As part of the Keynsham Local Cultural Programme, the Keynsham Cultural Consortium is offering annual grants to fund community-led pop-up events, workshops, performances and installations.
In 2021-22, we supported local artists Little Lost Robot and Kate McGregor-Michael. Together, they ran family art workshops and created a temporary window installation paying tribute to Keynsham’s lost medieval abbey.
In 2022-23, the grant scheme supported four projects: Keynsham Music Festival on the High Street, KTCRfm Presents, It Takes a Village, and Kings and Commoners in Keynsham.
We are now inviting Expressions of Interest for the 2023-24 round of small grants. We are looking for proposals for new events and activities which reflect the vibrant culture, history, traditions, places and people of Keynsham. The Town Centre has experienced immense change over the years – how should we remember the past, share new perspectives on the place we live in, and imagine new futures together?
Additionally, we are asking that all projects for 2023-24 make use of Keynsham MakeSpace – our new community & arts hub on Riverside Square.
Eligible activities may include (but are not limited to):
- Public workshops
- Performance and theatre
- Installations and exhibitions
- Fairs, festivals and markets
- Talks and lectures
- Films, digital archives and oral history
We invite applicants to apply for grants of up to £1,000, inclusive of all fees and expenses (minimum grant £250). The Cultural Consortium, made up of local cultural representatives, will select a minimum of 4 successful applicants based on the below criteria. You must deliver your event or activity by the end of January 2024.
What we’re looking for
We’re keen to support any creators and community groups who think outside the box and want to energise Keynsham’s cultural scene. There are four things that we’d love to see in your application:
- Local: We will prioritise artists and community groups with a connection to Keynsham.
- Co-creation: We’re especially interested in different artists or community groups working together and sharing their skills to make something new.
- Innovation: We can support brand new ideas or the development of existing events and activities, but we cannot fund events that are unchanged from previous years.
- Location: Events and activities can be indoors or outdoors, in person or online, but at least part of them must take place in Keynsham MakeSpace, the new community & arts hub in Riverside Square.
What we can offer
As well as offering funding, we can help you with:
- Support to identify collaborators and venues within Keynsham
- Guidance on event organisation
- Ongoing promotion as part of Keynsham’s Local Cultural Programme
- Support in expanding your event for subsequent years
- Advice on applying for relevant DBS and insurance requirements.
How to apply
There are four main questions in the Expression of Interest form. Please answer questions as fully as you can, addressing the four main criteria. If you are successful, we can work with you to develop your plan in greater depth.
Expressions of Interest close at 11.59pm on 20 March 2023.
We encourage applications from people from backgrounds currently underrepresented in the cultural sector, including youth groups, people from low-income backgrounds, people with disabilities, and people from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
We want to make our open calls accessible to all. Please don’t hesitate to contact keynshamhshaz@bathnes.gov.uk if you need additional support with your application, or if you want to apply in an alternative format.