Melanie Manchot, Dance All Night
Open

Commission grants

These grants support the commission and acquisition of important new work.

Funding range:   Up to £7,500; and £7,500+

We are keen to support the commission and acquisition of new work, and we welcome proposals for exceptional projects with significant public impact.

Commissioned work often has a singular ability to respond and reveal new aspects to collections or places in direct, timely ways, and commissioning an artist(s) to create a new work of art for a museum collection can help to forge closer relationships with artists and audiences.

Applications for commissions are considered as a part of our acquisitions programme. As such, we would expect any commissions to be of international, national or regional significance.

We recognise, however, that there are distinct opportunities and fundraising challenges in realising a commission, and that the acquisition of a commission can be conceptualised and carried out in many different ways; for example, as a unique permanent artwork that can be accessioned into a public collection, or as a temporary, ephemeral or performance piece that may only have a permanent legacy in the form of archival material.

For your application to be successful you will also need to make a strong case in the following three areas:

  • Benefit to the artist

  • Benefit to the organisation

  • Benefit to audiences

Applications for support for commissions need to demonstrate the impact of the work of art within the context of all three areas above.

What we can fund

Our funding ranges from a few thousand pounds to tens of thousands of pounds.

  • We normally fund only part of the cost of a commission

  • There is no fixed percentage for which you can apply

  • We can advise you on the appropriate level of grant request before you submit your application

What we cannot fund

We do not offer funding under this programme in the following instances:

  • Where the commission does not result in the permanent acquisition of a work, or of an archive or collection of material relating to a temporary or ephemeral work

  • Where the commission does not result in work intended to be situated in a place that is accessible to the public for a minimum period of three years

Who can apply

We will consider applications from public museums, galleries, historic houses, libraries and archives based in the UK or Channel Islands that are:

  • open for at least half the week for at least six months of the year

  • at least provisionally accredited through the Arts Council Accreditation Scheme or other national equivalents

We also encourage partnerships between commissioning agencies and museums, or other institutions who want to commission work that will have a permanent legacy for artists, cultural organisations and audiences.

For full eligibility details please see the Guidance for applicants.

Grants available

The programme has two levels of funding available.

Open

Main grant

Above £7,500

Grant requests of above £7,500 and/or where the total cost of the work is more than £15,000

Next application deadline: These applications are decided at each of our five trustees' meetings per year. Please get in touch with us for further information.

Decision by: A decision will be made within one week after the trustees' meeting.

Application rounds: February, May, July, October and December

Open

Small grant

£7,500 or less

Grant requests of £7,500 or less where the total cost of the work is £15,000 or less

Next application deadline: We consider these applications on a rolling basis. There is no strict deadline.

Decision by: Approximately 6-8 weeks from date of submission.

Conditions

As an independent charity, we receive no government funding and are entirely supported by our members, who buy the National Art Pass, as well as by the generosity of many trusts, foundations and other individuals.

Please note this is an example card and not a reflection of the final product
Joining the National Art Pass network is completely free
  • Your own page on the Art Fund website
  • Marketing support and brand exposure
  • Access to free tools and resources, such as Art Tickets

On average our National Art Pass network members enjoy more visitors and additional revenue

What you give

Some of our grants come with specific terms and conditions, including free or reduced entry for National Art Pass members.

Please contact:

Whether or not you are successful in your grant application, you may be eligible to join the National Art Pass network. Join 850+ venues across the UK working towards a shared vision – to help museums and galleries do more.

Joining the National Art Pass network is completely free
  • Your own page on the Art Fund website
  • Marketing support and brand exposure
  • Access to free tools and resources, such as Art Tickets

On average our National Art Pass network members enjoy more visitors and additional revenue

What you give

Some of our grants come with specific terms and conditions, including free or reduced entry for National Art Pass members.

Please contact:

How to apply

Your application

Read the guidance

If your application is successful, we will send you our offer paperwork with more details on how to claim your grant.

Get in touch

If you haven’t found what you need in the Guidance for applicants, get in touch with Rob Dingle, Programme Partnerships Manager.

Submit your application

For application forms and to apply, please log in to your My Art Fund account, or create an account. You must be registered as a professional user. If you already have a My Art Fund account, but are not registered as a professional user, you can add your professional details when logged in.

After you've applied

Acknowledgement of application

We’ll inform you as soon as we have made a decision.

Claim your grant

If your application is successful, we will send you our offer paperwork with more details on how to claim your grant.

Receive feedback

If your application is unsuccessful, we will email you to let you know the outcome and offer feedback if relevant.

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