Cast is offering £1k seed funding awards for arts projects

With the support of The Foyle Foundation, Cast is delighted to announce three seed funding awards for arts projects. Each award will be up to £1k and is for early-stage development of projects in the performing arts, including theatre, dance, spoken word, musicals, circus, live art and performance. No performance outcome is required.

Artists applying for the fund must meet at least some of the following criteria:

• Living near or within Yorkshire but especially those who are living in, working in, connected to, or from the borough of Doncaster
• The project aims to benefit a community and/or is co-created with a community
• The project should be completed by August 2025

Applications from those with backgrounds currently under-represented in the arts are especially welcomed. These include those with disabilities, those who are Deaf, from Global Majority backgrounds, who identify as LGBTQ+, those from a low socio-economic background, and those with caring responsibilities.

To Apply

Submit a cover letter no longer than one A4 page, or an audio/video recording that’s no longer than five minutes to Cast’s Associate Producer, Katy McLeod, at katy@castindoncaster.com with the subject line, ‘Seed Funding Application 2024’. All applicants must also complete an equal opportunity monitoring form, which can be found here.

The closing date is Saturday 02 January 2025 at 9am. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of February 2025.

As a guide, it’s recommended that the cover letter or recording include:

• An outline of the project.
• Artist’s professional background, including career stage;

Emerging: 1 - 5 years

Established: 5 - 10 years

Advanced: 10+ years

• Project aims.
• How the grant will be spent
• What the project is (who the team is, what the activity is, where & when it will be delivered)
• Artist’s contact information.
• A summary of how the project meets the criteria outlined above.

If you require any access support in completing an application, please get in contact with Katy on the above email address. When emailing, please include dates and times of your availability to discuss your application and whether you have a preference to meet online, in person, or over the phone.

Once successful applicants have been contacted, 90% of the grant will initially be paid. A short report will be required by Tuesday 30 September 2025 from recipients, outlining how the funding has made an impact on their artistic practice, alongside a project update. Upon receipt of the report, the remaining 10% of the grant will be transferred within 30 days.

Please don’t hesitate to contact Katy if you have any questions or concerns.