Applications for funding
If you are involved with a project which you would like the Trust to consider supporting please see the guidance below.
Below are the Trust’s General Criteria for Support which outline the aims of the Trust and provide an indication of the sort of projects with which it would like to become involved. Any applications which closely match the criteria or fulfil them imaginatively will be favourably considered.
Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to read the Guidelines for Funding Decision (presented below) and ensure that their application falls within these guidelines.
There are two main types of financial support: grants and underwriting. Grants are single payments for projects that have no income. Underwriting is a loan of money that is paid back on a proportional basis from any income generated on the project.
Clearly other considerations will be taken into account such as the extent of Trust’s available funds, the quality of the production team and the quality of other applications. In all cases, the Trustees’ decision is final.
General criteria for support
The Trust’s priority is education in the arts. This includes both the education of would-be or emerging arts professionals and the promotion to the general public of arts participation and appreciation.
Within the range of projects that meet the above criteria, the Trust will favour projects which:
- Are unlikely to get support from other sources
- Have budgets in which the Trust can make a significant impact (our minimum share of the budget would normally be 10%)
- Will allow development of skills, knowledge and experience in the arts
- Have clear artistic and social benefits
The Trust was formed by students from Brasenose College, University of Oxford and we therefore support projects based in the City of Oxford and the University of Oxford and, specifically, Brasenose College. However the Trust considers any project based in the UK including those that involve an overseas element.
In addition to receiving applications, the Trustees may identify projects that meet these criteria and would benefit from the Trust’s support.
The Trust can give ‘in-kind’ support in the form of knowledge and advice as well as financial support in the form of grants and underwriting.
When selecting between projects of equal quality, the Trust may choose the project(s) which represent a wide range of arts activities and/or of beneficiary groups.
Guidelines for funding decisions
The guidelines are shared on our website to help potential applicants ensure that their funding applications are likely to fall within the Trust’s normal parameters.
Type of project – the project must have an artistic or creative focus. This includes theatre, film and music but all art forms will be considered.
New Material – there is a particular willingness to support new work such as new writing, musical composition, etc..
Education elements – educational (formal or informal) aspects to the project will be of particular interest. This includes learning and development for those delivering the project, but does not include course fees or training costs for the applicants. The project itself could be an educational event such as a workshop with a creative, a guest speaker on an arts course, or a round table discussion.
Location – projects based anywhere in the UK including those that involve an overseas element are of interest. Each year we aim to support some projects which partly/wholly take place in or around City of Oxford and the University of Oxford (in particular with links to Brasenose College).
Individual benefit – projects should benefit a wide group of people, including participants and audiences, rather than for the benefit of one or two individuals. Other than exceptional circumstances, projects to fund one individual will not be considered.
Financial impact – we only support projects where we believe our funding will make a meaningful difference. Projects with a budget of over £10,000 are unlikely to be considered, and we strongly prefer that our funding is at least 10% of the total budget.
Grants vs Underwriting – grants will not be considered for projects with a meaningful source of income (e.g. ticket sales); in these cases, the Trust will underwrite costs and require this funding to be returned plus/minus a share of the project’s profit/loss.
Funding amount – grants are made for amounts normally up to £500, and average £250. Underwriting for theatre productions and similar projects are typically up to £600 and average £400.
Projects to support other charities – we can support projects run by charitable organisations where the project meets our criteria. However we are unlikely to support projects where it is intended that some/all income is to be donated to another charity, unless the Trust first gets back its funding; this is because the Trust is a charity itself and we do not normally expect our funding to be passed onto other charities.
Disclaimer
These criteria are guidelines only. The Trustees reserve the right to apply discretion and their decision is final.
How to apply
To apply for funding, use the secure form below. If this is not possible because you need to send multiple files or a file over 2MB please use Dropbox, Google Drive or something similar and send us the link. Please note that we cannot read large amounts of material.
Applications should be as succinct as possible while including at least the following information:
- Practical details of the project (e.g. title, dates, venue)
- A description of your artistic vision (where applicable)
- Details of the educational value of the project (for team members and/or wider public)
- A budget including predicted income and expenditure
- Details of the key team members (e.g. director, producer, set designer)
- How you will attract an audience
If we require additional information to inform our decision, we will contact you. If you have any queries about how to apply, please contact us.
When to apply
We look at applications on a rolling basis. We aim to reply within 30 days. Further information may be requested to allow us to make a decision. Therefore, ideally apply at least a couple of months ahead of your activity.
Apply here
Click here to be taken to our online application form, where you can upload a document (preferably a PDF) with information about your project.
King's Hall Trust for the Arts 