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Sector Support

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Continuous Professional Development enables artists and creative practitioners to consciously consider and develop their professional practice.

CC Skills

CC Skills supports the UK cultural sector by shaping skills, education and employment best practice. They provoke action and enable learning opportunities that drive change and help to build an inclusive skilled sector.

Working with cultural employers and alongside partners and key stakeholders including education providers and careers professionals, CC Skills provide services that aim to support the UK’s cultural workforce development through:

  • Advice & Guidance
  • Events & Training
  • News & Research

Visit CC Skills

The Audience Agency

The Audience Agency is a mission-led charity: their purpose is to enable cultural organisations to use national data to increase their relevance, reach and resilience. The Audience Agency believe arts, culture and heritage have the power to improve the quality of people’s lives, to create meaning and community, to promote empathy and learning. The more citizens are involved in shaping culture and taking part, the greater the power. Their mission is to give the public a voice in shaping a vibrant, relevant culture.

The Audience Agency is funded by the Arts Council, as a Sector Support Organisation, to lead on supporting cultural organisations to gain a deeper understanding of current and potential audiences.

Visit The Audience Agency

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch)

The fundamental purpose of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is to improve the quality of life for all throughout art, charity, science and education. The Foundation is committed to the future, to those most vulnerable, and to the value of culture.

The Foundation are focused on building coalitions to tackle complex global problems. Based in London, the UK Branch sits at the heart of a world centre for philanthropy which enables them to deliver on the Foundation’s mission using networks, experience and way of working.

The Foundation looks ahead, thinking globally and acting locally, to create the conditions for change by connecting across borders of all kinds – national, cultural, organisational, disciplinary and social. They prioritise the vulnerable and underserved in the UK and elsewhere.

The Foundation will help to create the conditions for longer-term change. They:

  • Connect: Reach out through communities to support collective innovation in the UK and beyond.
  • Collaborate: Collaborate and experiment across boundaries – working with organisations with complementary strengths to co-create change.
  • Communicate: Communicate the value of learning strategically – disseminating learning to those who can act on it and work with those who can amplify voice.
  • Capacity-build: Build skills and establish a strong legacy before moving on.

Visit the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

NESTA

Nesta is an innovation foundation, which acts through a combination of programmes, investment, policy and research, and the formation of partnerships to promote innovation across a broad range of sectors.

Visit Nesta

What Next?

What Next? is a movement that brings people together to debate and shape the future of Arts and Culture in the UK.

Their Vision is for Arts and Culture play a vital role in creating a more equitable society. They believe this will be achieved when:

  • All people have access to arts and culture, and the sector reflects the full diversity of our communities.
  • The arts and culture sector takes greater ownership of its public sector role, improving quality of life for all.

Visit What Next?

BFI Future Learning & Skills

BFI2022, the BFI’s five-year plan, outlines how BFI intend to develop a professional skills framework for new entrants and employees in the UK screen industries. The skills and talent base across the UK plays a significant role in ensuring that the UK film sector is world-class. The foundation of these plans for 2017 to 2022 is our Future Film Skills Programme.

During an unprecedented growth in film and high-end production in the UK, the industry has been reporting emerging skills shortages across the screen industries.

In response, the BFI created a Film Skills Task Force, bringing together the BFI, ScreenSkills and industry professionals across the sector. They also commissioned the Work Foundation to carry out an independent skills audit, with a primary focus on the craft and technical skills that are fundamental to every production.

Strategic priorities arise from this review, and form the basis of Future Film Skills – An Action Plan.

Over the five-year period of the BFI2022 strategy BFI will deliver this action plan through the Future Film Skills Programme. It has the following aims:

  • To improve the quality of film industry-related careers advice for all ages, to attract new talent.
  • To build bridges between education and industry to ensure the training is industry relevant.
  • To support relevant professional development for the sector, to retain workers and attract existing craftspeople.
  • To enhance the provision of film craft education and training within further and higher education.
  • To ensure the industry’s workforce represents its UK audience.

The public benefit is to make it easier for young people to pursue a career in the film and adjacent industries; to create opportunities specifically for those who are harder to reach and who would encounter additional obstacles; and to enable film businesses to recruit a skilled workforce that is representative of modern Britain.

Browse BFI courses and events

Screen Skills - CPD:

ScreenSkills is the industry-led skills body for the screen industries. They work across the UK to ensure that film, television (including children's and high-end drama), VFX (visual effects), animation and games have the skills and talent they need.

ScreenSkills provide insight, career development and other opportunities to help grow and sustain the skilled and inclusive workforce which is the foundation stone of the UK's global screen success.

Their work includes:

  • Identifying skills gaps – current and future – across the screen industries and the whole of the country to provide an evidence base for investment in skills and training
  • Providing careers information
  • Mapping and quality-marking professionalb pathways to improve entry-level diversity and work readiness
  • Supporting development at every stage of a professional career in screen including through mentoring and offering bursaries.

Their Continuous Professional Development offer is comprehensive and always growing.

Visit ScreenSkills

The Royal Society of the Arts

The RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) believes in a world where everyone is able to participate in creating a better future.

Through ideas, research and a 30,000 strong Fellowship RSA are a global community of proactive problem solvers, sharing powerful ideas, carrying out cutting-edge research and building networks and opportunities for people to collaborate, influence and demonstrate practical solutions to realise change.

The RSA has been at the forefront of social change for over 260 years. Today their work focusses on supporting innovation in three major areas: creative learning and development, public services and communities, and economy, enterprise and manufacturing.

Visit The RSA

The Art NewsPaper

The Art Newspaper, an online and print publication that covers the international art world, was founded in 1990 by Umberto Allemandi and Anna Somers Cocks on the original concept of Il Giornale dell'Arte, founded 1983. The Art Newspaper International Edition has offices in London and New York. Its unrivalled news and events coverage is fed by a network of sister editions, which together have more than 50 correspondents working in more than 30 countries, with editorial offices in Paris, Moscow and Shanghai. In 2014, Inna Bazhenova became the owner of The Art Newspaper International Edition and the licensed network in China, Greece, France and Russia.

In addition to the news, it publishes reviews and commentary by major players in the art scene, including Nicholas Serota, the former director of the Tate, Glenn Lowry, the director of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Michael Govan, the director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Thelma Golden, the director of the Studio Museum, New York, the artists Theaster Gates, Grayson Perry, Elmgreen & Dragset and Shirin Neshat—and many more.

Browse The Art Newspaper

The Stage

The Stage is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry, and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those who work in theatre and the performing arts.

Browse The Stage

Equity

Equity are a union of more than 47,000 performers and creative practitioners, united in the fight for fair terms and conditions in the workplace.

Equity brings together entertainment professionals and ensures their demands are heard: whether these are for decent pay, better health and safety regulations, or more opportunities for all – regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability or class.

Visit Equity

Islamic Arts, Heritage & Culture

MKIAC has been operating in Milton Keynes (prompted by the 9/11 attacks) to connect communities, and bring people together through high quality shared arts experiences. They work in a diverse range of locations across the city including, community centres, schools, galleries, libraries and museums.

MKIAC deliver arts workshops, seminars and events inspired by Islamic arts and heritage. They explore the themes of Calligraphy, Architecture, Geometry, Arabesque and Garden design.

MKIAC believe that art transcends religion, politics and race and empowers the individual and benefits the community.

Visit Islamic Arts, Heritage & Culture

Revoluton Arts

Revoluton Arts is a people-powered project on a mission to cultivate grassroots creativity in Luton and put on big, high-quality creative events that delight our town's diverse audiences. Revoluton are an Arts Council England Creative People and Places project

Revoluton are based at Marsh House Community Centre — see our contact page for more details. They run events and programmes that aim to inspire and support more Lutonians to engage in creativity in all its forms — from henna art to animation, dance to beat-boxing.

Revoluton delivers a range of opportunities:

  • Online creative events — keeping Luton connected through creativity in self-isolation
  • Large-scale, spectacular outdoor event commissions
  • Residencies (working deeply embedded in a place for a long time) in:
    • Marsh Farm (in collaboration with Marsh Farm Outreach) — working to put the ART into the heART of democracy with People's Assemblies
    • Bury Park — featuring creative workshops, family events, creative forums
  • Young people’s programme — creative skills development and experience for 16 to 30-year-olds.
  • Open mic nights — a supportive place for 18 to 30-year-old performers of all types to showcase their talent or watch others perform
  • Kickstarter Mini Commissions — investments of up to £400 for local creatives to try new ideas and reach new audiences
  • Creative Cafés — events for local creatives to get together, share project ideas and forge new collaborations.
  • The Producers’ Hub (in partnership with 1DegreeEast) — access for creatives to professional development, mentoring and long-term support from the best producers in the country.
  • The Matrix — a digital platform for local creatives to showcase their work and connect with each other.

Visit Revoluton Arts

UK Centre for Carnival Arts

The UK Centre for Carnival Arts (UKCCA) is a home dedicated to carnival arts, communities, learning and enterprise. Carnival involves highly skilled art forms across music, movement and costume. These art forms are rooted in traditions spanning the globe. The Centre runs carnival-inspired courses, workshops, seminars, outreach, exhibitions showcases, galas and events.

The UKCCA mission is to:

  • Champion high quality art that is ambitious, challenging and innovative
  • Connect, inspire and strengthen the Carnival Arts sector across the UK
  • Unite, support, develop and sustain the cultural and artistic sector within Luton

Visit UK Centre for Carnival Arts

Bedford Creative Arts

Bedford Creative Arts is a contemporary arts charity dedicated to commissioning high-quality art with communities and working with artists to explore new developments in socially engaged art practice. Their work is focused outside the gallery space in social spaces and in schools in Bedford and Bedfordshire. See BCA's Projects page to find out more.

BCA also produce The Culture Challenge programme for schools and cultural providers, and are an Arts Award Supporter

Bedford Creative Arts is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and a registered charity.

Visit Bedford Creative Arts

Culture Trust Luton

The Culture Trust Luton is a vibrant and progressive charitable trust. They actively welcome the community to engage with their venues and enjoy the diverse programme of events.

The Culture Trust is proud to be based in Luton and in all they do, they're here to celebrate and support local talent, as they work to build a brighter future for arts and culture in Luton.

Their venues include:

Visit Culture Trust Luton

The Higgins

The Higgins Bedford unites on one central site three previous cultural venues: Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, Bedford Museum and Bedford Gallery. The buildings themselves date back 200 years and have their own rich history of occupation and use, even before they became used for their more recent cultural past.

Visit The Higgins

The Place Bedford

Since it opened in 2003, The Place Bedford has developed a reputation among local audiences as one of the best places to see high-quality and cutting-edge professional theatre, as well as being the home of Bedford’s best amateur and community-led theatre companies.

A year round programme of theatre, music and film presenting a varied cross-section of work for everyone in the community: spanning children’s theatre, folk music, musical theatre, comedy, as well as our core contemporary drama programme.

The Place are dedicated to presenting work with a political edge, bringing the highest quality small-scale professional work to Bedford, and increasing the representation of diverse voices and experiences on the stage in Bedford.

Visit The Place

The Quarry Theatre

Located on St. Peter’s Street, in the heart of Bedford, The Quarry Theatre are a performing arts facility for Bedford School and the town. St. Luke’s Church has been sympathetically adapted into a venue that houses a 282-seat theatre, a 50-seat studio-theatre, a spacious bar opening onto the original church garden and a foyer that displays pupils’ art as well as art produced by members of the local community. Although primarily a school theatre, our aim is to involve the wider community as much as possible.

The Quarry want the people of Bedford to be frequent visitors as audience members, participants in events, performers, or part of volunteer team of ushers and front of house staff.

The Quarry Theatre Mission Statement:

  • We aim to involve the wider community of Bedford, as well as the Bedford School community, so that as many people as possible can take advantage of the opportunities the theatre has to offer.
  • We aim to encourage people to share their work across the spectrum of creative, visual, literary and performing arts.
  • We aim to engage and involve young people in theatre and the performing arts.
  • We aim to collaborate with other schools, colleges, local and national arts organisations.
  • We aim to provide a diverse programme of performances and events. The key criteria for our choice of events is: quality, relevance and entertainment value.

Their programming focus: new writing, original and imaginative work and innovative adaptations of the classics.

Visit The Quarry Theatre

The Grove Theatre

Grove Theatre is situated on the edge of Grove Park in Dunstable. It is a cultural hub for the people of Central Bedfordshire and the wider region.

Grove provides a dynamic space for the enjoyment of a broad range of challenging, professional live entertainment and high quality cinema screenings; the encouragement of individual development through creative learning programmes for all ages; and the hosting of a diverse range of community and business events.

Their aims are:

  • Ensure the products and events we offer represent a balance across genre, topic and age.
  • Broaden the audience base for the arts through community projects and educational activities, as well as our programming.
  • Provide the opportunity for local people of all ages to engage with and participate in the arts.
  • Deliver the highest standard of service to all customers.

They believe in art that entertains; that actively encourages participation and engagement; that is fully inclusive and challenges pre-conceptions of theatre; that knocks down barriers to attendance and inspires people to enjoy what they know, and attempt something new. Grove believe it is their role and the role of the arts to support both the individual and the community in enhancing their overall quality of life and mental well-being through access to entertainment, education and participation within the community. They believe that art enriches lives and everyone should have the opportunity to experience that.

Visit Grove Theatre

Partnerships are critical in the creative industries. They help to generate new innovative ideas, increase the resilience and scale of work, and can ensure creative practitioners and organisations are well connected. Below are a few resources to consider when reflecting on partnership development.

Partnership Development Toolkit

The toolkit is designed as a practical guide to design, develop, monitor and evaluate projects. It provides best practice techniques for all aspects of project management within a partnership context, supported by diagrams and illustrations.

Download the Partnership Development Toolkit [PDF]

Promoting Creative Partnerships

This resource is a policy handbook on the promotion of creative partnerships.

The handbook explores practices in different fields such as education, business and health, and explains what their success factors are and the possible challenges in implementation. It addresses both policymakers and practitioners. It provides inspiration to public authorities who may decide to support creative partnerships so as to tackle some key issues, for instance in the field of education or support to business innovation. It also contains concrete guidance for practitioners to address possible issues in implementation.

Download the Promoting Creative Partnerships handbook [PDF]

Study of the Impact of Creative Partnerships on the Cultural and Creative Economy

A useful study that reflects on the impact of the Creative Partnerships (CPs) scheme on the local creative economies and local businesses.

Download the Study of the Impact of Creative Partnerships [PDF]

Formalising Partnerships - Setting up a Business Partnership

Government official guidance on how to formally set up a business partnership.

Find more information on setting up a business partnership

Whether you are growing a project into a company, or scaling-up an already established business, you'll be aware that it takes time and consideration to make the right choices.

These resources will support those engaged with the creative industries with this journey.

Advertising Employment Vacancies to University of Bedfordshire Students & Graduates

If you have employment opportunities you may find the perfect candidate in our pool of students and graduates currently looking for employment. For more information and support contact the careers team. More details can be found on their webpages.

University of Bedfordshire Recruitment services

Advertising Volunteering Opportunities to UoB Students & Graduates

UoB believes that volunteering opportunities for our students can add value to their CV, life experience and studies. If you have volunteering opportunities make sure you share them with the careers team at UoB and this way students will be able to find out and engage.

Find out how to register your organisation

Creative United: Business Support

Creative United is an entrepreneurial community interest company committed to supporting the growth and development of the arts and creative industries. They offer a range of support, with more information available on their website.

Visit Creative United

Creative Industries: Toolkit for Cities & Regions

The Creative Industries toolkit highlights examples of how creative industries have created economic, social and cultural benefits in different regions, and identifies steps to ensure these benefits are fully realised across the UK.

The toolkit points to the contributions of the music scene in Liverpool, television in Manchester, digital media in Brighton, and videogames in Leamington Spa as demonstrations of how creative and cultural industries can shape a place's identity and image as well as boosting its economic growth.

It argues that factors such as increased devolution have grown the potential to "hardwire" creative and cultural industries into "every aspect of local and regional policy-making" with a role for city leaders to bring together industry, education and social agencies.

The toolkit examines the potential benefits of the creative and cultural industries under the headings of innovation and growth, jobs and skills, planning and infrastructure, placemaking and promotion, and City leadership.

Download the Creative Industries Toolkit [PDF]

UnLtd: Starting Up and Scaling Up

UnLtd provide specialist support for social entrepreneurs at the start of the journey to help them grow as social leaders. They combine cash and coaching to help nurture ideas and grow impact.

It doesn't matter what stage of development your social venture is at. It can be an idea on paper. Or a social venture in practice already. They can offer you awards from £500 to £15,000 across three separate startup packages.

  • Try it awards support social entrepreneurs to test their hunches and ideas
  • Do it awards provide funding and support to help you get started and create a clear social impact
  • Grow it awards help social entrepreneurs already thriving to grow their impact and build a sustainable financial model

Visit UnLtd

Types of Companies in the UK

If you are formalising a company into a legal entity it is worth considering the range of options available. As a consequence, the following links go through the types of companies that can be formed in the UK.

Setting up a Business Bank Account

Crunch goes through the reasons for setting up a business bank account and includes tips for consideration

Considering a Website - for Businesses and Freelancers

These two resources go through the role and need for business websites, whether you are a freelancer or business.

Business News Daily - Building a Business Website

The Guardian - Self-employment: how to set up your company website

Working with the Self-Employed: A Best Practice Guide for Businesses

CC Skills have developed a useful guide for businesses who wish to work with self employed individuals.

Working with the Self Employed [PDF]

 

GDPR

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy in the European Union and the European Economic Area. It also addresses the transfer of personal data outside the EU and EEA areas.

It is important to consider GDPR in project and business activity and these links will help consider compliance.

3BDigital: GDPR compliance

UK Copyright Service: GDPR policy

Fourth Source: GDPR and its effects on the creative industry

Safeguarding

Whether delivering a project or setting up a company, you will need to consider your safeguarding policies. Dependent on the types of activity and audiences you engage it is important to reflect on safeguarding from a Children & Young People perspective or in line with working with Vulnerable Adults.

Gov website which details the range of safeguarding duties a charity should consider

A useful guide by the National Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)

Luton-specific links:

Luton Borough Council: Safeguarding Children and Luton Borough Council: Safeguarding Adults

Central Beds-specific links:

Central Bedfordshire Council: Child protection and Central Bedfordshire Council: Protecting vulnerable adults from harm

Bedford-specific links:

Bedford Borough Council: Safeguarding Children Board and Bedford Borough Council: Safeguarding Adults Team

Milton Keynes-specific links:

Milton Keynes City Council: Safeguarding adults and children

Aylesbury Vale-specific links:

Buckinghamshire Council

Music Rights and Permissions

When using music in art, whether that be live or recorded, you need to ensure you have the relevant permissions. PRS for Music Limited (formerly The MCPS-PRS Alliance Limited) is the UK's leading collection society , bringing together two collection societies: the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society (MCPS) and the Performing Right Society (PRS). It undertakes collective rights management for musical works on behalf of its 140,000 members. It is worthwhile spending the time to understand the work of PRS for Music and to reflect on how you would need to engage with them in line with your work. It is also worthwhile understanding the types of licence available so that you are clear which best suits your usage.

Visit PRS for Music

Copyright and Intellectual Property (IP) Advice

Whether you are freelance, a new business or a company scaling up, it is worthwhile learning about and refreshing your understanding of Copyright and Intellectual Property. It is useful to understand as it not only keeps you protected from infringement, but it also enables you to reflect on how you can best protect your work.

Government links that are useful reads include: How copyright protects your work and Intellectual property: Copyright

Insurance

It is important to make sure you have considered the relevant forms of insurance that you require as a sole trader and/or business. The need of insurance can change when you find the scale of your work shifting - whether that be to public realm, online, digital or once you employ staff. Here are some examples:

  • Public / Products Liability
  • Employers' Liability
  • Technical Equipment Insurance
  • Artists Insurance (including Artwork & Exhibition covers)
  • Gallery / Exhibition Insurance
  • Art dealers
  • Business Interruption
  • Event Cancellation & Abandonment Insurance (including Non-Appearance & Adverse Weather)
  • Film Producers Indemnity Insurance (including Film Materials)
  • Advertising Agents Indemnity (including Death & Disgrace) Insurance
  • Adverse Weather Insurance
  • Professional Indemnity
  • Directors & Officers Liability / Trustees Indemnity
  • Employment Law Protection
  • Group Business Travel Insurance
  • Personal Accident Insurance
  • Legal Expenses Insurance

The UK creative and heritage sectors are supported by a range of funding organisations, trusts and foundations, who can support your work to grow in a range of ways.

Below lists several key funders. Do also make sure you take time to consider more hyper-local and smaller community foundations and trusts too.

Arts Council England

Arts Council England (ACE) is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

As a government-funded body, ACE dedicated to promoting the performing, visual and literary arts in England. Since 1994, Arts Council England has been responsible for distributing lottery funding. This investment has helped to transform the building stock of arts organisations and to create much additional high-quality arts activity.

On 1st October 2011 the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council was subsumed into the Arts Council in England and they assumed the responsibilities of the council.

Before applying to ACE, it is useful to review their strategy and to consider how your work would align: ACE strategy 2020-2030 [PDF]

It is also useful to consider the range of funds available through ACE, whether that be development funds or Project Grants

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the UK.

Since it was set up in 1994, under the National Lottery Act, it has awarded over £7.1billion to more than 40,000 projects, large and small, helping people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect their heritage.

The fund supports all kinds of projects, as long as they make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities. These vary from restoring natural landscapes to rescuing neglected buildings, from recording diverse community histories to providing life-changing skills training. Their website clearly outlines the types of funding they offer

Before applying, it is useful to review their strategy and to consider how your work would align: Heritage 2033 strategy

The National Lottery Community Fund

The National Lottery Community Fund, legally named the Big Lottery Fund, is a non-departmental public body responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for "good causes". Since 2004 it has awarded over £6 billion to more than 130,000 projects in the UK.

The Community Fund aims to support projects which help communities and people it considers most in need. Over 80 per cent of its funds go to voluntary and community organisations, it also makes grants to statutory bodies, local authorities and social enterprises.

The fund makes grants to projects working in health, education and the environment and the charitable sector. It funds projects in line with objectives set by the government but does not fund services which other parts of government have a statutory responsibility to deliver.

Read the Community Fund strategic framework

For more information visit the National Lottery Community Fund

British Council Funding

The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. The British Council also provides a range of funding opportunities that are worthwhile keeping up to date with.

Visit the British Council

UnLtd

UnLtd - The Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs is a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom set up by seven organisations that promote social entrepreneurship. The organisation offers cash awards, networking and mentorship opportunities for social entrepreneurs in the UK, and has affiliate organisations in a number of other countries.

Visit UnLtd

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation aims to improve the quality of life for people and communities throughout the UK both now and in the future. They do this by funding the charitable work of organisations that are building an inclusive, creative and sustainable society.

The Foundation is one of the largest independent grant-makers in the UK. In 2018 we made grants of £40.5 million towards a wide range of work within the arts, children and young people, the environment and social change. They also have a £45 million allocation to social investments for organisations with the aim of creating social impact.

Visit the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Paul Hamlyn Foundation was established by Paul Hamlyn in 1987. Upon his death in 2001, he left most of his estate to the Foundation, creating one of the largest independent grant-making foundations in the UK.

The foundation's mission is to help people overcome disadvantage and lack of opportunity, so that they can realise their potential and enjoy fulfilling and creative lives.

The Foundation has a particular interest in supporting young people and a strong belief in the importance of the arts.

Visit the Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Read the Paul Hamlyn Foundation strategy

Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation

The Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation is a grant maker supporting local community groups and charities.

They focus on providing accessible grant-making based on a deep understanding of community needs and an effective service for donors.

The aim is to be a catalyst for social change for the community of Bedfordshire and Luton through collecting funds from local businesses, individuals, and national organisations and ensuring a cohesive and targeted approach to grantmaking.

Visit the Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation

The Harpur Trust Grants

Supporting the local community through grants programme is a core part of what the Harpur Trust do. Exclusive to the Borough of Bedford, their grants provide essential funding to the groups who run projects to help improve the lives of others.

They have approximately £1 million a year in grant funds that are able to award to projects that focus on education, recreation and relief. More information about their priorities is available on the grants to organisations page.

Visit the Harpur Trust

The Guardian: A Guide to Writing Effective Funding Applications

This guide by the Guardian is a useful overview to writing an effective funding application

Tips on Applying for a Community Project Grant

Groundwork is a federation of charities working locally and nationally to transform lives in the UK’s most disadvantaged communities. You may find opportunities connected to Groundwork useful from a projects and partnerships perspective as well as from a funding perspective. Furthermore, their website offers useful fundraising tips

Writing a Funding Application (including cover letter)

Some funds ask that you include a cover letter to your funding application. This document is useful to consider this in line with your funding application: Resource Centre: Writing a funding application

Event Management

Event management is a terms under which a range of skills are assumed that would enable you to successfully run an event. The following items provide a useful tool-kit and how-to guide to begin thinking about event management.

Project Management

Just like event management, project management includes a range of skills that enable you to run a project effectively. Below include a small selection of useful resources that will assist you in considering project management support and skills development:

Music Rights and Permissions

When using music in projects an events, whether that be live or recorded, you need to ensure you have the relevant permissions. PRS for Music Limited (formerly The MCPS-PRS Alliance Limited) is the UK's leading collection society , bringing together two collection societies: the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society (MCPS) and the Performing Right Society (PRS). It undertakes collective rights management for musical works on behalf of its 140,000 members. It is worthwhile spending the time to understand the work of PRS for Music and to reflect on how you would need to engage with them in line with your work. It is also worthwhile understanding the types of licence available so that you are clear which best suits your usage.

Visit PRS for Music

Copyright and Intellectual Property (IP) Advice

When you are setting up and project or event it is worthwhile learning about and refreshing your understanding of Copyright and Intellectual Property. It is useful to understand as it not only keeps you protected from infringement, but it also enables you to reflect on how you can best protect your work.

Government links that are useful reads include: How copyright protects your work and Intellectual property: Copyright

Insurance

When running a project or event it is important that you are appropriately covered by insurance. Therefore, do ensure learnt about and considered the relevant forms of insurance that are relevant to you. Here are some examples:

  • Public / Products Liability
  • Employers' Liability
  • Technical Equipment Insurance
  • Artists Insurance (including Artwork & Exhibition covers)
  • Gallery / Exhibition Insurance
  • Art dealers
  • Business Interruption
  • Event Cancellation & Abandonment Insurance (including Non-Appearance & Adverse Weather)
  • Film Producers Indemnity Insurance (including Film Materials)
  • Advertising Agents Indemnity (including Death & Disgrace) Insurance
  • Adverse Weather Insurance
  • Professional Indemnity
  • Directors & Officers Liability / Trustees Indemnity
  • Employment Law Protection
  • Group Business Travel Insurance
  • Personal Accident Insurance
  • Legal Expenses Insurance

Evaluation is a critical aspect of project, event and business management. It helps you form evidence-led ideas as well as prove the impact of your work to stakeholders, funders, boards and audiences. The following links include different approaches to evaluation that are of use to the creative industries and heritage sectors.

Audience Agency

The Audience Agency is a mission-led charity: their purpose is to enable cultural organisations to use national data to increase their relevance, reach and resilience. The Audience Agency believe arts, culture and heritage have the power to improve the quality of people’s lives, to create meaning and community, to promote empathy and learning. The more citizens are involved in shaping culture and taking part, the greater the power. Their mission is to give the public a voice in shaping a vibrant, relevant culture.

The Audience Agency is funded by the Arts Council, as a Sector Support Organisation, to lead on supporting cultural organisations to gain a deeper understanding of current and potential audiences.

The Audience Agency has created a useful resource that reflect on how you can get creative with evaluation

Public Engagement Projects

This guide by University College London (UCL) aims to encourage those running public engagement activities to think through and choose the most appropriate methods and techniques to evaluate the delivery and impact of their activities.

This guide draws upon a range of sources, including the experience of UCL staff and students, the UCL Public Engagement Unit and its programme partners, and literature on public engagement and research methods, to provide a brief introduction to a range of evaluation methodologies and examples of how they can be used throughout the life of your project

Download Methods for evaluation [PDF]