The Arts & Cultural Fund.
The Arts and Cultural Fund is currently closed for submissions, re-opening in Autumn 2025. To keep up to date with any announcements please sing up to our newsletter.
The Essex County Council Arts and Cultural Fund supports organisations and creative practitioners to deliver a broad and exciting range of work and activity to engage with communities in Essex and to support the development of creative and cultural talent in our region.
Since launching the fund in 2022, the Arts and Cultural Fund awards have supported 86 projects across the county which have helped residents in Essex to access arts and culture and to participate in creative activities. You can find out more about projects we’ve supported in the past in this newly commissioned video.
In addition to delivering social and wellbeing benefits, the creative and cultural sector is widely recognised as being at the forefront of economic and social regeneration. The Essex County Council Arts and Cultural Fund provides grants from between £2,500 to £30,000 to support projects in our communities.
Fresh Air Festival – Credit Lucy J Toms
Arts and Cultural Fund Round Five: 2025
- A timeline of key dates will be published later this year.
- Submissions to the Arts and Cultural Fund can only be made via an online portal, however, you can find a copy of the application form here. This includes details of questions and character limits.
- Applicants may also find it useful to refer to our guidance notes.
- For an opportunity to learn more about the fund, you can also watch a recording of one of our previous Q&A session here.
If you have any additional questions, please contact us via culture@essex.gov.uk.
Dance Network
FAQs
Read the FAQs here, if you still have a question about how to enter, or want to speak to someone please contact us via culture@essex.gov.uk.
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Creative Spotlights
Click on the images below to read Case Studies of some of the projects the Arts and Cultural Fund has supported.
Launch of the Tech Art Fest
An interview with Connor Turansky to hear about his vision and inspiration for the county’s first ever Tech Art Festival! Tech Art Fest is a brand-new festival bringing together artists, creative technologists, and performers to exhibit artwork, host talks, and run workshops with a programme of free events from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd February at Unit 10, Basildon, Essex. Supported by the Essex County Council Arts and Cultural Fund, we caught up with Connor for a short interview. How would you describe ‘Tech Arts’ and why are they important? It’s a combination of those two things. It’s looking at technology and its relationship to the arts world. One of my favourite artists, Nam June Paik used to strap magnets onto the front of a big CRT Televisions to look at what they were doing (Magnet TV, 1965, was one of Nam June Paik’s earliest works that was exhibited at
Extraordinary Essex Art Commission Update
Marley Karazimba reflects on the first few months of his new film documenting the people of Essex and their connection the land. Since beginning my Extraordinary Essex Commission last year, I could not have imagined just how many inspiring land-based, food-focused growing projects are taking place across Essex. The process of filming for my new documentary has taken me on a tour of the county, meeting the people and communities of Essex that have a strong connection to the land. At Bennison Farm in rural Colchester, I’ve spent time talking all things community-supported and regenerative agriculture with grower Danny Steele. Regenerative agriculture being an approach to farming that allows the land, soil, water, nutrients, and natural assets to regenerate themselves, as opposed to conventional approaches to farming that can deplete these natural resources. In Aldham, I’ve met with Andrew Tann and Ben Lambert at Crapes Fruit Farm, which has been
Extraordinary Essex Art Commission
An new project about regeneration, the people of Essex and the land that nourishes them. Essex County Council are pleased to announce that artist Marley Karazimba has been appointed the Extraordinary Essex Art Commission. For this opportunity, artists were invited to envision proposals for a new cultural work which sums up why they think or feel Essex to be an extraordinary place. Marley will create a short new film that explores the connection between people and the land in Essex, focusing on their relationships with soil, food, and community. Drawing on Marley’s experience as a multimedia artist and filmmaker, as well as his work in community-supported agriculture and permaculture, the film will document diverse individuals in their gardens, allotments, and community farms. Titled ‘Don’t Fight The Land That Feeds You’, the film will follow the journey from soil to kitchen, featuring recipes from around the world made with locally grown ingredients in Essex.
Celebrating the County’s Creative Industries
Culture Essex launched a campaign on Friday 19 July to celebrate the creative and cultural sector. Artists and creative entrepreneurs from across Essex have agreed to be Cultural Ambassadors, inspiring future creatives and showcasing the flourishing creative sector across the county. The event was held at Anglia Ruskin University and attended by high profile representatives from theatre, dance, filmmaking, live music, literature and games development from across the county. There was a real sense of solidarity in the room, a desire to share connections and collaborate as well as to celebrate all that is great about the creative and cultural sector in Essex. The campaign message is simple, culture and creativity belong to everyone and can offer exciting, rewarding careers, inspire generations and have a positive impact on peoples’ lives. Essex is a leader in innovation and creativity and our local creative businesses are nationally and internationally recognised. Over forty