The goal of Scops Arts Trust is to help people to understand, participate in and enjoy the arts, particularly the performing arts. We are keen to find projects which widen access and have a lasting cultural impact on the community.
The Trustees have again reviewed our grant-making policy and in a continued effort to ensure that we only receive good quality applications which fit closely with our grant-making priorities, we have decided to focus each of the three grant rounds per year on a different area within the performing arts. A significant change in 2025 is that children’s music projects will not be considered at every grants round as we have previously done.
In 2025, these will be as follows:
Round 1: Opens 14 January for decisions by 15 April
Local music festivals (music performances specifically for children are excluded)
Round 2: Opens 20 May for decisions by 19 August
Early career musicians – programmes offering performance opportunities (applications from individuals are excluded)
Round 3: Opens 9 September for decisions by 9 December
Children’s and young people’s instrumental music education (choirs are excluded)
If your project does not fall within our focus, it will not be considered. If your answers to the eligibility questions are not accurate, your application will be rejected.
Please note we do not support projects or organisations where the main focus is health, therapy or social welfare; nor do we contribute towards the costs of construction, fit-out or repairs of arts venues.
We are particularly keen to help small-to-medium-sized organisations, although large charities are not excluded from applying. Most of our current grants support projects run by registered charities, but in exceptional circumstances, we will consider applications from established community groups as long as they have clear charitable aims. We award one-off grants and also consider multi-year funding. The majority of grants we award are in support of projects, but contributions towards specific and restricted core costs of smaller organisations where a grant from Scops Arts Trust could make an impact, will be considered.
Please read our Grant Guidelines carefully before applying.