Arts, Entertainment & Recreation grants open this month (April 2026)
April 2026 arts grants now open: National Lottery Heritage offers up to £250k, plus research grants for orgs with academic partnerships.
April 2026 brings a solid mix of funding opportunities for arts, entertainment and recreation organisations, though many of the larger pots are aimed at heritage projects rather than contemporary arts. The National Lottery Heritage Fund continues to dominate the landscape with rolling applications, while several research-focused grants may suit organisations with academic partnerships.
Worth applying to
National Lottery Heritage Grants: £10,000 to £250,000
This is your bread and butter heritage funding, covering everything from community archives to historic building repairs. Applications are rolling, so you can apply when you're ready rather than rushing to meet a deadline. Perfect for museums, heritage centres, and community groups working on local history projects.
National Lottery Project Grants
Arts Council England's flagship programme offers £1,000 to £100,000 for arts, libraries, and museums projects. The rolling deadline means you can take time to develop a strong application. This suits established arts organisations, libraries, and museums with clear artistic or educational outcomes.
Arts-based Learning Fund
The Paul Hamlyn Foundation provides up to £300,000 for arts and cultural organisations working directly with schools. If you're already delivering educational programmes or want to develop them, this rolling programme could fund significant expansion of your schools work.
Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk
Historic England offers £5,000 to £750,000 for urgent repairs to heritage buildings. The deadline is 1 April 2026, so you need to move quickly. This suits organisations that own or manage historic buildings needing structural work or conservation.
Heritage Revival Fund
The Architectural Heritage Fund helps communities rescue neglected historic buildings with grants up to £350,000. Deadline is 1 April 2026. This works for community groups taking on empty historic buildings for arts or community use, not just preservation.
Also open
- National Lottery Heritage Grants: £250,000 to £10 million - Up to £10,000,000 - Major heritage projects (rolling deadline)
- Nature Networks Fund: Round Five - Up to £1,000,000 - Nature recovery projects in Wales (rolling)
- Heritage Protection Commissions Programme - Up to £300,000 - Heritage research and skills building (deadline 1 April 2026)
- Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas - Up to £300,000 - Conservation area improvements for local authorities (deadline 1 April 2026)
- UK Global Screen Fund: International Business Development - Up to £100,000 - Screen industry international growth (deadline 1 April 2028)
- Music Export Growth Scheme - Up to £50,000 - UK music acts going international (deadline 1 April 2027)
- Community Investment Fund - Up to £50,000 - Community groups in Stoke-on-Trent only (rolling)
The remaining grants are primarily aimed at universities and research institutions: AHRC research grants, early career fellowships, and international collaboration schemes. These require academic partnerships and research outputs that most arts organisations can't deliver.
| Grant | Amount | Best for | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Lottery Project Grants | £1,000-£100,000 | Arts organisations, museums | Rolling |
| Arts-based Learning Fund | Up to £300,000 | Schools partnerships | Rolling |
| Heritage Revival Fund | Up to £350,000 | Community building projects | 1 April 2026 |
| Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk | £5,000-£750,000 | Building repairs | 1 April 2026 |
Tips for arts, entertainment & recreation applications
Show your community impact with numbers. Funders want to see how many people you reach, especially if they're from underrepresented groups. "We'll engage 500 local residents, including 200 from ethnic minority backgrounds" beats vague promises about "bringing the community together."
Match your project to the funder's current priorities. The National Lottery Heritage Fund currently emphasises climate action and social justice. Arts Council England focuses on creative case diversity and environmental responsibility. Read their latest strategy documents, not just the grant guidelines.
Budget for evaluation from day one. Include costs for measuring your impact, whether that's audience surveys, participant interviews, or attendance tracking. Funders increasingly want evidence that their money made a difference, and you can't retrofit proper evaluation.
Set up alerts for arts, entertainment & recreation grants to catch new opportunities as they open.