family and friends and show off their work – it restores belief in their own ability.
For this first exhibition at The Redwoods Centre Exhibition Space in July and August, the group have spent some weeks exploring clay, its form and texture and then adding their imagination to create some wonderful, colourful and inspiring work.
The launch included live music by one of the participants on the centre’s Steinway Grand Piano, there were refreshments and the opportunity to gather, sit and admire their work.
Project manager, Jess Kent, said "we are grateful to Vibrant Shropshire for the grant which has enabled us to provide an additional artist at the sessions and to offer these exhibitions to the members of the group."
Arts for Health has received £4,930 from the UK Government through the Vibrant Shropshire Grant Scheme, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
 Oswestry Memorial Hall (OMH) is a registered charity and community building in the centre of Oswestry. For over 120 years it has provided space for community projects, groups, clubs and events: with the purpose of enabling and supporting activities that help create a healthy, vibrant community.
This summer, with support from Vibrant Shropshire, OMH is hosting over 30 new activities and sessions aimed at bringing together younger and older members of the community: bridging the generations at a time when misunderstanding and disconnect between generations is growing.
Called MOVE MAKE MEND, the programme offers a range of activities and workshops to get people of all ages moving, making or mending together. Local instructors, clubs and organisations lead these 'taster' sessions to introduce local residents to new experiences; without barriers to age, wealth, mobility or health.
MOVE : There's been fencing, curling, skittles, walking football and group dancing so far. Coming soon is ‘Fabulous Friday Family Funday’ of games focussed on those with special needs: an amazing & inclusive mix of activities for all.
MAKE : Talented local crafters and creatives have led sessions of painting, drawing, design, and needlecraft. Young and old have made new sounds and new friends at our ukulele sessions, and a new youth vocal group is to open their class to all for the first time.
MEND : Offers activities to mend items and to mend ourselves (wellbeing activities for all). A sustainable fashion project is teaching clothing repair and customisation. Local physical and mental health instructors are offering a diverse range of introductory sessions to improve body and mind; safe and inclusive for all ages and abilities. An enterprising group of 6th formers are offering social and supportive sessions for young people daunted by exam or career choices; with the help of older members of the community sharing their own journeys.
The MOVE MAKE MEND programme runs throughout August and September. Check out upcoming activities and events on the OMH website.
Pop along, try something new; and expect a warm welcome!
Oswestry Memorial Hall has received £4,140 from the UK Government through the Vibrant Shropshire Grant Scheme, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
 To help develop the next generation of British film industry talent the lead body for film in the UK, the British Film Institute (BFI), in partnership with BAFTA, Pinewood Studios and the Department for Education are now offering young people aged 16 to 19 years industry based training and work experience through the national BFI Film Academy Network.
The BFI Film Academy is the British Film Industry’s gold standard talent development programme, and last year's programme delivered by MediaActive, one of the BFI's Network of UK Partners, included:
- Working on a ‘real life’ film commission
- Collaborating with award winning animators and filmmakers
- Learning about all aspects of film and animation production as well as idea and script development
- Practical animation and filmmaking techniques, editing, sound design, music, special effects
- How to get your work screened.
If you are thinking about a career in the creative or film industries, as a writer, filmmaker, animator, designer or producer, this opportunity will really help to broaden your portfolio and will allow you to stand out from the crowd.
The 2024 BFI Film Academy will begin on the 12th October 2024 and applications are now open until 29th September.
Find out more and apply below:
To support this project, MediaActive has received £5,000 from the UK Government through the Vibrant Shropshire Grant Scheme, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
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The Hive is a charity working to transform lives through creativity. They work with vulnerable children, young people and young adults across Shropshire & Telford to inspire change in peoples' wellbeing through engagement in the arts. The charity has recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £50,000 in order to keep their base in Belmont open.
The charity has provided free and low cost arts and cultural activities for young people for over 19 years. The skills and learning that young people have gained there has inspired them to go on to pursue careers in the creative industries.
As part of the campaign, they will also be running fundraising activities. Details of the events on offer can be found here.
Find out more about The Hive and the campaign in the video below:
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Donate to the campaign:
 The Midlands Forest Network (MFN) is a bold initiative designed to create new opportunities and attract investment for the protection, restoration, and creation of woods and trees throughout the Midlands. Led by a partnership between the Woodland Trust, the National Forest Company, and the Midlands Engine, with initial investment from Defra and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, MFN aims to weave a network of connected woodland habitats through our landscapes and communities.
MFN is a collaborative network of delivery partners; funders and investors, policy makers and planners with the following shared goals:
- Nature: Create a larger, more resilient, connected network of woods, trees and hedgerows to reverse the decline of woodland species and increase carbon stores.
- People: Make access to nature more equitable across the region and engage a larger, more diverse audience with nature and its associated benefits.
- Business: Redirect investment into natural capital, ecosystem services and sustainable finance to boost low carbon economic growth.
MFN are now consulting widely to understand what support, resources or funding network members would need to deliver these goals and what our specific role in supporting them should be.
For practical reasons they are focusing this research on three case study areas:
- Urban: Nottingham city
- Peri-urban: Leicester parishes of Anstey and Newtown Linford, and Beaumont Leys ward.
- Rural: south-west Shropshire and Severn river catchment
These are not hard boundaries and contributions from nearby groups are welcome too.
Delivery will not be restricted to these areas, but will be across the Midlands region.
If you are happy to participate in the consultation, please complete their online survey exploring your work in this area, the barriers, challenges, opportunities and strategies you experience.
The Midlands Forest Network is committed to ensuring equal access to nature for all, creating spaces that celebrate the diversity of our communities. This series of conversations will focus on how MFN can support and empower organisations working towards this goal in the urban, peri-urban and rural settings.
Book and Save the Date
19th September: Leicester Parishes
20th September: Nottingham City
30th September: South West Shropshire
Why Attend?
This event offers a unique opportunity to:
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Incorporate Diverse Perspectives: they want to ensure that a wide range of voices contribute to their developing strategy, helping them coordinate efforts effectively and address the real needs and priorities of the Midlands.
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Share Best Practices: Learn from and promote successful examples of engaging under-served and under-represented communities with nature.
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Advocate for Change: Highlight the importance of effective policy, planning, and funding to create lasting positive impacts.
Through these conversations, they aim to identify how MFN can best support organisations in sustaining, expanding, and replicating their efforts to enhance nature connections across the Midlands.
Get Involved
MFN are currently seeking venues to host these engagement events. If you are interested in showcasing your local initiatives that connect people with nature, please reach out on midlandsforestnetwork@nationalforest.org
 The Vibrant Shropshire team have been busy working with our web developers from Verve Design to create a new Vibrant Shropshire Cultural Compact website. This will include a directory of all the Vibrant Shropshire partners. This directory will be used to connect partners, promote co-working and link up Shropshire's cultural sector.
If you are a Vibrant Shropshire partner, and would like to be included in this directory please fill out the form linked below.
Once you have filled out the form, please send us a copy of your logo to culturalcompact@shropshire.gov.uk
If you are not a Vibrant Shropshire partner, why not become one for free? Please sign up using the link below, you will then be able to complete the directory form:
The AHRC is currently inviting applications to join its Advisory Board. Applications are welcome from across the arts and humanities communities from people representing different career stages, sectors and disciplines.
As a representative of the advisory board, you will provide your unique perspective on the state of the arts and humanities sectors, informing the AHRC on the needs and challenges faced within this community. This advice supports the development of partnerships to help deliver AHRC's vision, sustains its position as a strategic funder and maintains development of policies and procedures.
Find out more and apply at the button below:
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Metal For Good
Metal For Good fund incredible community groups and projects that use music and the values of the rock and metal community to help create an equal society.
They are inviting applications from community groups, charities and non-profit organisations to apply for up to £3,000 to deliver community projects that use music as a toll for change.
Grant amounts:
- 1 x £3,000
- 2 x £2,000
- 3 X £1,000
Deadline: 22nd August 2024
Find out more:
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The Hitmaker Fund
The Hitmaker Fund offers an opportunity for songwriters and producers working in popular music genres to further develop their careers and writing/production with grants of between £5,000 – £10,000.
Launched in 2017 as a response to the long-term career needs of those working behind the scenes, The Hitmaker Fund (formerly The Writer Producer Fund) was initiated by PRS Foundation with BASCA Trust. The rebranded Hitmaker Fund is now delivered by PRS Foundation.
Applications will be accepted from individuals with a professional track record as:
- Songwriters (behind the scenes creators of new music who do not also perform or produce).
- Producers (those working on production who contribute to the songwriting process and are acknowledged as writers).
Grant amount: £5,000 to £10,000
Deadline: Round 2 opens 29th July 2024 and closes 27th August 2024
Find out more:
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Youth Music Trailblazer Fund
The Youth Music Trailblazer fund offers grants of £2,000 to £30,000 to organisations in England to run projects for children and young people (25 or under) to make, learn and earn in music. The project should trial work for the first time, test a new way of working, or disrupt the status quo (or all three!).
Your work must meet one of the themes:
- Early years
- Disabled, d/Deaf and neurodivergent young people
- Youth justice system
- Young people facing barriers
- Young adults
- Organisations and the workforce.
Grant amount: £2,000 to £30,000
Deadline: Round 7 closes 30th August 2024, Round 8 closes 22nd November 2024
Find out more:
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Hinrichsen Foundation
The Hinrichsen Foundation is offering grants to charities and other organisations across the United Kingdom to support the performance of contemporary music, including the commissioning of new work, non-commercial recording, or publication.
There are two levels of funding available:
- One-off small grants typically between £500 and £2,500 (for new applicants and former beneficiaries).
- Larger projects or concert series generally £2,000 and over.
Deadline: opens end of June and closes 31st August 2024
Find out more:
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Postcode Local Trust (West of England)
Back for another year, the Postcode Local Trust is supporting organisations across the West of England with unrestricted funding in 2024.
The funding is for projects that have a clear alignment with one of the Trust's themes for 2024:
- Enabling participation in physical activity
- Enabling participation in the arts
- Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty
- Supporting marginalised groups and tackling inequality
- Improving biodiversity and responding to the climate emergency
- Improving green spaces and increasing access to the outdoors
- Providing support to improve mental health with a focus on organisations that are actively supporting specific mental health issues rather than general mental wellbeing activities.
Grant amounts: dependent on the organisation's not-for-profit legal structure, grants between £500 and £2,500 or between £500 and £25,000
Deadline: next application window 26th August to 2nd September.
Find out more:
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Historic England's History in the Making Fund
History in the Making is a grant that enables underrepresented young people (aged 13-25) to research, discover and mark local histories.
It’s about giving young people a sense of belonging by exploring local identity and immersing them in local stories.
Each project they fund creates a place marker to celebrate where these stories took place and share them with the whole community.
Successful applicants will work directly with young people out-of-school hours in areas of high social deprivation (currently defined as anyone in a Levelling Up Level 1 area). Projects must be co-created, with young people’s voices at the heart of decision-making.
Grant amount: up to £15,000
Deadline: 2nd September 2024
Find out more:
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Idlewild Trust Arts and Conservation funds
Idlewild Trust support two grant programmes:
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Arts: Nurturing Early-Stage Professionals - grants to support training opportunities for emerging professionals, working creatively and backstage, within the performing and visual arts, post-training, and at an early stage in their career.
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Conservation: Objects and Works of Art - grants to support the conservation of cultural heritage of recognized national and international importance in museums, libraries, galleries, historic buildings, or landscapes accessible to the public. Priority will be given to applications that include a knowledge sharing element as an outcome of the project. Applications must include a treatment proposal from an accredited conservator.
Grant amount: maximum of £7,000
Deadlines: Thursday 5 September at noon. Round Two opens 2 December 2024 and closes 14 February 2025.
Find out more:
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Theatres Trust Theatre Improvement Scheme
Theatres Trust's Theatre Improvement Scheme, in association with the Wolfson Foundation, offers capital funding for theatres.
The theme for the fund for the current three-year partnership is Improving Environmental Sustainability.
Theatre operators can apply for grants towards their building or equipment as part of the scheme.
It is hoped that these grants will support a range of projects that consider different ways theatre buildings can reduce their environmental impact. From sedum roofs to new windows, building management systems to more efficient water heaters, funding will be given to projects that demonstrate how a small intervention can have a big impact.
Grant amount: up to £20,000
Deadline: Friday 6th September 2024
Find out more:
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Activate Skills Development Grants
Smarter Society and Culture Central are excited to announce the West Midlands Combined Authority Activate Skills Development Grants for creative freelancers and small organisations based in the West Midlands.
The Activate Skills Development Grant is for all West Midlands creative freelancers and small organisations who want to develop new skills and further their creative practice.
Applicants can be at any stage of their creative careers, from emerging to established practitioners, however you must be:
- A freelancer or small organisation operating within the Creative or Cultural sectors
- Based in the West Midlands
- Able to complete all funded activities by 13th December 2024
Grant amount: £1,000 to £9,000
Deadline: Applications go live 30th August and close Wednesday 18th September 2024
Find out more:
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Music for All
Music for All, the charity of the UK musical instrument industry, is offering an instrument-only funding round to community projects and to schools in the UK who are looking to enhance and expand their music provision. Priority will be given to applicants who are most in need of help.
Groups can apply for:
- audio equipment
- guitars
- ukuleles
- drumkits
- keyboards
- pbuzz instruments
- a grant of up to £5,000 for schools looking to deepen their music provision and support groups of music makers within their school.
Deadline: Monday 30th September
Find out more:
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Greene King IPA Proud to Pitch In Fund
Grants of up to £4,000 are available for registered charities, community groups, social enterprises, community amateur sports clubs, and other organisations across the UK to deliver grassroots sports activities that positively impact local communities.
Grant amount: up to £4,000
Deadline: 1st November 2024
Find out more:
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Youth Music NextGen Fund
The NextGen Fund provided by Youth Music is intended to help early-stage musicians and wider music adjacent creatives to invest in their own projects and make their ideas happen. The fund is especially aimed at those whose lack of finance holds them back from pursuing their goals.
The tenth round of the programme is accepting applications from 18-25 year old creatives (under-30s who identify as d/Deaf or disabled) in the UK to support the development of a creative project or idea. Applicants may include singers, rappers, songwriters, producers, DJs, A&Rs, managers and agents, right through to roles that have yet to be defined.
Priority will be given to:
- People who do not have the financial means to invest in themselves to get their ideas started
- People that are too early-stage to be funded by larger grant programmes such as Arts Council England and PRS Foundation
- Those who might be discriminated against, for reasons that could include gender, race, disability, location or other characteristics
- People who are creative, entrepreneurial and are multi-disciplinary - even if they do not recognise themselves as such
Grant amount: up to £2,500
Deadline: 15th November 2024 at 5pm
Find out more:
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Cultural Bridge
Cultural Bridge supports arts and cultural organisations across the UK and Germany to develop partnerships that explore social arts practice.
By enabling new and existing connections, the programme supports a growing network of organisations committed to sharing expertise and skills, exchanging ideas and collaborating on artistic practices and projects that explore themes and issues faced by communities across both countries.
Grant amount(s):
- Tier 1: up to £10,000 per partnership
- Tier 2: up to £30,000 per partnership
Deadline: the 2025-2026 Cultural Bridge programme application portal will be open from Tuesday 15th October to Tuesday 26th November 2024.
Find out more:
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2024 Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund
Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) oversees a grant scheme to support larger improvement projects to rural community buildings in England. This includes full refits and extensions.
This main grants scheme was first announced in 2022 in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
This scheme is for those responsible for rural community buildings who wish to make substantive improvements to their building, whether that be extensions or improving energy efficiency and contributing to Net Zero.
Awards can be made to cover 20% of eligible project costs, up to a maximum amount of £75,000. The balance of funding for the works proposed must be in place, or at least confirmed within 6 months of receiving a grant offer. We recommend you only submit an application to the fund once the project is ready to proceed, and you have everything in place.
Grant amounts: £7,500 to £75,000
Deadline: currently open
Find out more:
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The Foyle Foundation
The Foyle Foundation is a major funder of arts charities across the U.K. The foundation will consider applications towards core project costs, projects, environmental efficiency, equipment and capital through both their grant schemes:
Main Grants Scheme: they consider applications from charities with a core remit of the Arts to both sustain the Arts and to widen audiences. They look for clear artistic mission, value for money, long term benefit and sustainability in projects they support.
Small Grants Scheme: aimed at supporting small charities with a turnover of less than £150k per annum.
Grant amounts:
- Small grants: between £2,000 and £10,000
- Main grants: £75,000 and over
Deadline: open until 31 January 2025
Find out more:
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National Lottery Awards for All (England)
Social connections and community activities are at the heart of creating healthier, happier lives and a flourishing society. That’s why the National Lottery Community Fund supports amazing community-led projects.
You can apply for funding to deliver a new or existing activity or to support your organisation to change and adapt to new and future challenges.
For arts, sports or heritage activities, you must be able to demonstrate how the activity strengthens your community in some way.
Awards for All can fund projects that will do at least one of these things:
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bring people together to build strong relationships in and across communities
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improve the places and spaces that matter to communities
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help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage
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support people, communities and organisations facing more demands and challenges because of the cost-of-living crisis.
Grant amount: £300 to £20,000
Deadline: rolling. Applications should be made 16 weeks before funding is required
Find out more:
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Paul Hamlyn Foundation's Arts-based Learning Fund
The foundation supports arts and cultural organisations to work in partnership with schools and make arts-based learning a core part of education.
The fund envisions a more equitable school system where high-quality arts-based learning is a core part of all children’s education. They believe that arts-based teaching and learning can add value and help schools achieve their aspirations for pupils.
The fund achieves this by:
- supporting arts organisations to work in partnership with formal education settings leading to a mutual exchange and enrichment of expertise;
- focusing on pupils who experience systemic inequity and enabling them to make progress and overcome barriers to learning;
- exploring the role of arts-based learning in addressing issues of inclusion, especially racism, in education;
- creating more opportunities for high quality arts-based teaching and learning in education settings, especially in those which have not had this work in the past;
- enabling arts-based learning to be embedded in curricula and practice for the long-term; and
- building a body of evidence and practice, and understanding how the work improves equity for pupils.
Grant amount: between £30,000 to £100,000
Deadline: rolling
Find out more:
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Historic Houses Foundation
The Historic Houses Foundation gives grants for the repair and conservation of rural historic buildings and structures in England and Wales, including their gardens, grounds and outbuildings. They also give grants for the restoration and conservation of works of art in historic house collections open to the public.
Grants are made to owners (charities, institutions, local authorities and individuals) who demonstrate a sustainable and long-term commitment to the care, management and public access of the historic country houses in their care.
They aim to make grants for projects which either do not qualify for funding from any of the mainstream sources or have been awarded only partial funding. They will also consider making grants to kick start a project but will expect further funding to be in place within 1 to 2 years.
Grant amounts: The minimum grant amount is £1,000, the maximum is £250,000 though awards of this size are only made in exceptional circumstances. Most grants are less than £50,000.
Deadline: rolling
Find out more:
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National Lottery Heritage Grants
National Lottery Heritage Grants form part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund's new 10-year strategy, Heritage 2033, that aims to invest £3.6 billion across the UK with grants ranging from £10,000 up to £10 million.
The strategy is centred around a simplified framework of four investment principles:
- Saving heritage.
- Protecting the environment.
- Inclusion, access and participation.
- Organisational sustainability.
Grants are available to support projects of up to five years that care for and sustain heritage in the UK. This could include nature and habitats, historic buildings and environments, or cultures, traditions and people’s memories.
Grant amounts: there are two levels of grants available £10,000 to £250,000 or grants from £250,000 to £10 million
Deadline: rolling
Find out more here:
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To find more available funding opportunities, take a look at the VCSA Funding Opportunities Roundup.
Know about an arts or cultural funding opportunity that isn't listed here? Please contact us
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