Islington Community Festivals Fund

The Community Festivals Fund aims to support organisations based in Islington to deliver high quality, innovative, community-focused festivals that promote community togetherness, openness to all, cultural benefit, and partnership working.

The scheme is a grant programme where applicants are commissioned to produce their festival across three years with a requirement to report annually on the previous year's activities.

Who can apply

The fund is designed to support local arts, culture, voluntary, community and faith organisations, or group of organisations to deliver festivals in the borough.

Please note that we are not able to support individuals.

What we fund

We plan to make three-year grants to a limited number of borough-wide community festivals enabling them to deliver community-focused events that encourage all residents, whatever their background, to participate and celebrate together.

We particularly welcome applications which can show that such a grant will make a significant difference in maximising access to and participation in cultural activities and celebrate Islington’s diversity.

We are particularly keen that festivals will attract people from the following groups as well as people from across the Islington community, to actively take part in the festivals as audiences, participants and/or organisers:

• disabled people
• Black, Asian, minority ethnic and refugee communities
• lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups
• older people
• young people
• children.

All festivals must be open and accessible to the general public and provide benefit across Islington, not just to the organisation’s own members. If you cannot demonstrate this, your application will be declined. Please note that demonstrating ongoing sustainability is also important, particularly if you have recently lost local authority or other regular funding.

How much can you apply for

The total funding available for this grant programme will be £10,000 per year, for the period of three years in a row, and the maximum grant available per application is up to £2,500 annually. The total grant is up to £7,500 for three years.

In the event that the Community Festivals Fund is no longer affordable, the council is able to withdraw funding in the second and third years. It is possible that the proposed amounts allocated to successful organisations may be reduced for future years.

Please also note that competition for funding is very strong and we receive many more applications than we are unable to fund.

When can you apply

The deadline for applications to the Community Festivals Fund Small Grants Programme 2023 - 2026 has now passed.

Eligibility checks and shortlisting for the awarding of grants is currently taking place.

Further information

If you require further information or have a query about the Community Festivals Fund small grants scheme please email culture@islington.gov.uk.