Please note: we are no longer updating this page. Please go to our new Create North East Lincolnshire website to explore opportunities.

Opportunities

Create North East Lincolnshire small (£500-£1,500) project grants remain open on a rolling basis, for one-off projects in North East Lincolnshire with support from Arts Council England Place Partnership Fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund.    You will also need to complete an inclusion monitoring form.  Read for further guidance.

Please note that we will accept audio or video applications for funding applications, which answer all of the questions (although personal detail sections of the form would need to be completed).

Please also be aware of our new email address createnortheastlincolnshire@nelincs.gov.uk. 

Share our new handle on social media @CreateNorthEastLincolnshire on Facebook and Instagram (in the process of being updates) and @CreateNEL on X.

NOTE: Creative Match Fund is currently paused pending applications being reviewed. Creative Match Fund is a fund to help increase investment across North East Lincolnshire in arts, culture and heritage activities and events. Applicants can bid into the Creative Match Fund for up to £5,000 and use this as match funding for revenue bids to heritage and arts funders, such as Arts Council England or National Lottery Heritage Fund. Grants of between £500 and £5,000 are available, with the maximum grant award being 10% of costs, or £5,000 (whichever is the smaller). In exceptional circumstances grants of over £5,000 may be offered. There is no deadline but this is on a first come first served basis.

Our next Create North East Lincolnshire Networking is on Tuesday 26th March, 5pm-7:30pm, Central Hall, Duncombe Street, Grimsby, DN32 7EG, where you will be able to have a tour of the impressive building which houses so many heritage stories. You’ll get the opportunity to network with like-minded people as well as shout out about activity and opportunities. Reserve a spot for free.

Arts Council England update their National Lottery Project Grants Programme every few years based on feedback from those that look to apply for funding.  As a result, from November, the application form has been updated to make it clearer and easier to complete.  There will also be updated resources to support preparation for an application.

Key changes include:

  • Three different application forms dependent on what you are applying for, with questions only to be relevant to the amount.  Those amounts are: £30,000 or under, £30,001 to £100,000 and £100,001+
  • More space to describe your project in your own words, to show what it means to you and those experiencing it.
  • Less reading for projects £30,000 or less.  There will no longer be a need to read Arts Council England’s ‘Let’s Create’ Strategy and no need to explain how the project contributes to the outcomes of the strategy.  Alternative questions will be provided that use clearer language.
  • New bite-sized online resources will be provided for those new to applying for Arts Council funding.
  • Website changes that will make finding relevant information and guidance more straightforward.
  • From 1st December 2023, Projects over £100,001 were previously known as ‘Nationally Significant Project’ will now be known as ‘Major Projects’.  Such projects need to be innovative, collaborative and international.

More information is found on Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants page.

Dale Wells and Darren Neave from Turntable Gallery are partnering with Arts and Culture Network to provide professional feedback about artistic work, artistic guidance, career advice, resolving dilemmas or general chat about your artwork. This is on Saturday 2nd March 13:30-16:00pm and Wednesday 20th March 16:30-19:00pm for bookable half hour sessions at 20-21 Visual Arts Centre, Scunthorpe. You can secure your place by calling 01724 297070.

Eleos Collective have launched their Create North East Lincolnshire funded project Meet us at Albert’s, exploring the rich printmaking history of our area. They are looking to collect stories from those who have experiences working in the industry of printmaking, and share with the wider community about our culture and heritage. Get in touch with Eleos Collective if you are interested in being involved.

RED SAIL are now accepting poetry submissions. Do you want to get your work showcased on Red Sails Instagram page? send in your work to redsailofficial@gmail.com.

Hammond House Publishing have several opportunities:

Promote your new book, song, play, exhibition or other event on the Heritage Channel and Billboard TV. Contact media@hammondhouse.org.uk.

Musicians can register with Book the Band, the platform that showcases local talent.

Artists can exhibit their work at  the Hammond House Gallery in Louth.

Heritage Lincolnshire are seeking volunteers to help shape and inform a set of educational and digital resources focusing on the astonishing legacy of Edward Watkin. The project is set to run until July 2025.

Innovative UK are offering small businesses in the creative industries £50,000 to fund an innovative project in 2024., through their Creative Catalyst Programme. Deadline Wednesday 6th March 2024.

Heritage Crafts invites craft practitioners and organisations in the UK to apply for small grants to fund projects that support endangered crafts, via the Endangered Crafts Fund. Deadline Friday 22nd March 2024.

The St Hugh’s Foundation have launched their Artist Respond 2024 Awards and are marking their 30 years as a Foundation by awarding 30 awards of up to £2,500 during the year.

Common Purpose have launched their Natural Recovery Leadership Programme. The programmes will bring together emerging leaders from different disciplines, communities, and backgrounds who share a common ambition: to restore and regenerate nature.  Applications are now open. The deadline for applications is Sunday 7 April 2024.

Applications for the UK and international Unlimited Open Awards are open. Are you a disabled artist who has a bucket full of ideas but don’t have enough funding for them? The Open Awards are offering a total of £600,000 to 14 disabled artists to create extraordinary work.  Projects can be at any stage of development and across a wide range of artforms.

The Into Film Awards are now open for young people age 5-19. There are 10 categories in total and entries are open until Sunday 31st March 2024.

The King Charles III Charitable Fund (KCCF) considers small grant applications from UK registered non-profit organisations supporting grassroots projects in diverse and deprived communities. The small grants programme awards single or multi-year grants to a maximum value of £5,000 and includes themes of heritage and conservation, education, health & wellbeing, social inclusion, environment and countryside. Open 8th February 2024-22nd February 2024.

The Humber Museums Partnership (HMP) is pleased to announce the return of their small grants scheme for independent museums and heritage organisations in the Humber region. Organisations are invited to apply to support projects telling the ‘Stories of the Humber’. The scheme is open to all museums and heritage organisations across Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, North and North East Lincolnshire. Round 1 opens in January 2024 and round 2 in April 2024. You can apply for grants between £2,000 – £6,000 and you do not need to be accredited to apply. Projects must be completed by December 2025. Interested museums are asked to submit an initial short expression of interest or discuss their projects with a member of the HMP team before applying. For informal discussions, expressions of interest or to request an application pack please contact Sarah@museumtales.co.uk.

Jamie Walsh (Associate Producer, LAC) and Chelsey Everatt (EverArts) are carrying out a survey for producers and creatives to take stock of the skills, experience and needs of producers across Greater Lincolnshire to then inform what the Lincolnshire Producers Network will look like. They are also seeking partners to work on developing the project such as:

  • One day coworking space provided in kind for the project, with suitable wifi, tables and chairs (we will allocate budget for refreshments)
  • Expertise in house (or extend the invitation for your staff training) to deliver a workshops/masterclasses/talks for the network in kind, either in person or online, which could include topics such as marketing, social media, fundraising, contracts, access, anti-racism, health and safety, approaching venues, co-creation, sustainability, or anything else
  • Hosting a Trainee Producer placement, providing 15 days suitable work for the trainee (paid by the project) and a mentor in kind for the trainee
  • Collaborating with the network on suitable ‘Go See’ opportunities, regionally, nationally or internationally
  • Financial contribution to the project to provide match funding, meeting your aims of supporting sector development
  • Connecting to artists and creatives, established producers and potential trainees, who may be within your networks and interested in accessing the programme activities
  • Contact producersnetwork@everarts.co.uk for more details.

Paula and Jo from Our Big Picture are keen to welcome artists and creatives to their space in Grimsby town centre with introductory offers for co-working space.  Get in touch with them to find out more: paula@ourbigpicture.co.uk or jo.shaw@ourbigpicture.co.uk.

The Kasbah at Grimsby’s famous port could be an ideal location for filming. Take a look here for further information and now the Kasbah Film Qtr has been launched.

Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre are looking for volunteers to support their Dynamic Collections Project. For more information contact alistair.eachus@nelincs.gov.uk.

Fancy supporting the Grimsby Creates programme as a volunteer? Sign up to our Grimsby Creates Champion Portal.

Creative Directory – Send in your details on our online form so we can build up a picture of the creative talent within NEL.

What’s on

Evangeline Henderson’s immersive show Grimm 2024 will take place at Docks Academy on Thursday 14th March 2024. There is also a performance at The Polar Bear, Hull on Saturday 16th March 2024. Tickets are £12 plus booking fee.

Every 2nd Thursday of the month, join Resident MC Lauren Smith as she hosts Stand-Up Comedy from some of the best talent on the circuit at Vittles & Company.  Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

Next up at The Caxton Theatre is Gameshow from 2nd March to 9th March 2024.

Cineshow have a range of forthcoming immersive cinema experiences, including Finding Nemo on Sunday 11th February at Cleethorpes Leisure Centre for those with special educational needs, Bloody Valentines Movie Night on Wednesday 14th February at Grimsby Central Hall and Beauty and the Beast Sing-A-Long Adventure on Sunday 17th March.

The Greatest Story Never Told – The Legend of Grim the founder of Grimsby is currently being held at the Muriel Barker Gallery, Fishing Heritage Centre, until 30th June 2024. Created by the Equality Practice, this is the celebration of Inclusion and reimagines the legend that has long been forgotten, that of Grim and the rescued boy, Prince Havelock. No need to book.

Our Big Picture have launched their new club the IMAGINE CLUB for young creatives aged between 7 and 11 years old. This runs weekly on Saturdays, 10am-11pm. Contact Jo at Our Big Picture: obpteam@ourbigpicture.co.uk for a registration pack. Additionally, Our Big Picture are now running IMAGINE CLUB, After School every Thursday (term time only) 4pm-5:30pm at Our Big Picture, 21 Bethlehem Street, Grimsby, DN31 1JN. This is for young creatives under 7 years old accompanied by an adult and there is no need to book, you can just drop in for free.

Our Big Picture have launched their REIMAGINE adult weekly art club on Tuesdays form 4pm-6pm. Contact Jo at Our Big Picture: obpteam@ourbigpicture.co.uk for a registration pack.

Climb 4 have launched a user-led creative writing and art club two Fridays every month for 11-18 year olds. Exploring themes such as emotion, culture, diversity and hidden illness, activates include fun craft, story writing, poems, fashion design, sewing, drawing, sculpture and painting. 6 week discounted membership is available. For more information contact Climb 4 info@climb4.co.uk or 07548825027.

Hull based bestselling author, Louise Beech, whose debut novel reached number four in the Amazon UK chart is set to visit Cleethorpes Library for an insightful evening of storytelling on Thursday 14th March 2024 from 7pm to 9pm. Tickets cost £3.

Exhibitions

To help raise awareness of an important topic, NELC Children’s Services have a Uncovering modern slavery: an exhibition on at Grimsby Minster from 3rd February – 16th March. As part of this, Sarah Palmer is holding art workshops called ‘What does freedom mean to you?’ A children’s workshop takes place on Thursday 15th February, 10am-1pm at Grimsby Minster (just drop in), and an adult workshop on Monday 11th March, 10am-1pm at Grimsby Town Hall (again, just drop in).

Workshops

Join Katharine Boardman from Arts Council England on Wednesday 6th March from 4:30pm until 6:30pm at The Training Room, E-Factor’s Business Hive Club,13 Dudley Street, Grimsby, England, DN31 2AW, to explore the process of writing Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant applications. You will get the chance to unpick the application form and think about how you will present your project idea and demonstrate need and demand. Sign up for free.

Sarah Allen, is hosting two workshops on Monday 26th February 2024, 10-12 and Monday 4th March, 10-12 (both at Grimbarians CIC studio, 86 Wharncliffe Road North Grimsby DN31 3QJ) based around ‘Create, Self-Care, Reflect and Connect: Self Care for Creatives’. People can attend one or both workshops, as they are different but with the same thread running through them.  Places are limited.

Amazing Dyslexics: Colourful Conversations led by authors, advocates & curators Kate Power and Kathy Forsyth of Amazing Dyslexics, is a colourful conversation will explore dyslexic strengths and creativity. Saturday 9th March 2024, 1–4:30pm at Hub Sleaford, £10 booking.

The Black Gull Café at The Great Escape at Creative Start offers The Dice Factory, a free inclusive hobby community open to all 16+, focused on supporting positive mental well-being through table top gaming, miniature painting and all things hobby related. You can book on to future sessions. The Dice Factory are also offering mental health focused outreach workshops for young people and adults, including miniature painting, board games and creative writing. For more details contact Jon King jon.creativestart@gmail.com.  

As part of their Crowdfunder Creative Match, Red Herring Games are running an epic 26 free workshops ‘Untitled’ in North East Lincolnshire aimed at upskilling local writers.  A fantastic array of opportunities over the next 11 months. 

There are a whole host of yarn bomb workshops ongoing, led by Louise Drakes, including opportunities at Love Grimsby and Love Immingham.

Grimbarians Studio provides a haven for creatives to collaborate, socialise and create.  They put on workshops in various disciplines as well as hosting social evenings.  Check out their website to find out more.

Lee from Acting Lincs has created a safe space to share, take risks and grow.  Offering 3 levels of classes for beginners, intermediate and professionals at Grimsby Institute for Further and Higher Education on a weekly basis.