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.
Register your Interest
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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.
Summer of Culture Magazine Launch
Culture Essex and Explore Essex are delighted to launch the Summer of Culture Guide 2025! We are delighted to share the Essex Summer of Culture Guide 2025. Partnering with Essex arts and cultural organisations, in this years edition we showcase some amazing, low-cost and free activities, exhibitions and experiences taking place in the county this summer for everyone to enjoy. We’re pleased to confirm that the Summer of Culture guide will once again be available in print from Essex Libraries, Essex Country Parks and many attractions and organisations across the county, so look out for a print copy to share with friends. Click here to read an online copy of the Summer of Culture Guide.
Essex Creative Sector Survey
Essex County Council, through its Cultural Development Service, have launched a key piece of work to look at the needs of Essex’s creative industries as the landscape of local government, government spending reviews and devolution continues to rapidly change, and particularly in light of the government’s ‘Invest 2035: UK Modern Industrial Strategy‘ which identifies the creative industries as a key driver of economic growth and innovation in the UK. As conversations continue at a local and national level, Culture Essex is working to ensure that the cultural and the creative industries are recognized and represented as valuable and high potential growth sectors in Essex. To make sure this support reflects the real needs of creative professionals and businesses, Essex County Council has commissioned We Made That to run a survey for those working in the creative industries. Your insights into what it’s like to work in the sector – including
Arts, Culture and Heritage Opportunities in Essex
Job Opportunities Programme Coordinator, FirstsitePT £19,987 pro rata. Deadline 30 June 2025. Creative Health Network Coordinator, Creative LivesFreelance fee of £6,500. Deadline 9 July 2025. Professional Development Opportunities Create South East ProgrammeA development programme for creative businesses in Kent, Essex and Sussex. With expert industry support, tailored workshops, and the essential skills to help your business grow. Deadline 24 June 2025. PRODUCER LAB, Blown Fuse TheatreA 5-part workshop series designed to demystify the producing process for early-career creatives, self-producing artists, indie companies and emerging producers. Taking place from 26 June 2025. Mentoring Programme, Southend Creatives This new mentoring programme will provide free, one-to-one mentoring for those who wish to develop their career opportunities, strengthen their creative business practice, and gain support for their professional development. Deadline: 29 June 2025. Running a Creative Space Workshop, Southend CreativesWednesday 9 July, 2.00pm to 6.30pm. In this free creative upskilling workshop, participants will be guided through
Case Study: Eco Youth Project
Background Jane Stewart is a visual and community artist based on the Essex coast. Her work examines our relationship to nature, particularly the coast, oceans bodies of water and our interactions to them as coastal communities. Stewart’s work has a strong thread of environmentalism and a passion for empowering diverse community groups across people in addiction recovery, SEND, asylum seekers and individuals in areas of financial deprivation such as Clacton, Jaywick and Walton-on-the Naze. Stewart’s work focuses on the intersection between art and science using this as a vehicle to make academic research available to all. Historically, Jane Stewart delivered scuba diving and reef teaching programme for adults and then transitioned to organising beach cleaning activities for the past 30 years. and this informs her art practise as Stewart continues to focus on advocating for protecting natural environments and reducing waste, pollution and consumerist approaches. The Story Behind The ‘Eco