Newcastle City Council: Grant Aid for Community & Voluntary Sector
Organisations
Arts & Culture
Introduction
Newcastle City Council believes that the arts are amongst the city’s greatest assets.
Newcastle has a remarkable cultural infrastructure and an abundance of creative
opportunity and talent. The Council believes that every resident of and visitor to the
city has the right to be part of that creative activity.
One of our priorities is equality of opportunity. We believe that everyone should have
the opportunity to engage in the creative activity of their choice. At present, however,
the arts are more accessible to some people than to others - for a range of reasons.
Whenever people are disadvantaged or discriminated against because of age, race,
economic circumstances, geography, disability, sexual orientation or other personal
circumstances, they are also likely to have less access to good quality, fulfilling and
enjoyable creative activity.
The Council’s Community & Voluntary Sector Grant Aid Scheme is intended to
improve this situation. We want to encourage and enable public and voluntary
organisations in the city to stimulate, support and provide opportunities for
disadvantaged people to participate in the arts. Whether those organisations are
‘arts’ organisations is immaterial. What is important is that they are publicly
accountable and that they provide creative opportunities for people and in places
where they would not otherwise be available. They should also contribute in a
meaningful way to improving the ‘quality of life’ of participants – by enhancing their
skills, reducing isolation, fostering community spirit, breaking down barriers or any
other number of potential outcomes. We believe that by doing so we will help
improve their health and well-being and enhance their chances of fulfilling their
potential.
Our grants are awarded to organisations who can demonstrate that their proposed
activities:
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will be of the highest quality;
will have significant benefits for every individual that takes part in them – as
an organiser, a participant or a member of the audience;
will help the City Council achieve its objectives and those of the Sustainable
Communities Strategy (SCS).
The Council and the SCS share the same priorities. These are:
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Strengthening the Economy
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Children & Young People
Adult Wellbeing & Independence
Managing Environmental Impact
Creating & Sustaining Quality Places
Safe, Inclusive, Cohesive, Empowered Communities
Few, if any, projects will address all these priorities. We do not expect them to. But
we do expect that they will address at least one of them. Projects that address more
than one may have a better chance of securing grant aid than those that don’t. But
projects which address one of these priorities and also work with multiply
disadvantaged people in multiply disadvantaged areas of the city and provide highquality outcomes for participants are welcomed. Applicants who can demonstrate
that their need and the needs of their participants are greatest, and the impact their
project will have is highest, are those that are most likely to secure the Council’s
support. Over the year we will try to support a balanced portfolio of projects that
address the overall needs of the city, taking account of geography, arts activity,
inequality and need.
The Arts & Culture Community & Voluntary Sector Grant Aid scheme is not,
however, intended only to support social outcomes. It is also intended to facilitate
engagement by the people of the city and visitors to it in high-quality, fit-for-purpose
art. The artform(s) selected for projects should be appropriate and best suited to the
needs of the participants in the project. If you are unsure which artform to select for
your project, the City Council’s Culture & Tourism Manager or Arts Development
Team may be able to advise you. Contact details for the Culture & Tourism Manager
are listed at the foot of these guidance notes. The four Arts Development Officers,
(one each for the Inner West, the Outer West, the North and the East of the city) can
be contacted at 41, Jesmond Vale, Sandyford, Newcastle or on 0191 278 2960.
In almost all cases they are likely to advise that you engage a professional artist to
help you develop and deliver your project. They can also help you find the
appropriate person or organisation. We encourage the use of resident professional
artists because we want to support the cultural economy of the city and to generate
new employment opportunities for artists. We also want to ensure, as far as possible,
that all projects benefit from the unique creative skills that artists possess and are of
the highest possible quality.
A number of other factors influence our decision about whether to support your
application or not:
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Only in exceptional circumstances will we be the sole supporter of a project.
We prefer to support projects in partnership with other funding bodies and like
to see that you have secured the support of at least one other funder for your
project or that you are committing your own resources.
We want to encourage organisations to work together and to make best use
of the expertise that is available in the voluntary, public and private sectors in
the city. If you intend to work with individuals or groups who have special
requirements or particular needs and you are not an organisation established
expressly to work with those individuals or groups, we would prefer to see you
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working in partnership with an organisation that does have the necessary
specialist skills.
We want to encourage local people and groups to have an active role in the
design and management of the cultural projects they engage in. We prefer to
receive applications from community-based organisations who can
demonstrate that they have consulted with and involved the people they want
to work with before the project begins. We prefer applications that come
from the potential participants in, or beneficiaries of, projects.
In normal circumstances, our grant aid may be used only to support activities that
take place in the city. Very occasionally we may support work outside the city that
has a regional or national significance, but also demonstrably benefits local people.
The Voluntary Sector Compact
The Voluntary Sector Compact is a government led initiative which is intended to
encourage policy and procedural improvement and to improve the relationship
between the City Council and the voluntary sector. Amongst other things, the
compact provides guidance on the administration and management of grant aid. The
enclosed grant aid criteria and application form reflect both the approved grant aid
processes and procedures arising from the Compact.
Newcastle City Council: Culture, Libraries & Lifelong Learning Division
Arts & Culture Grant Aid Criteria – Community and Voluntary Sector
In addition to addressing the priorities of the City Council and the Sustainable
Communities Strategy (see above), we expect that activities supported by grant aid
awarded from the Arts & Culture budget will be used to increase at least one of the
following:
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Self-esteem and personal development among participants
The inclusion of local people in decision-making processes
Emotional, physical and mental health and well-being
Access for local people to enjoyable, high-quality creative activity
Social inclusion and the development of respect for everyone in local
communities
Good communication and social interaction
Learning and skills development opportunities for local people
Your application should also describe how the funds granted to you will help one or
more of the following objectives to be achieved:
1. Cultural facilities, including the built and historic environment, are more
accessible and are utilised by people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities
2. Creative activity will stimulate economic growth and the development of the
tourism and cultural sectors
3. Creative activity is used to support skills development
4. Creative activity will make the cultural sector more sustainable
5. Festivals and events at a community level are supported
6. All individuals, groups and sections of the community participate in cultural
activities and events
7. Citizens take up real roles in shaping and delivering cultural services as
volunteers, advisors and board members
Grant aid will only be awarded on condition that:
 The organisation is politically neutral in character and does not incur expenditure
for propaganda purposes.
 The organisation is appropriately constituted to receive funds from the public
purse.
 The organisation is capable of accounting appropriately for all the funds it is
granted.
 The organisation provides value for money.
 The organisation has in place appropriate mechanisms for the evaluation and
monitoring of activity supported by the grant aid.
Conditions of funding
Your organisation must agree to comply with the enclosed conditions of grant. A
signed copy of the conditions must be returned within 28 days of receipt of any letter
offering grant aid before any funds will be released.
Contacts
If you would like to discuss making an application for grant aid, please
contact:
Andrew Rothwell
Culture & Tourism Manager
Telephone 0191 211 5610
Email: andrew.rothwell@newcastle.gov.uk
Completed application forms
Should be returned to:
Lisa Hale
Arts and Culture
Room 21
Civic Centre
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE99 2BN
Email: lisa.hale@newcastle.gov.uk