Grants database

Desmond (Dessie) Donnelly works to bridge the gap between technologists, NGOs and social movements and supports organisations to use software compatible with their ethos. This grant supports Dessie to set up the legal, organisational and technical infrastructure to create a tech workers’ cooperative. Dessie will recruit anchor organisations who have the potential to create powerful ​‘ripple effects’ regarding ethical software among the larger community they represent and serve. In doing so, he hopes to develop a new approach to digital infrastructure for civil society.

Caitriona Snell wants to create a marketing agency that will employ disabled/​neurodiverse professionals to strategise and build unique marketing campaigns. The agency will offer embedded, tailored apprenticeship opportunities for disabled/​neurodiverse young people within their business. This grant supports Caitriona to hire disabled or neurodiverse individuals to work on the agency’s first client projects and begin to build a pool of talent from which other businesses can recruit.

Birmingham Open Media (BOM) is a not-for-profit gallery and collaborative workspace for art, technology and science based in Birmingham City Centre. This grant supports BOM to create an ecosystem of diverse-led creative social enterprises that will respond to a series of challenges: digital exclusion in the West Midlands; the collapse of the high street; a lack of diverse-led cultural space in Birmingham; and the cultural sector’s need to find new financial models. BOM hopes to create a flagship centre for digital inclusion for the region, which will address the need for Black-led creative space in the rebalance of land and spatial justice.

Avocados Advocacy is a community interest company created and led by care leavers in Devon. They seek to address the lack of community and support for care leavers by creating the support networks needed for care leavers transitioning to adulthood to develop and maintain meaningful relationships. This grant supports Avocados Advocacy to conduct research with care experienced young people and young adults to gather views and ideas, to explore what groups and support is needed.

Autumn Voices is a not-for-profit social media platform which aims to encourage and support creativity in later life. This grant supports Autumn Voices member and octogenarian Robin to pilot an online club called Third Age Plus Pioneers. The club is aimed at supporting the creativity of the over 90s and will show how the elderly are creative and still have plenty to share with others.

Anastacia Ryan is a social entrepreneur and researcher seeking to develop the ​‘SISU Centre for Excellence in Transforming the Lives of Marginalised Young Women’. SISU is a Finnish term meaning ​‘resilience through adversity’ which captures Anastacia’s holistic approach to ensuring women and girls at risk of abuse, poverty, poor mental health, addiction, homelessness, sexual exploitation and contact with the criminal justice system, get the support and protection they need. This grant supports Anastacia to develop a vision for the SISU Centre around three main pillars: research and policy work, partnership and training, and lived experience-led projects, to transform the lives of affected young women.

Aliyah Hasinah Holder is an experienced curator and founder of Black Curatorial Labs (BCL), a project which creates Black only safe spaces for curatorial development centred on dreaming, experimentation and play. This grant supports research and development which will form the basis for BCL’s work in supporting and amplifying more Black artists at the same time as diversifying and decolonising art production.

Young Peoples Puppet Theatre (YPPT) run large-scale projects for children and young people which use the arts to develop creative and life skills. This grant supports YPPT to grow its capacity in response to an increased demand from schools. Through its in-depth year-long projects, YPPT will support the development of arts-based, metacognitive and soft skills for Key Stage 2 children, in preparation for the transition to secondary school.

The Ulster Orchestra’s mission is to enrich people’s lives through touring, regular broadcasts, concerts and learning and community engagement programmes. They are Northern Ireland’s only professional symphony orchestra. This grant supports Ulster Orchestra to deliver Crescendo, a long-term project that engages every child in four Belfast schools and aims to develop their musicianship and ability to play an instrument and perform.

The World Reimagined is a national art education project which aims to transform how individuals, communities and society understand the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its impact on each person globally. This grant supports The World Reimagined to coordinate artist residencies in 18 schools in England and Wales to creatively explore anti-racism.

Music Works uses music to transform the lives of children and young people who are disabled or experiencing disadvantage. This grant supports the organisation to build a new model for children and young people-centred music leadership in alternative provision settings. This two-year research and development project aims to position music as an integral part of personal, social and academinc development in five alternative provision settings in Gloucestershire.

The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) provides well-evidenced, creative literacy training and support for primary school staff to raise standards in language and literacy. This grant supports CLPE to work with published authors, poets and illustrators and ten London primary schools to deliver Reflecting Realities in the Classroom. The new programme will to support teachers and schools to be more critically reflective and actively engaged in ensuring inclusive and anti-racist practices in literacy teaching and learning, through arts-based approaches.