Revenue grants of £5,000 are available for UK charities with an annual turnover of over £1 million for projects that improve access and participation in the arts.
The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust operates a 3-year grant rotation system, with different areas of interest funded each year. Round 2, 2025 has just opened to applications for projects that improve access to the arts.
The Foundation will support the following priorities in 2025:
Rounds 1 (up to £1,000) and 2 (up to £5,000) - The Arts: Improving Access
The focus will be on performing arts projects – theatre, dance or music – that improve audience access and participation. The Foundation will not consider applications from non-performing arts projects, or projects focussing on performers. The Foundation also won't fund salaries for charity staff unless specifically employed for the project concerned.
Rounds 3 (up to £1,000) and 4 (up to £5,000) - Refugees and Asylum Seekers.
To be eligible, a project must focus exclusively on refugees and/or asylum seekers as its beneficiaries, without extending services to other groups. The Foundation won't fund salaries for charity staff unless specifically employed for the project concerned.
The Trust alternates between offering grants of £1,000 (Rounds 1 and 3) and £5,000 (Rounds 2 and 4) each year. For grants of £1,000, applicants must have an annual turnover of between £100,000 and £1 million. For grants of £5,000, applicants must have an annual turnover of over £1 million. Charities may only apply for one round per calendar year.
The Trust has a tendency to prioritise the awarding of grants to UK charities that are known to the Trust. Charities that, at some stage, would like to apply for a grant could consider making themselves known to the Trust through a letter of introduction.
Further information, guidance, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and an online application form is available on the Trust’s website.
The deadline for the second application round of 2025, which opened on April, is Wednesday 30 April 2025.