Cultural Action Areas programme
We are pleased to announce new grant funding that will establish or extend Cultural Action Areas (CAA). These areas were formerly called Cultural Action Zones and are still known as that outside Birmingham.
Investing in culture can help grow local economies by creating a diverse cultural and heritage offer for our local centres. Even small investments can make a big difference.
The program is based on a pilot with nine Cultural Action Zones conducted by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership from 2020 to 2022. During this period, various activities were established and tested, including:
- piloting new festivals, markets and other activities to increase footfall and business activity
- reconfiguring the use of retail spaces to establish community hubs
- re-routing traffic to increase participation at events and improve the use of public spaces
- providing access to volunteering and skills development opportunities, particularly for young people or those more isolated and vulnerable
- improving collaboration between cultural, business and community organisations to maximise the cultural, community and business offer locally
CAA funding supports strong local collaboration and lasting improvements for the benefit of residents, visitors, businesses, and community groups. The program is run by the Cultural Development team and is funded through its Enterprise Zone. Grants can be used in any Birmingham ward, ranging from £20,000 to £100,000, with an average award of £55,000.
Additional cash, income, or in-kind resources (also known as match) will be required. In total, this program will distribute £1,435,000 in grants until March 2029. We hope to award 5 grants per round, totalling thirty awards overall.
The first two rounds will run in 2024 and will distribute £550,000 to 10 CAAs according to the following timetable:
| Date | Details | Grant distributed |
|---|---|---|
| 5 February 2024 | Round 1 call opens | n/a |
| 18 March 2024 | Round 1 closes (6 weeks later) | n/a |
| 19 April 2024 | Round 1 awards announced, contract and start by 1 May 2024 or soon after | £275K of grants will be awarded to be spent over 12 months |
| 29 April 2024 | Round 2 call opens | n/a |
| 17 June 2024 | Round 2 call closes (7 weeks later) | n/a |
| 12 July 2024 | Round 2 awards announced, contract and start by 1 August 2024 or soon after | £275K of grants will be awarded to be spent over 12 months |
To find out about the eligibility criteria and how to apply for a grant, download the following documents:
- CAA Grants programme call
- CAA Grants programme application guidance
- CAA Grants programme how we make decisions
- CAA Grants programme guidance webinar presentation
- CAA Grants programme webinar presentation
- CAA Frequently asked questions from webinars and advice sessions
To register your interest in this funding call, email us: art.grants@birmingham.gov.uk. Write ‘CAA Registration’ in the subject field.
We will send you the application form along with registration details for the upcoming free workshops, Q&A sessions, and one-to-one sessions.
Page last updated: 1 March 2024
