Demystifying Funding: What Producers Think You Should Know About Grant Applications

Applying for funding for your theatre projects can be a challenging task - and many new producers don’t know where to start. In this blog we asked three theatre producers to give us their best tips and tricks for applying for funding grants. 

Mathilda Parker-Craig is an independent producer who founded Denmark Street Productions. Her focus includes ensuring early-career artists being paid fairly and helping artists grow. 

Lotty Holder is an award winning producer and writer and is the Co-Founder of Cloudburst Productions. Lotty supports artists via bid writing, access support, marketing and general management.

Amy Nicholls is a fundraiser and producer writing and consulting on funding applications and also work as an Access Support Worker. Amy is also the Co-Director of new disabled-led circus company, Make Space Circus. 

Mathilda, Lotty and Amy all offer services assisting with grant and funding applications. If you are looking for some extra support wit your fundraising do reach out to them via the links above! 

What is your number one tip for writing a strong funding bid?

Mathilda: Ask and answer the question: who will your project impact and how? Arts Council is public funding, they’re looking for those who can act philanthropically in the pursuit of creative excellence. There are hundreds of plays out there with enormous potential; but when I start on a new project, I’m seeking more than just creative potential; I’m looking for what opportunities there could be for artists to learn and progress, and for audiences to be profoundly affected by the work. I’m aiming for the sweet spot between the biggest possible impact, for the most reasonable grant award; though don’t be afraid of asking for how much you need, even if that’s a lot - aim for a proportional and efficient ask.

Lotty: Use the funders language in your answers. It can feel simplistic but include the question in your answer, for example if they ask how will ensure you’re paying people fairly, start your answer with ‘I will ensure I am paying people fairly by’. This makes it really easy for whoever is assessing your application to see how and where you are answering each question, and each element of the question. 

This also works with cover letters to trusts or for talking about how you match a funder’s aims in your answers too. So, if a fund says on its website they want to fund ‘dynamic, community focused and high-quality projects, be sure to use these words in your answer. This makes it really easy for them to see how and where your project meets there aims and therefore why they should fund you! 

Amy: Check the funders' priorities and think about how your project is in line with them. If your project isn’t in line with their priorities, this probably isn’t the right funder for your project. If it is, look at the language they are using on their website or in their guidelines, and speak their language back to them in your application. For example, National Lottery Awards for All talk about ‘bringing people together’, so if that feels relevant to your application, can you tell them how your project brings people together? 

What is the biggest mistake you think is often made on funding applications?

Mathilda: Overcomplicating your strategy. Under £30k isn’t a lot these days, you can’t re-invent the wheel with that kind of money. Don’t dilute your project’s purpose by trying to be too many things. Pick an innovative combination of 2 maybe 3 elements, which facilitate a unique opportunity for artistic growth. Titrate the mission down to one line. One of the first questions on the Under £30k application is: If you had to explain the focus of your project to someone, what single words or short phrase would you use? Your ability to answer this question is an excellent gauge as to whether you’re ready to start writing.

Lotty: Not answering the question in front of you! It’s a really simple one but it happens a lot. It’s usually because application forms will ask one big sweeping question like ’describe your project’ or in the case of the current ACE under 30k form ‘Give us a more detailed description of your project: what you want to do and why you want to do it’ in large bold font that applicants read and then jump right into answering.  

However, these big questions usually have smaller questions or guidance underneath which often gets missed or ignored. These smaller points tell you exactly how to answer the big question above it, as usually it’s not how you would naturally answer when someone asks you to describe your project. For example, the ACE question then breaks down into questions such as ‘what’s the creative/cultural idea behind your project’ and ‘what difference do you want to make’. If you asked me to describe our next project that would not be the information I gave you!

This is why so often I see amazing answers talking passionately about projects or plays or artwork that never actually gives you any information the funder wants. Always read the guidance and make sure that you’re answering in the way the funder wants you to, and addressing each point of every question! 

Amy: Not using plain English. I’ve seen many applications written with beautiful, poetic language, but funders aren’t your audience for that language. Often, they don’t have a long time to read an application, so don’t make them work too hard to get the idea. The person reading your application might not be an expert in your artform. Think about what information they need to know to understand your idea, and then lay that information out in a way that is easy for them to digest. 

What is something you wish you had known when you first started applying for funding as a producer?

Mathilda: The Arts Council isn’t trying to trip you up, it’s trying to help, even if it doesn’t feel like it. When I first started reading through the Guidance Library, it felt like wading through treacle, blindfolded. It’s not about what you want to tell them, but what they want to hear. I recommend going through the Guide for Applicants, all of the questions on the form and accompanying bullet points; also the 4 Essential Reads, particularly the one on Inclusivity and Relevance. Treat these like an instruction manual and take notes; study like you’re majoring in Arts Council studies! Everything you need to know is there, it’s just a matter of extracting it. 

I also recommend finding a partner who is a fast and diligent reader, to read your work and then tell you what they think you’re trying to say. When I’m writing, I’ve got to spell it out; leave no doubts or questions in someone’s mind about what I’m doing, why I’m doing it or how I’m going to get there. 

Lotty: You need to find the right funding for your project not try to make yours right for one funder. It can be easy to think that if a project doesn’t get ‘that’ grant or isn’t funded by ‘that’ organisation that it’s a bad project or that you need to change it to better suit ‘that’ fund, but often it’s just not the right project for that type of funding – and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad project or you’ll never get funding from ‘that’ organisation again, it just means that you might need to try something new or think outside the box to create the best version of this particular project, which yes can be nerve wracking but exciting too. 

Amy: You can talk to a lot of funders! When I first started writing funding applications, funders seemed like this superior entity that you couldn’t reach- they still do feel like that sometimes! But lots of funders have an email address or a phone number, and it’s a good idea to tell them you are thinking of applying. You can even tell them about your idea and ask them whether it sounds like the kind of thing they would fund. The worst that will happen is that they won’t get back to you, or they’ll say they can’t discuss your idea. 

But, often they will be able to give you something, and best case scenario, have a chat with you about your application. Not only will this strengthen your application by giving you an understanding of their priorities in the context of your application, but with smaller funders, they might recognise your name when they see your application come in, so you’re not applying cold. 

Arts Council England have Relationship Managers for each artform and area. You can request a meeting before you put your application in, to talk to them about your idea. Ask arts organisations in your area who your local Relationship Manager is. 

I wish I’d known about all these great resources that can save time;

• Uncultured make templates on Google Drive of Arts Council England application forms, where you can draft your answers
• Arts Admin Anchor newsletter and Linda Bloomfield’s Opportunity Tuesday provide regular mailouts with new opportunities to apply for
• White Pube have a library of successful applications on their website. It’s mainly Arts Council England applications, but occasionally other funds as well.

Lastly, don’t give up! If you’ve had a no, it doesn’t mean your project isn’t worth funding. The biggest arts organisations get ‘no’s too. We just don’t hear about them. It’s tough out there, so celebrate the wins (submitting an application is absolutely a win!)

Are you in the process of applying for project funding and would like to know how much to budget for marketing and PR? Get in touch with us and we can offer you a quote for your application.