What are we looking for?

All applications must focus on achieving innovation and change in relation to our themes.

Innovation

Paul Hamlyn took as his motto "There must be a better way". We are therefore interested in putting into practice new ideas that will achieve better outcomes and which are likely to lead to significant and long-term impact.

For us innovation can be:

  • Radical (e.g. researching, developing and implementing completely new ideas)
  • Incremental (e.g. adapting existing ideas, possibly by applying them in new contexts)

We are more interested in supporting radical approaches, which are likely to involve creativity and some risk-taking, rather than incremental innovation.

We are unlikely to fund incremental innovation unless the proposed work is likely to lead to changes in practice or policy within the wider sector in which the applicant organisation operates.

Applicants should demonstrate how the innovation they propose takes account of current evidence about the most effective approaches in their area(s) of activity.

Change and Outcomes

We believe that our grants should enable transformation at three levels:

  • For individuals and society: the work should have a positive impact on the people involved.
  • For organisations: the project should challenge the organisation to reflect on, consolidate and/or change the way it operates. An example of this could be building capacity or changing the nature of how they work across departments and/or with outside partners.
  • For policy and practice: we want the work we fund to be exemplary and to have the potential to influence practice beyond the scope of the organisation applying for support, whether within their art form, their region or both.

We ask applicants to consider these changes in terms of specific outcomes, which are developed through the course of the application process.

Participation

We are particularly interested in work that enables participants to shape the direction and delivery of the work.

The case studies presented on this website and those included in our Yearbooks (also available to download from the website) illustrate our aims and expectations. Please study them carefully.

Applications process support

More details on Innovation,  Change and outcomes, and Participation can be found on the applicant support pages (reached via the 'How to apply' link on this website).