We want to support research and development projects that will provide an opportunity to develop concepts, test ideas, research new markets and build new partnerships.  

Because of the nature of research and development work, we won’t always expect there to be a defined outcome. 

 

We’re keen to support: 

  • Focussed proposals that clearly develop creative practice. 

  • Projects that demonstrate value for money.   

  • Projects that involve testing and evaluating new ideas and new ways of working. 

  • Projects that test innovative work that might not succeed, but still provide valuable learning opportunities. 

  • Projects that bring together a cohort of individual artists or freelancers to explore creative opportunities, maximising the impact of our funding.  

  • Projects that engage targeted beneficiaries in the development of the activity. 

  • Programmes of work that encourage new artistic discovery, community development and the development of artistic talent. 

  • Projects that have partner support that can provide critical feedback during the planning, development, creation and / or delivery of work or individual development.  

  • Projects that include presenting work in progress to a test audience, or to would-be promoters and stakeholders, if appropriate.   

  • Projects that merge elements of professional development (through training or business development for instance) along with time to reflect and create work.  

 

We won’t support: 

  • Projects that deliver work in isolation with no outside critical voice or partner support.  

  • Projects that fail to demonstrate how there will be a tangible benefit from our investment.  

  • Projects that don't have the potential to evolve or develop further. 

  • Projects that don’t consider the impact of the research and development on the longer-term benefit to the individual, organisation or wider sector. 

  • Working in isolation with no consideration of the wider impact or value of the research and development phase.  

  • Proposals with no clear longer-term benefit to creative practice or the wider sector.  

  • Projects that don’t consider how they’ll engage with an audience in the future or that have no clear audience in mind.  

  • Projects that focus entirely on paying yourself to deliver work with no wider beneficiaries.