For the last three years the BBC Performing Arts Fund has been focusing on a different art form (dance, music, theatre). This year is the year of theatre.
The Fund is seeking local community theatre groups who are ambitious, willing to take on a challenge and looking for ways to increase their group’s confidence and motivation and to raise their profile in the local community.
Grants of between £500 and £5,000 will be offered to up to 50 groups across the UK to carry out training, attract new audiences, encourage new members and raise their profiles in their communities.
Projects should be new, open to the wider public, and take place any time between 1 December 2013 and 30 November 2014.
The Fund welcomes projects which involve new group members, perform to new audiences, bring communities together, improve community cohesion, or work with other community groups.
The grants are intended to help with the following costs:
- Training courses for group members and the people who run the group.
- Master classes for the group.
- Bringing in an expert to help work on improving specific skills.
- Help in tackling a new piece of theatre that is a stretch for the group.
- Putting on a more ambitious performance.
- Performing in public for the first time.
- Working with another theatre group.
- Working with other groups, for example a dance group.
- A project to recruit new members.
- Running a beginners course to attract new members.
- Commissioning a new piece of theatre.
- Putting on a performance in a new venue.
- Taking the theatre out into the community.
- Taking part in a local festival.
Eligible groups must have been in existence since 2011 with a demonstrable track record and a bank account in the group’s name.
The deadline for applications is 16 September 2013 (5pm).
Full details can be found on the BBC Performing Arts Fund website