LCCC Arts Grants Scheme - Arts Organisations 2025/26

Overview

The importance of the arts and creative activities to the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities is a key part of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s Community Support Plan and in support of this, the council’s Arts Grants Scheme for Arts Organisations has been designed to support both the amateur and professional arts sector in the delivery of arts events, projects or activities, which take place in the council area through the provision of direct grants.

Funding Limits

A maximum grant of up to £3,000 is available for any one organisation in each financial year.

General funding principles

• Organisations must comply with all statutory obligations regarding the delivery of and access to their project or event, including health & safety and licensing requirements.
• This is a competitive scheme and applications will be determined on the basis of merit.
• Applicants can apply to other sources of public support, outside of the council, but must declare this in their application form and show how the additional funding will add value.
• Those organisations based outside their area may be awarded funding for projects as long as the entirety of the project takes place within the Lisburn and Castlereagh area.
• Projects must take place in the council area between the date of their signed terms & conditions being received and 31st March 2026.
• If more than one group operates within a particular locality, they would welcome partnership applications, however a lead applicant will need to be identified. Please note in this case the applicant must demonstrate that there is no project duplication.
• Applicants can apply to other sources of public support, outside of the council, but must declare this in their application form.
• Applicants will be expected to make every effort to increase capacity within their local community, through for example, skills training and volunteering.
• It is a prime responsibility for them to ensure the proper and efficient use of, and accountability for, public monies. To this end, applicants must forward all supporting documentation requested along with the application. We will be unable to assess applications without all supporting documentation being received.
• Applicants will be required to demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of their project, and adequately show how it will have a positive and measurable impact on the local community.
• Future funding may be withheld if any required closing documentation is still outstanding for previous grants administered by them, including invoices, receipts, accounts, bank statements and evaluation reports.
• Successful applicants in any given year should not presume continued support in subsequent years.

Evidence the:

• project is not of a commercial nature or organised on a profit/commercial basis
• application is not for normal running costs of the applicant organisations e.g. existing staff salaries
• projects administration/equipment costs are proportionate to the overall programme costs
• application is not for trade or professional conferences/conventions
• application is not primarily fundraising for charitable purposes, or deploying potential sources of income to a charity
• application is not for a social event that has no community benefit
• the proposed project clearly contributes to the objectives of the Arts Grants Scheme

Who can apply? - eligibility

Organisations must be able to demonstrate the following basic eligibility criteria:

• from a formally governed arts organisation i.e. ‘it has a primary purpose of promoting the Arts’ (a copy of the constitution, memorandum articles of association, etc. must be submitted with the application and evidence must be provided that it has been adopted at a public meeting of the group’s membership)
• evidence the applicant group’s governing document open and accountable
• a bank account in the name of the organisation, which requires a minimum of two unrelated members to authorise withdrawals and an annual set of independently examined financial accounts, endorsed at an Annual General Meeting
• a management committee or governing board, elected by its membership at an Annual General Meeting, and elected office bearers
• have appropriate safeguarding policies for protecting children and vulnerable adults, who are involved as part of the group’s programme
• evidence of public liability insurance cover of a minimum £5 million for the activities of the group, including the proposed project, or confirmation from a broker that this can be produced.
• evidence of employers liability insurance (where applicable) to cover a minimum £10 million for the activities of the group, including the proposed project, or confirmation from a broker that this can be produced
• evidence the group is based within their area or that the project beneficiaries are residents of the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area

Funding Criteria

In order to deliver the Arts Grants Scheme aims and principles, applicants will need to demonstrate how their project aims to address a minimum of two of the schemes key objectives.

1. Engaging communities in high quality arts and cultural activities;
2. Encourage better engagement and wellbeing for residents through arts based activities
3. Encourage partnership working to improve access for all to arts and cultural experiences;
4. Build friendships between generations and cultures, reducing isolation, promoting integration and ensuring people-centred arts service.

Engaging communities in high quality arts and cultural activities;

• Encourage and support the creation of work that demonstrates collaboration across a wide range of diverse backgrounds, organisations, disciplines and perspectives.
• Develop investment opportunities to enable creative cross-sector collaboration and risk taking and encourage growth of creative clusters.

Encourage better engagement and wellbeing for residents through arts based activities

• Collaborate with other sectors such as education and health, to embed the arts and creativity within their work, create models of good practice, and develop the knowledge and skills within the creative sector to deliver new programmes.
• Support new formats and mediums for cultural production and experiences that increases community engagement in the arts.

Encourage partnership working to improve access for all to arts and cultural experiences;

• Demonstrate how communities across a wide range of diverse backgrounds have been at the centre of planning the project and how you have ensured access for all involved.
• Demonstrate collaboration and creativity across networks that supports best use of local resources and delivery of high quality arts and cultural experiences.

Build friendships between generations and cultures, reducing isolation, promoting integration and ensuring people-centred arts service.

• Provide exciting and challenging creative experiences that will have a long-lasting impact upon participants and audiences ensuring access for all groups.
• Demonstrate how communities across a wide range of diverse backgrounds have been at the centre of planning the project and how you have ensured access for all involved.

NB. Those organisations based outside the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area may be awarded funding for projects as long as the entirety of the project takes place within the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area.