Creative Foundations Fund open for applications

Expressions of interest are now open for the £85m urgent capital works fund as announced as part of the Arts Everywhere Fund earlier this year.

The fund, run by Arts Council England, is open to not-for-profit theatres and venues in England.

Applicants must demonstrate that the investment in buildings and equipment is business-critical to delivering cultural activity, will minimise the risk of asset failure and will increase the economic sustainability of the cultural sector. There are two strands:

• Strand 1 : Grants of £100,000 up to and including £1m
• Strand 2: Grants above £1mup to and including £10m

Projects must not start before 1 April 2026 and must end no later than 31 March 2029

The deadline for submitting expressions of interest is 25 July, but note that registration for Arts Council England’s system Grantium can take up to 10 working days. Projects that meet the schemes objectives will then be invited to submit a full application.

Theatres Trust welcomes this funding as we've long been making the case for the need for investment in theatre buildings.

Full details of the scheme are available on the Arts Council England website.