Arts, Culture & Heritage Grants & Funding
There are 628 UK funders offering grants for arts, culture & heritage charities, with typical awards from £100 to £1,150,000.
The UK has a rich ecosystem of arts, culture, and heritage funding. Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland provide public funding, while a wide network of trusts and foundations supports independent arts organisations and creative projects. Grants range from core funding for established cultural institutions to small project awards for emerging artists and community arts groups. Heritage funding covers historic buildings, archives, museums, oral history, and intangible cultural heritage. The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and Garfield Weston Foundation are major arts funders alongside more specialist trusts. Participatory arts — projects where communities actively create rather than just consume culture — have seen strong funder interest. Many grant-makers value arts projects that deliver social outcomes alongside cultural ones: improving mental health, building community cohesion, or engaging marginalised groups. Rural touring, digital arts, and diversity in cultural leadership are current funding priorities.
Quick Stats
- Total Funders
- 628
- Grant Range
- £100 - £1,150,000
- Open to Applications
- 54%
Narrow your search
Clear filtersFilters use programme details verified from each funder's own published guidance. Funders we haven't verified yet are listed separately below, never hidden.
Arts, Culture & Heritage Funders
38 of 628 match your filtersChecked against verified programme data for 96 of 628 funders. 532 not yet verified are listed below; 58 that don't fit were excluded.
29th May 1961 Charity
Matching programme: General Grant Programme
The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust, founded on 29 May 1961 by Miss Helen M. Martin from Kenilworth, Warwickshire, is an independent generalist grantma...
Ampersand Foundation
Matching programme: Annual Grants
The Ampersand Foundation, established in 2011 by philanthropist Jack Kirkland, is a UK grant-awarding trust dedicated to advancing education and publi...
Anchor Foundation
Matching programme: Grant Programme
The Anchor Foundation is a UK-based grantmaker dedicated to supporting Christian charities that address social exclusion through ministries of healing...
Architectural Heritage Fund
Matching programme: Project Development Grants (PDG) - Scotland
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), a UK-registered charity founded in 1976, champions the conservation and sustainable reuse of historic buildings...
Art Fund
Matching programme: Reimagine grants
Art Fund, established in 1903 by Christiana Herringham and visionary artists and patrons, champions the acquisition and preservation of outstanding ar...
Bòrd na Gàidhlig
Matching programme: Gaelic Plans Fund – Projects Stream 2026/27
Bòrd na Gàidhlig, established by the Scottish Parliament under the 2005 Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act as an executive non-departmental public body, l...
British Academy for the Promotion of Historical Philosophical and Philological Studies
Matching programme: Innovation Fellowships Route B: Policy-led (Sustainable Futures)
The British Academy, formally the British Academy for the Promotion of Historical, Philosophical, and Philological Studies, is the United Kingdom’s na...
British Film Institute
Matching programme: BFI and Film4 Future Takes
The British Film Institute, established by Royal Charter in 1933, leads UK efforts to advance film, television, and moving image culture through prese...
British Record Industry Trust
Matching programme: BRIT Trust Grants
The British Record Industry Trust, known as The BRIT Trust, founded in 1989 by the UK recorded music industry, harnesses music and creative arts to tr...
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, UK Branch
Matching programme: Civic Tech UK-Portugal Exchange Programme
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation UK Branch, established in 1956 from the bequest of Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian, is a London-based arm ...
Colwinston Charitable Trust
Matching programme: Main Grant Programme
The Colwinston Charitable Trust, established in 1995 by Mathew Prichard CBE, sustains and supports high-quality artistic activities that enrich UK cul...
Continuo Foundation
Matching programme: Continuo Foundation Awards
Continuo Foundation, established in September 2020 by UK music professionals led by chair Pelayia Tina Vadaneaux, is a charitable organisation dedicat...
CPF Trust
Matching programme: Standard Grants
The CPF Trust is a grant-making charity committed to strengthening UK charities by providing flexible financial support for diverse charitable purpose...
Cruden Foundation Ltd
Matching programme: Main Grant Programme
Cruden Foundation Ltd, established in Edinburgh from a building business legacy, embodies a mission of community regeneration and enduring public bene...
D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
Matching programme: Large Charity Grants
The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, established in 1972 by Dame Bridget D'Oyly Carte—granddaughter of theatrical impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte—honour...
Dr Radcliffe's Trust
Matching programme: Music Scheme
Dr Radcliffe's Trust, one of Britain’s oldest independent grant-makers established in 1714 by Oxford physician Dr John Radcliffe, advances learning, h...
Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust
Matching programme: Large Grant
The Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust (EKCT), established in 1963 by Ernest and Joan Kleinwort, is a family-led grant-making foundation dedicated to m...
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Matching programme: Grants
The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, established in 1961 by Ian Fairbairn in memory of his wife, is one of the UK's largest independent funders, dedicated ...
Feisean Nan Gaidheal
Matching programme: Fèis Development Fund (Stòras Leasachaidh nam Fèisean)
Feisean Nan Gaidheal, an independent Scottish charity established in 1991, serves as the umbrella body for the Fèis movement, which originated over 40...
Freelands Foundation Limited
Matching programme: Freelands Awards 2026
Freelands Foundation is a UK charity dedicated to ensuring universal access to visual arts education and participation, empowering individuals regardl...
Glasgow City Heritage Trust
Matching programme: Historic Environment Grants
Glasgow City Heritage Trust is an independent charity with a foundational mission to safeguard, repair, and promote Glasgow’s historic built environme...
Goldsmiths' Company Charity
Matching programme: Open Grants Fund
The Goldsmiths' Company Charity, rooted in the historic Goldsmiths’ Company with charitable origins dating to 1334 and formal registration in the late...
HDH Wills 1965 Charitable Trust
Matching programme: Martin Wills Fund
The HDH Wills 1965 Charitable Trust is an independent grant-making charity founded in 1965 with a mission to advance charitable purposes worldwide, pl...
Historic Houses Foundation
Matching programme: Country Houses Foundation Grants (Buildings)
The Historic Houses Foundation is an independent UK charity with a foundational mission to preserve historic buildings—primarily country houses, garde...
Idlewild Trust
Matching programme: Arts - Nurturing Early-Stage Professionals
Idlewild Trust is an independent grant-making charity with a foundational mission to advance education and learning by nurturing creative talent throu...
Leche Trust
Matching programme: Performing arts grants
The Leche Trust, an independent UK grant-making charity founded in 1950 by Angus Acworth CBE, champions professional excellence in performing arts and...
Mayfield Valley Arts Trust
Matching programme: AHT Enterprise Fund
The Mayfield Valley Arts Trust (MVAT), founded over 30 years ago by Tony and Scilla Thornton, began supporting music-making in Yorkshire—most notably ...
Michael Bishop Foundation
Matching programme: Main Grants Programme
The Michael Bishop Foundation, established in 1987, advances philanthropy through strategic support for excellence in arts, culture, heritage preserva...
Mohn Westlake Foundation
Matching programme: The Mohn Westlake Foundation
The Mohn Westlake Foundation is a family charitable trust driven by dual missions: enhancing lives of children and young people through expanded acces...
National Funding Scheme
Matching programme: DONATE™ Digital Fundraising Platform
The National Funding Scheme is a pioneering UK charity founded to revolutionize charitable fundraising through cutting-edge digital technology, democr...
National Lottery Heritage Fund
Matching programme: National Lottery Grants for Heritage £10,000–£250,000
The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the UK's largest dedicated heritage funder established in 1994 (with roots in the 1980 National Heritage Memorial ...
National Manuscripts Conservation Trust
Matching programme: NMCT Conservation Grants
The National Manuscripts Conservation Trust is dedicated to safeguarding the UK's written heritage through preservation of at-risk manuscripts and arc...
Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust
Matching programme: Perth City Heritage Fund (PCHF)
Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust (PKHT), an independent Scottish charity established in 1988, is dedicated to protecting, conserving, enhancing, and p...
Sackler Trust
Matching programme: The Sackler Trust
The Sackler Trust is a UK-based grant-making foundation established in 2010 with a mission to advance medical science, healthcare innovation, educatio...
Swire Charitable Trust
Matching programme: Swire Charitable Trust
The Swire Charitable Trust, established in 1975 by Sir John Swire CBE and Sir Adrian Swire and funded primarily by John Swire & Sons Limited, is an in...
Theatre Development Trust
Matching programme: Theatre Development Trust Grants Programme
Theatre Development Trust, the charitable arm of the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, advances dramatic and performing arts for public benefi...
Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Trade Benevolent Fund
Matching programme: General Fund
The Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Trade Benevolent Fund embodies a philanthropic heritage rooted in mutual aid, tradition, and stewardship from the ...
William Syson Foundation
Matching programme: Small Grants Fund
The William Syson Foundation, established in 2012 by lifelong Scottish arts patron William Syson, advances arts, heritage, and culture exclusively in ...
532 funders not yet verified against these filters
We haven't confirmed these funders' programme details yet, so they may or may not fit. Showing the first 10.
Tips for Applying to Arts, Culture & Heritage Funders
Arts and culture funders look for applications that articulate both artistic quality and social impact. Describe the creative excellence of your work — the artistic vision, calibre of practitioners, and cultural significance — alongside the social outcomes it delivers. Avoid reducing arts to a mere tool for social change; instead show how high-quality cultural experiences create transformative engagement. Detail your participatory methods, explaining how communities actively shape creative processes rather than simply attending performances or exhibitions. Demonstrate diversity and inclusion in your programming, governance, and workforce, showing concrete steps you are taking rather than aspirational statements. Present your audience development strategy, particularly how you reach people who do not currently engage with arts and culture, including evidence of barriers and how you address them. If your project involves cultural heritage, articulate its significance using frameworks such as heritage values or cultural asset mapping. Include evidence from previous work — audience feedback, participant testimonials, evaluation reports, or critical reviews — that demonstrates both artistic merit and meaningful engagement. Strong applications show a clear connection between creative ambition and community benefit, with realistic budgets that fairly compensate artists and creative practitioners.
Browse Arts, Culture & Heritage Grants by Region
Find arts, culture & heritage funders in your area
Explore Other Causes
Frequently Asked Questions about Arts, Culture & Heritage Grants
What grants are available for arts, culture & heritage charities in the UK?
There are 628+ UK funders offering grants for arts, culture & heritage charities. These range from small community grants under £5,000 to large multi-year funding programmes exceeding £100,000. Use Fundermatcher to find the best match for your organisation.
How much funding can arts, culture & heritage organisations get?
Grant amounts for arts, culture & heritage charities vary widely depending on the funder and project. Typical grants range from £1,000 to over £100,000. Many funders offer multi-year funding for established organisations with a strong track record.
How do I apply for arts, culture & heritage grants?
Start by identifying funders whose priorities align with your arts, culture & heritage work. Fundermatcher matches your charity's profile against 628+ funders to find the best fit. Our AI assistant can then help you draft compelling grant applications.
How to Find the Right Arts, Culture & Heritage Funders
Describe Your Charity
Tell us what your charity does, who you help, and where you work. Takes 30 seconds.
Get Matched Instantly
Our AI ranks all 628 arts, culture & heritage funders by how well they fit your specific work.
Write Winning Applications
Our AI assistant helps you draft and refine grant applications tailored to each funder.
Which of These 628 Funders Are Right for You?
Browsing 628 funders manually takes hours. Describe your charity once and get your top matches ranked by compatibility — in seconds.
- Personalised match scores
- Eligibility checks
- AI grant writer