Second phase of fund to support creative freelancers opens
Poster information
Posted on: Monday 19 October 2020
The second phase of a fund to support creative freelancers affected by Covid-19 is being launched on Monday, October 19.
Individuals can apply for a £2,500 grant and are asked to check their eligibility before the application process opens by visiting the Eligibility Checker for the Cultural Recovery Fund.
The fund is open to freelancers in the sub sectors of arts, creative industries, arts and heritage events, culture and heritage, whose work has direct creative and cultural outcomes.
We have been allocated a total of around £280,000 from the Welsh Government to provide freelancers with immediate cash flow support in Bridgend county borough and help them survive the economic consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak.
This funding is specifically for creative and cultural subsectors, and roles that have been forced to cease work and/or face difficultly restarting because of the impact of Covid-19 restrictions. It is there to support freelancers in the period from April 2020 - March 2021.
The first phase of the fund opened at the start of October and it took just three days to reach our allocation of applications. Due to applications being dealt with on a first come, first served basis, we would urge people not to delay in submitting the application if they are eligible - otherwise it may lead to applications not being appraised after they have been submitted if the fund is fully committed.
Bridgend County Borough Council leader Huw David
Welsh Government first launched its £7m fund on October 5 to help creative and cultural industries particularly hard hit during the pandemic with projects having had to be cancelled or postponed.
Announcing the new fund at the time, the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “The freelance sector is such an important part of the Welsh economy – with a significant number of freelancers working in the cultural and creative sectors.
“I’m delighted that we’re able to provide support - to sustain our freelancers during this difficult period and acknowledge the contribution made by these individuals to the economy, our communities and the cultural and creative sectors in Wales.”
The grant seeks to complement other Covid-19 response measures to support organisations and businesses in Wales as part of the Cultural Recovery Fund.
The eligibility criteria for the grant is as follows:
- Facing financial challenges in the period from April 2020 - March 2021
- Freelancer professionals whose work has direct creative/cultural outcomes, who work in the four key sub sectors: The Arts; Creative Industries; Arts and Heritage Events; Culture and Heritage
- You must be operating in Wales
- You must be based within the local authority you are applying to
You are not eligible for this grant if:
- You have recently received funding from the Start-Up Grant launched in June 2020 to help new businesses survive the economic consequences of coronavirus (Covid-19);
- You are a freelancer who works in the sport sector.
For further information on the scheme visit the council website Freelancer Fund guidance webpage or see the list of frequently asked questions relating to the fund.