Major Productions | Arts Council of Wales

About

Major Productions is our dedicated fund for ambitious work of the highest quality with awards between £100,000 and £300,000.

Major Productions funds the development and presentation of exceptional, large scale, high-quality, live arts experiences for audiences in Wales. It supports organisations creating unique and innovative work that has the potential to engage with significant audiences in Wales and beyond, showcasing the best of Welsh and Wales based talent.

There is one deadline a year.

Who can apply?

Only organisations can apply for Major Productions support. Please read the criteria for organisations to find out if you’re eligible to apply.

All organisations applying to this fund must be based in Wales.

We expect you to be experienced in delivering productions and have a track record of managing public funds.

You must contact the Arts Council of Wales grants team who will check the eligibility of your proposal before releasing a form.

What can I apply for?

Major Productions will consider proposals to produce live performance work of scale within theatre, dance, and musical theatre forms.

Proposals could be for re-staging and/or scaling and of existing works or new productions.

Whilst we will consider proposals for site-specific work, we are encouraging applications for productions with high reach and the potential to deliver experiences for significant audiences across Wales and beyond, which can include touring.

What we expect from your project

Your project will take place mostly in Wales, providing new and exciting experiences for audiences here. Proposals can also explore the potential of impacting in an international and cross-border context, where the rationale, buy-in and evidence of demand clearly demonstrates an additional and longer-term value for the arts sector in Wales.

Your project will need to evidence that appropriate partnerships are in place that can take your project to scale. The relationships you have in place with other artists, organisations and stakeholders will demonstrate the highest levels of artistic excellence and expertise and provide assurance that you will be able to realise your project’s full potential. We expect to see a strong, experienced creative team and agreed partnerships built into any proposal.

Your project will need to demonstrate a robust funding strategy. You must have other funding to contribute to the overall costs of your project. We want to see strong plans in place to evidence how you will maximise income generation from a range of other sources.

The budget requires at least 25% of your project income will need to come from a non-Arts Council or National Lottery source, with a maximum 10% from in-kind. However, given the likely scale of projects coming to this fund, our funding should be only part of a blended income strategy with other partnership funding and significant earned income.

Take a look at our Budget help notes for more information.

You must allow adequate lead-in time and ensure that the right resources have been built into your proposal to secure delivery at the highest standard. There is only one Major Productions funding round a year. Planning must be done well in advance of submitting an application. Sufficient time for the development of the production and its promotion, as well as any audience development and outreach work will be underpinned by a coherent and feasible timetabled project plan. Evidence of the artistic team and partnerships you have around the project will also support your commitment and ability to delivering within a time limited period.

Your project must complement and enhance your usual programme of activity, demonstrating a significant increase in both ambition and scale. For Multi Year Funded Organisations we would not expect to fund elements of any project that are part of your core activity and regular programme of work.

Our priorities and your proposal

Your proposal will strongly demonstrate how it will support one or more of our principles as set out in our corporate plan:

Creativity – Creativity is in everything and everyone we support. We want to see a wide variety of creative forms and practices, developed with audiences and communities in mind, encouraging artistic innovation of the highest quality.

Equalities and engagement - reaching underrepresented communities, culturally, geographically, socially and economically. Removing the barriers and challenges faced in experiencing the arts and making sure people from diverse communities are fully represented in the workforce, as leaders, decision-makers, creators, visitors, participants and audience members.

Welsh language – developing creative opportunities that contribute to growth in the use and ownership of the Welsh language and supporting the arts sector to place the Welsh language at the centre of creativity and communities.

Climate justice - supporting the arts sector to develop creativity that inspires people to take action for climate justice, working towards an environmentally sustainable and globally responsible arts sector.

Developing talent - making sure there are pathways that allow people from all backgrounds to develop sustainable creative careers, skills, and leadership. Working collaboratively to ensure that the opportunities available for artists are distributed fairly, providing fair work, and improve outcomes for the people of Wales.

Transform - strengthening the capability of the arts to be more dynamic and sustainable. Being agile and confident enough to take risks, build resilience and be responsive to change, whilst remaining relevant to the people and communities of Wales.

Everything supported through this Fund will be expected to demonstrate commitment to the principles of the Welsh Government’s Wellbeing of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015.

How much can I apply for?

£100,000 - £300,000

This is a highly competitive fund. We have a budget of £600,000 for Major Productions. We will not be able to fund a large number of applications through this fund.

Please note, the maximum percentage of your total eligible project costs that we can fund is 75%, although we expect our contribution to the overall project be much lower than this. To find out more about completing your budget, eligible costs and artist fees please click here.

Application deadlines

There is one deadline a year for Major Production applications.

The deadline for applications is:

Wednesday 28th January 2026 at 1pm

The latest date by which we can release a form is ten days before the deadline but speak to an officer as soon as you are able.

Please note: We understand that our funding could be providing additionality to plans already in progress, but our funds cannot cover costs that have already been incurred, only costs for future activity.

You need to allow a minimum of eight working weeks between the deadline date and your project start date (or when the element of your project that our funding would be supporting commences).

Applications must be complete. We won’t accept further supporting information after you’ve submitted your application (unless we request it as part of the application process).

What are the criteria that apply to this fund?

Applications will be assessed against all the following criteria:

The quality, strength and impact of the proposed production. We expect to see appropriately paid opportunities and/or training opportunities for freelance creatives, makers and individual artists.
The quality and experience of the creative team – ensuring the range of skills and experience available is strong and matches the scale and ambition of the project.
The plans in place to reach significant audiences and the potential of its overall public impact
How your proposal addresses our corporate priorities; Creativity, equalities and engagement, Welsh language, climate justice, developing talent and transformation should be considered across the proposal, although we understand that you may focus on some more than others. This includes the contribution towards a vibrant culture and a thriving Welsh language as noted in the Future Generations Act.
The strength and relevance of the relationships and partnerships in place that support the realisation of the project.
The strength of the project management and financial plans in place - ensuring an approach to planning relative to the complexity, scale and ambition of the project and that public funds are used appropriately.

What questions will I need to answer?

You can find a template of the application form in the Key Documents section below.

You must submit your budget on the Arts Council of Wales template.

You can submit additional attachments to support your application. These could include where available:

Project plan
Full production budget including financial projections and relevant rationale for income and expenditure
Creative materials that help convey your proposal. For example: a treatment, script, moodboard, proposed cast and/or R&D documentation and feedback, if relevant.
Information on previous audience numbers and demographic (if relevant)
Evidence of agreements with partners and venues
Confirmation of any additional funding or investment
Any supporting plans in place e.g. training and development opportunities
Any other documents that evidence and strengthen your application, such as future plans beyond the funded term

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. 

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