The aim of this fund is to support individual artists and organisations who have experienced barriers to accessing our funding. Creative Steps aims to address this by supporting artists and organisations throughout their journey, helping them with their professional, business and organisational development.
We believe it is crucial to support these individuals and organisations because it is a priority for us to increase the diversity of work being created, funded and celebrated in Wales.
- Who can apply?
Creative Steps for Individuals is open to individual artists and creatives who identify as being ethnically and culturally diverse, Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent. This scheme focuses on these particular groups because research, both internally and externally, tells us that we are not engaging enough with individuals from these backgrounds. It also tells us that individuals from these backgrounds and lived experiences have not been able to access our funding easily and have faced barriers and/or discrimination.
Please see the next drop down for our full definitions.
We advise that you read the eligibility criteria below to find out if you’re eligible to apply for this fund.
Take a look at our eligibility criteria for individuals.
Our criteria for individuals states that you must have experience as an artist or creative professional. You may have had breaks, and your artistry does not have to be your main source of income, but you must have demonstrable artistic or creative experience.
Our criteria for individuals states that you must have some experience of making and sharing work with others (a performance or exhibition for example). For those that do not have this experience, we may still be able to support you as long as you submit a portfolio to us with your application. We may decide to fund you based on your artistic potential.
You must clearly articulate the barriers you’ve had in your journey and how the Creative Steps funding can help remove those barriers. We recognise that it can be difficult to talk about negative or harmful experiences so we will do our best to ensure that applicants are able to share their experiences in a safe environment.
Our definitions
We define ‘ethnically and culturally diverse’ as:
Anyone from the African, Asian, Caribbean, Hispanic, Latino, Eastern European or Middle Eastern diaspora in Wales
Anyone who identifies as being from an ethnic group that is not exclusively White
Anyone from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities
We define ‘disability’ using the Social Model of Disability:
The social model of disability is a framework that was developed by disabled people to identify and take action against their oppression. The framework states that people are disabled by barriers in society and not necessarily by their impairment. Barriers could be physical such as a lack of disabled toilets or they can be attitudinal such as assuming disabled people can’t do certain things.
The social model of disability was developed to directly counter the traditional, medical model of disability which perceived disabilities and impairments to be a medical problem to be prevented, cured or contained, making the disabled person feel like the problem instead of society
We define ‘neurodiverse’ or ‘neurodivergence’ as:
Viewing neurodevelopmental differences as a natural and normal variation
of the human genome which urges society to reject any entrenched negativity associated with those that learn things in a certain manner or those that experience life in a different manner from a neurological perspective
We all have unique nervous systems with a unique combination of abilities and needs
We recognise that there is no ‘right’ way of thinking, learning and behaving and these differences should be celebrated rather than be perceived as deficits
- What can I apply for
Creative Steps for Individuals is focused on supporting your professional development. It is not about supporting the creation of new work or the delivery of an artistic or creative project. We want artists to identify exactly what they need to progress and professionalise their artistry, and to remain open to exploring different ways of doing this with us.
We recognise that everybody’s needs are different and that professional development varies from individual to individual. However, these are some of the things that your proposal could include:
Working with someone with similar experiences to you to help you work out what steps you need to take next if you are unsure (peer-to-peer learning)
Training courses related to your creative journey (but not formal education such as degree courses or vocational training)
Setting up groups with other artists to learn together and from each other (building networks, building communities etc.)
Working with someone with professional experience to support you as you take the next steps in your business development journey (mentorship, coaching etc.)
Making your practice more professional (business development advice, social media and marketing advice etc.)
Developing any practical resources or tools to help professionalise your practice or creativity (website development, marketing materials, equipment or materials etc.)
Setting up a new organisation
You can also include the following:
Cost of your own time
Costs for any freelancers supporting your development work
Costs for any mentors or consultants
Any access costs
Costs for childcare or other caregiving responsibilities
We expect all applicants to include a cost for their own time.
We expect all applicants to pay freelancers the standard industry rates as a minimum. If people are providing their time in-kind, we would expect to see a rationale as to why this decision has been taken. Further information on artist fees can be found here.
Further help notes on budget information can be found here
- How much can I apply for?
Applicants are able to apply for £500 up to £7,500 (plus access costs)
Arts Council Officers will be able to assist you on what the appropriate amount to apply for would be.
Applicants are able to apply for up to 90% of the project cost. The remaining 10% should come from a non-Arts Council Wales or National Lottery source. This can be in-kind support, cash or both. Support in-kind can be a non-cash contribution to your proposal such as donated studio or rehearsal space, equipment or somebody’s time for example.
Further help notes on budget information can be found here.
- Application deadlines
The deadlines for submitting your application to Creative Steps for Individuals will be 12pm on the following dates:
Thursday 27th March 2025
Thursday 29th May 2025
Thursday 31st July 2025
Thursday 25th September 2025
Thursday 27th November 2025
Please bear in mind that you need to allow a minimum of 8 working weeks between the deadline date and the start date of your project.
We cannot fund proposals that are already happening so we won’t accept your application if your proposal’s start date will come before we’ve had the opportunity to assess your application.
- How will my application be assessed? (Assessment Criteria)
The following are the things that we are looking for in your Creative Steps for Individuals application that demonstrate what makes a good proposal for the scheme:
A clear understanding and articulation of where you currently are in your creative or artistic journey, and how this funding can help you with your professional development
A clear explanation of the barriers that you have faced in your creative or artistic journey, and how this funding can help you to remove those barriers
A clear explanation of why this is the right or appropriate time for you to be receiving this funding
Identifying what is necessary for your professional development, and giving a clear rationale for this
Including an action plan and/or a timeline of activity for this stage of your professional development
A clear budget that has all your eligible costings
In addition, we may also consider other factors such as:
The potential for your proposal to have a wider impact on the arts sector
The geographical importance of your proposal
The impact your proposal may have on a specific artform
- How your proposal fits with our wider corporate priorities and principles
- What questions will I need to answer?
An application form can be accessed via an Arts Council Wales Development Officer once it's been agreed that you're ready to submit an application.
We require you to submit an application form, a proposal and a budget. These are all mandatory.
We allow you to submit additional attachments to support your application, please click here for more information.
- Key Documents
The template for you to fill out your budget can be found here.
Guidance on how to write your proposal can be found here
Further help notes on budget information can be found here.
An example of the online application form can be found here
An example of the Completion Report can be found here
- What support is there for me?
Creative Steps for Individuals aims to be as flexible as possible, and this funding aims to provide you with support every step of the way. We will offer guidance to help shape your ideas and your application to meet your needs. This will be provided by an Arts Council Wales Development Officer and your Creative Steps Mentor, if you choose to have one.
- Arts Council Wales Development Officer
The Arts Council Wales Development Officer will:
- Discuss your ideas and confirm whether you are eligible to apply for Creative Steps funding and if so, at what level. They can also answer any questions you may have about Creative Steps and how it could support your development.
- Connect you with one of our Creative Steps Mentors. You will be able to choose from a list of mentors that your Development Officer will share with you.
- Be a point of contact at Arts Council of Wales if you, or your Creative Steps Mentor, have any questions as you are developing your application.
- Release a link to an application form when it’s agreed that your application is ready to be submitted.
- Provide feedback on your draft application when you and your Creative Steps Mentor think it is ready to be submitted.
- Creative Steps Mentor
If you choose to work with a Creative Steps Mentor, we will pay for up to 6 hours of their time. These Mentors come from a variety of different backgrounds and have a diverse range of lived and professional experiences. They will have also received training from Arts Council Wales to be able to mentor you on your ideas and your application. If you require more than 6 hours with your Mentor, let us know and we will do our best to ensure you get an appropriate amount of time with them.
We’ll offer support and guidance to help you shape an application that’s focused on you taking the next steps in your artistic journey.
The Creative Steps Mentor will:
- Provide guidance, support and any information pre-application focussing on your professional development ideas
- Provide you with a list of consultants with expertise in several different areas that could help support you on your journey. You can also choose to work with a consultant and/or other specialists that you identify yourself. The fees for anyone who will work with you after a grant has been awarded should be included in your project costs.
- Support you to develop your ideas into a Creative Steps Proposal.
Think about where you are currently, where you want to be, and the things that need to happen next for you to get closer to that goal. That will be the basis for your application.
These are optional. You do not have to have a Creative Steps Mentor if you do not want or need one.
- What if I need access support?
Arts Council of Wales makes information available in large print, braille, audio, Easy Read and British Sign Language. We’ll also try to provide information in languages other than Welsh or English on request.
If you need access support, you can find out more about what we can do and how to arrange it here.
- How do I get started?
If you think Creative Steps for Individuals is for you then the most important thing to do is to talk to an Arts Council Officer. This will help us work with you to find out whether this scheme is right for you and will help us to meet your needs. If you decide that this is the route for you, we’ll support you as best as we can to apply for Creative Steps funding.
If you’re thinking of applying, please contact us on so we can work together on the next steps. You can contact us here:
Email – creativesteps@arts.wales / camaucreadigol@celf.cymru
Telephone - 03301 242733
One of our officers will introduce themselves and start conversations in your preferred medium. You need to make contact with an Arts Council Officer before you can submit an application.
- Quick Links
12 months is the maximum time allowed between the start date and end date of your proposal.
Please note, we cannot guarantee long-term Arts Council of Wales financial support once your project has ended. You must develop a sustainable practice which does not rely solely on our funding to support your ongoing development.
Please note, if you successfully receive Creative Steps for Individuals funding three times, you will not be able to apply for Creative Steps for Individuals again. This is to ensure that we continue to support new and emerging individuals which leads to a healthier, more diverse arts sector.
Please note, we cannot support any international travel or artistic project delivery with this fund.
You will still be eligible to apply for other Arts Council Wales funding.
If you’re successful, we’ll be on hand to support you. We hope that things go well but we also want you to be honest and open if things do not go so well so that we can help. At the end, we’ll discuss what happened and future options including further funding. We will ensure that communication is always open and transparent.
If you’re unsuccessful, we’ll still be on hand to support you. We will work through the reasons why, and what you can do next to take things forward and possibly reapply. This is not pass or fail process. Again, we will ensure that communication is always open and transparent.
Applicants will be provided with a list of Mentors which will have their contact information, area of expertise and biography. Applicants are able to contact Mentors directly to arrange a meeting.
The other option is that Arts Council Wales can partner you with your Mentor based on their area of expertise. Your Mentor will be chosen based on factors such as their geographical location, artform expertise, or professional and/or lived experience. We aim to ensure that your Mentor can relate to you and your organisation as much as possible.
It’s important that you let us know as soon as possible if things between you and your Mentor are not working out. Please get in touch with an Arts Council Wales Officer if you’re having any issues with your Mentor and we can take it from there.
Your meetings with your Mentor will be logged so that Arts Council Wales have a record, and are aware of, what has been discussed and how your ideas have developed.
If you’re unable for any reason to accept Lottery funding, please upload a letter with your online application explaining why this is the case. If your application is successful, we’ll try and fund your project from money that we receive from other sources.
In some cases, we ‘delegate’ National Lottery funding to specialist organisations who work on our behalf to run funding programmes relevant to particular groups.
If your project is focussed on literature please contact Literature Wales in the first instance: literaturewales.org / 029 20 47 2266 / post@literaturewales.org
In some cases we ‘delegate’ National Lottery funding to specialist organisations who work on our behalf to run funding programmes relevant to particular groups.
We cannot support activities where the main discipline is film (as opposed to an artist using film or video to make or share their work).
If your project is focussed on film please contact Ffilm Cymru Wales: ffilmcymruwales.com / 029 21 679 369 / enquiries@ffilmcymruwales.com
Yes, we fund musicians. However, we don't fund projects that focus purely on recording, promotion and distribution. For projects that focus on this, please contact PRSF or Help Musicians UK in the first instance.
Tŷ Cerdd also distributes Lottery funds on behalf of Arts Council of Wales, to help organisations develop music-making of all genres in communities around Wales. Please contact Ty Cerdd to discuss how they may be able to help you: tycerdd.org/ enquiries@tycerdd.org