Grants of £1,500 are available this week for Manchester’s artists and cultural freelancers who are facing hardship due to COVID-19.
The grants make up a fund of £500,000 provided by The Savannah Wisdom Foundation, a Manchester-based charity, and B&M Retail.
These will be available to Manchester residents who freelance within the creative and cultural sector, an area that has been hit particularly hard since the pandemic.
Amongst those eligible to apply are freelancers in music, theatre, dance and combined arts, visual arts, museums, literature and heritage culture.
Greater Manchester residents can also apply if their work is primarily based in Manchester.
Many cultural venues such as museums, galleries and theatres were the first to close last March and freelancers consequently lost their livelihoods.
These grants are a welcome lifeline to these people, and will be awarded on a first-come first-served basis until the fund is used up.
Support for the grant application scheme is being provided by the arts organisation HOME, who will provide a dedicated helpline for freelancers questions about the scheme.
HOME Executive Director, Jon Gilchrist said: “With this further lockdown, we risk losing an entire generation of talented artists and creative practitioners if we don’t act now.
“Thanks to this incredible gift, some of the people at the greatest risk of financial hardship will get some additional support.”
Anyone who has any questions about the scheme or who needs support to complete the application form can contact the dedicated helpline:
To find out more and apply go to: //www.manchester.gov.uk/chff
For any questions about the scheme, call the HOME helpline number: 0161 523 0444 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or email [email protected]
Main photo by Pexels from Pixabay
