Finding funding
Partnership projects can be expensive. As an arts team, you need to take a proactive, creative approach to finding funding.
School budgets
Many schools plan to fund arts partnerships and visits out of delegated school budgets and other funds raised by pupils and parents.
Some schools use funding allocated through the New Opportunities Fund to support arts activities as part of study support.
Local funding
In some regions, local education authorities, arts education agencies or arts education co-ordinators have raised funds for arts partnership projects, or have small grants funds. Contact your local authority or the regional offices of the Arts Council of England for details. Your local authority will also be able to tell you whether your school is eligible for funding from New Deal, the Children's Fund, Community Fund, or regeneration and neighbourhood renewal funds.
The current £40 million Creative Partnerships initiative supports partnerships between schools and the arts and creative industries in 16 of the most deprived areas of England. This programme is going to roll out to more areas from 2004.
Fundraising
Some schools raise funds for arts projects from trusts, charities and foundations. For example:
- The Paul Hamlyn Foundation supports arts education and imaginative partnerships between schools, arts organisations and other agencies that aim to develop the arts in schools;
- Artworks (the National Children's Art Awards) is an award scheme for schools, devised and funded by the Vivien Duffield Foundation.
The Directory for Social Change publishes helpful fundraising guides and the Funderfinder website is another useful starting point.
Some schools have raised sponsorship or received resources 'in kind' from local businesses (your local Education Business Partnership may be able to give you advice on this). If you intend to seek sponsorship from a business, make sure that you have worked out the direct and indirect benefits to the business before you approach them.
There are often more opportunities for raising funds when an activity will benefit the wider community, and not just pupils. For example, you might be able to raise funds for a series of performances at school for parents and the community, accompanied by workshops in the school day to support the curriculum and on a Saturday morning for families. The Education Act 2002 encourages schools to take a more proactive approach to community activities.
If you are looking for funding for a project that benefits the community, you could consider the lottery scheme 'Awards for All'. This is a straightforward funding scheme that provides grants of up to £5,000. You can find out more about the scheme at www.awardsforall.org.uk.
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