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Connecting Culture Grants

Two young people taking part in Theatre Royal Wakefield’s ‘Chime’ scheme and two adult facilitators in front of a dark backdrop with small lights and stage lighting. One facilitator is holding a microphone up to the young people who are performing. Photo credit: Theatre Royal Wakefield, Chime – Ant Robling Photography

Connecting Culture Grants are between £20,000 - £35,000

Supporting increased local community reach and impact of existing cultural activity Wakefield district during Our Year 2024 or by creating additional activity to support residents to engage in Wakefield Council’s Light Up 2024 Festival.

Eligibility criteria

  1. Wakefield district based – Connecting Culture is funding for Wakefield district organisations to increase engagement with district residents. Your organisation must have a business address within Wakefield district, and must have been operating for a minimum of 5 years and have a business plan for the next 3 years.

  2. Organisation type – Connecting Culture is suitable for large scale, established cultural, creative or heritage organisations which are registered charities, CICs or similar. They must be a not-for-profit and whose net earnings may not lawfully inure to the benefit of any private shareholder, member or individual.

  3. Existing public programme – Connecting Culture Grants can only support organisations and institutions with an established, open to the public, year round and fully funded artistic/creative/heritage programme which public, including Wakefield district residents, can consistently access.
  4. Audited accounts and established infrastructure – you must have a minimum of 3 years of audited and published accounts (to be provided on request). In addition, Connecting Culture grants cannot be used to offset core operational or delivery costs.
  5. Grant purpose during Our Year 2024 - Connecting Culture grants will support organisations to increase community reach and impact of cultural activity in Wakefield district during Our Year 2024, and / or by creating additional activity to support residents to engage in Wakefield Council’s Light Up Festival 2024, part of the Our Year 2024 programme.
  6. Completed before 31 March 2025 – Connecting Culture 2024 is a grant to support new activity which will completed and evaluated before the 31 March 2025. We cannot fund activity that has already happened, or activity that will be delivered after March 2025. 
  7. We cannot fund any of the following - any projects which include elements which are unsafe, illegal, or discriminatory in any way. We also cannot fund capital expenditure, religious activity, or alcohol purchases. These grants are not suitable to support your core creative programme, capital investments of any kind, or for retrospective activity or to offset costs fully funded projects.
  8. You cannot receive Connecting Culture grant support and a Made in Wakefield, or Culture Everywhere, or an Our Year Festival Support grant within the same financial year.

Application process

  • Contact us on culturegrants@wakefield.gov.uk detailing how you meet the eligibility criteria.
  • Once we have confirmed your eligibility, we will arrange a mandatory meeting to discuss your proposals in advance of your application.
  • We will not accept an application from any organisations who we have not confirmed their eligibility and had a conversation with us about their proposal.
  • This grant process will be competitive. Organisations should only apply for the upper ends of the funding scale if you believe you can demonstrate that your proposal provides significant impact.
  • Please be aware all activity from your 2024 application will need to be completed and evaluated by 31st March 2025. 

There is one deadline: 5pm, Monday 4 March 2024.

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