I can help you with:

• figuring out what to do next & how
• writing a funding application (I’m a registered Support Worker with ACE – see below for more info)
• your project budgets
• creating a road map for your artistic project
• putting together a project management timeline
• any interpersonal issues you might have with fellow collaborators or company members.

Essentially, I can create spreadsheets out of your messy mind palace, counsel you through your inner critic’s worst abuses, and nag the hell out of you to Get Stuff Done!

(the reason I can do these things is because I’ve had to do them for myself…and I know how useful it is to have someone else tell you what to do and set deadlines for you to follow).

And you don’t need to be a circus, street, or theatre performance-maker to find my approach helpful – I’ve worked with sculptors, musicians, dancers and puppeteers.

So grab a cuppa and get in touch.

“Gwen was amazing! She helped me figure out what I really wanted to do and how to write a funding application for it. Over several weeks she led me step by step through the process and supported me to think deeply about the questions asked and articulate my thoughts. Couldn’t have done it without her. So grateful!!”

Gwen writes funding applications

Do you have dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD or another neurodiversity? Has this stopped you from applying for funding in the past?

I have capacity to support a few people in writing Arts Council England funding applications.

The Arts Council of England (ACE) have a couple of funding strands – Develop Your Creative Practice (DYCP) and National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG). 

• DYCP is for individual creatives, supporting you to make a step-change in your career. (This one is for self-development, not to make a project/show). 
• NLPG is for projects: to make a show, or for R&D (research & development) towards a show, or to create workshops with communities, or any other kind of creative endeavour that has public engagement at its heart.

I am registered with ACE as a support worker – meaning I can help you write your application to either of these two funds if you have access needs. Together we’d ask ACE for the money to cover my time in supporting you, and this gets paid directly to me. So you get your application written, and I get paid to help you…win win! 

Access needs: This means you, if you have a physical or mental health condition that means it’s difficult for you to read/comprehend the application forms or fill them in. This includes dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD or another neurodiversity (there are lots in the performing arts!). ACE do not require proof of diagnosis.

The support I offer includes a FREE initial consultation, where we have a chat about your idea and I talk you (gently) through the process of applying for the funding. Then we’ll figure out how long it’s going to take to write the application and how many days/hours help you’ll need from me (i.e. 3 days spread over 3 weeks). And then we apply to ACE for the money to cover this, and we’d get stuck in.

I can also help you with your application if you don’t have access needs, but the fees won’t be covered by ACE.

So if you’ve always wondered about funding but thought “well, this obviously isn’t for me”, or you’ve taken a look at the application forms and run screaming in the other direction, then maybe get in touch. Remember, the first chat is always free!

Small print: even with a brilliantly written application, there’s no guarantee that it will be successful due to the high numbers applying and the amount of money available at ACE. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try however, and many people seem to be successful on a second or third submission.