York based organisations who have been negatively impacted by Covid-19 are invited to apply for a new Events and Festivals Grant Scheme, in order to support upcoming events in 2022. Applications are now open until 7th April on the Make It York website, with grants of up to £10,000 per organisation available.
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the delivery of events and festivals across York, with many not taking place as planned or cancelled completely. Local arts, cultural and community organisations have also seen their finances negatively impacted by the pandemic as lockdown restrictions and social distancing halted their programme of activities and income generation.
Recognising this challenge, City of York Council allocated £100k from its Additional Restrictions Grant Allocation to support events and festivals to take place across York. This fund has been well received and utilised, livening up the city once more. In February 2022, it was approved that a further £50k allocation from the Council’s ARG Budget would be provided to Make It York to support a broader range of festivals and events to take place across York this year.
The purpose for this grant funding is to support the delivery of events and festivals which would have happened in 2020 and/or 2021, as well as new events and festivals led by York-based organisations who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic and therefore unable to fund the overall costs of such activities themselves. Applicants must demonstrate how their event supports economic recovery, residents, communities, plus the aims and ambitions of the York Culture Strategy.
Organisations who are awarded grants will have access to promotions through Visit York and Make It York’s high-profile marketing and communication channels. Where an organisation is not a member of Visit York, Make It York will provide a one-year membership package to ensure that the event is as far reaching as possible.
Grant funding comes from the Government’s ARG fund, and is provided by City of York Council to Make It York, to be delivered in consultation with the Executive Members for Culture & Communities and Economy & Strategic Planning, supporting York’s economic recovery from Covid-19.
Sarah Loftus, Managing Director at Make It York, said: “Events and festivals have been significantly impacted throughout the pandemic, from cancellations to contingencies. This new Events and Festivals Grant Scheme, from the City of York Council’s Additional Restrictions Grant Allocation, aims to support both existing and new events taking place in the city this year benefitting residents, communities and continuing to champion York’s brilliant culture sector. Make It York have designed a quick turnaround grant-giving process, which opens from today, and we’re looking forward to receiving applications. Grants of up to £10,000 are available and we’ll be letting recipients know whether they’ve been successful before the end of April.”
Councillor Darryl Smalley, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Communities, said: “This investment will support events across the city, boosting York’s reputation as a city of experiences. I urge organisations to put forward their ideas to ensure residents and visitors have many more exciting events to look forward to.”
“The ARG fund has previously supported safe, large-scale events across the city, such as Jorvik Viking Festival, York Food and Drink Festival, York Design Week and Aesthetica Film Festival. These much-loved events were a huge success and delivered an uplift to both our economy and wellbeing.”
For more information:
Sarah Foster, Communications Manager at Make It York
Notes to Editors:
Applications for the ARG Events and Festivals Grant Scheme are open until 7th April. Please apply via the Make It York website.
Grant funding comes from the Government’s ARG fund, and is provided by City of York Council to Make It York, to be delivered in consultation with the Executive Members for Culture & Communities and Economy & Strategic Planning, supporting York’s economic recovery from Covid-19.
Events and festivals applying for the grant funding must demonstrate the following:
1. Evidence that their event has been negatively impacted by the covid-19 pandemic: demonstrating that the event has been delayed/ timelines affected, with evidence of financial losses/ reduced income OR how your new event has been negatively impacted by the pandemic and therefore you are unable to fund the overall costs of such activities yourselves
2. How funding for this event/ festival will support economic/ wider recovery from covid-19
3. How this event/ festival will support residents and communities
4. How this event/ festival supports the aims and vision of the York Culture Strategy, York’s Creative Future, 2020-25
5. How this grant funding will support the event to become more sustainable in future years.
About Make It York
Make It York’s purpose is to develop and promote the city and its surroundings – nationally and internationally – as a vibrant and attractive place to live, visit, study, work and do business. Its mission is to grow the economic prosperity and wider wellbeing of York and its citizens. In practice, this means delivering a range of projects and programmes based around our corporate strategic priorities.
These are:
- City positioning and profile-raising
- Ensuring an exciting city centre
- Delivering the city’s ground-breaking Cultural Strategy
