AA2A Artist Support Fund

What the fund is

The Artist Support Fund application form is available here

This is a fund for artists on current AA2A schemes. We expect to be able to provide expenses of up to £350 for artists on benefits associated with low income. This is to help with the costs of childcare, travel and materials. Applications from artists on income below £12,000 but not in receipt of benefits can also apply but only for a maximum of £250. Artists with costs associated with disability can fill in the same application form but are not limited to £350

When to apply and how it works

• All applications should be submitted by late November (date to be confirmed) to stand the best chance of funds being available
• Artists normally apply once they are offered a place and should not apply before being invited to interview, unless they have costs associated with a disability
• Every applicant will be emailed information about our decision within 7 days
• We aim to pay Artists on benefits within 28 days of applying
• Payments will only be made once we have confirmation you've accepted an AA2A place
• We share information on the level of funding, with AA2A staff at the host institution

NB: Artists on a low income but not in receipt of benefits, will only be paid out in December, after those with disabilities and on benefits have been paid out. As these later payments will be from the remaining fund, they are not guaranteed and are not always for the full amount applied for.
As you may required you to accept an offer of a place within a few days, please apply promptly if accepting a place is dependent on our decision on funding

Conditions

As this Fund comes primarily from grant aid, we may need to ask for evidence of how you spent the money. Please keep receipts, etc. in case our funders decide an audit is needed. If this happened we would contact you directly. Due to Arts Council England rules, the money paid to you is not a grant but an advance payment of expenses you expect to incur. If your expenses vary a little from your proposed outline, you do not need to contact us, as long as they are still within our general rules, and records are kept.

The money can be used towards travel, formal childcare and materials, which you would not otherwise need. Reimbursement for travel can be public transport or mileage, paid at a maximum of 25p per mile. Funds cannot be used against the cost of capital items such as computers, kilns etc. Should less than 50 of the 100 access hours be used at your host institution, artists may be asked to return an appropriate proportion of the money, or any unused materials. Any unspent funds must be returned so we can fund other artists.