Arts and Culture East Devon (ACED) is calling on East Devon-based creatives to apply for a new innovation fund which aims to strengthen local economic recovery.

Innovative projects being developed by organisations within the cultural and creative industries could benefit from the new £2m Innovation and Resilience fund (IRF).

This new IRF scheme aims to unlock the delivery of transformational projects in East Devon linked to diversification, new innovative products/services, creating valuable jobs and/or reducing their carbon footprint.

ACED hopes the fund will enable new opportunities for cultural engagement through local arts organisations and services in East Devon such as theatres, museums, galleries and festivals. The aim is to support resilience and innovation as well as creating skilled employment in the sector through increased access to the arts for local communities and in attracting visitors to the area.

Creative practitioners and organisations can band together to submit a collaborative bid for an innovative creative project taking place in East Devon. Ideas may include but are not limited to: establishing a new cultural festival, events showcasing the local area or costs of embedding a new technology to deliver performances or exhibitions which enable the business to expand; or specialist training to allow organisations to diversify. Applicants cannot use the funding to cover salaries or lost income, to cover normal operational costs or existing purchases.

Applicants can apply for:
• Up to £50,000 per individual business or organisation
• Up to £150,000 per collaborative bid (multiple businesses and organisations)

Match-funded applications will be prioritised. Potential applicants are encouraged to first review the detail of the fund.

The IRF Policy document contains the full guidance and criteria for this scheme and there is a comprehensive FAQs page. Projects which meet the criteria can then be put forward by submitting an expression of interest giving a basic overview of the project.

If successful, applicants will be invited to submit a full bid application, after which a decision will be made on whether to award funding. Help with developing the application is available at no cost from support agency, Business Information Point, on referral from the council.

Ruth Gooding, Arts Development Manager and THG Curator said,
“Creative and cultural institutions are at the heart of our community and we would encourage them to apply for this fund to develop and expand upon this vibrant creative community."

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