Aims/priorities: Art Fund is offering funding to help museums, galleries and visual arts organisations provide paid opportunities for full-time university students to gain meaningful, developmental work-experience that enables them to further explore their interest in the arts, and related future career options before they graduate. Student opportunities can benefit visual arts organisations in the following ways:
- Build knowledge of how to effectively engage youth/student audiences by working directly with students.
- Develop a wider and more diverse range of voices within the organisation.
- Help develop the diversity of the whole cultural sector, creating a fit for purpose and engaged workforce.
- Payment assures students take their responsibilities seriously and are a reliable and accountable resource.
Who can apply: Eligible applicants are UK public museums, galleries, historic houses, libraries, archives, agencies and other visual arts organisations that:
- Have a public presence (eg a building open to the public) or a public outcome (eg a festival or public art programme)
- Can demonstrate that they operate to standards of best practice within the sector (eg through Arts Council England accreditation).
Grant amount: Grants of up to £10,000 are available. Art Fund will consider 100% funding towards the costs associated with paying students for their time to help cultural organisations deliver projects. Art Fund encourage applications that focus on facilitating public engagement with art – whether that be online or in real life. They will fund the costs associated with paying students for the time they spend supporting an organisation in delivering projects.
The following costs will not be funded:
- Core staff costs
- Costs relating to ongoing overheads
- Retrospective funding for projects that have already been delivered.
Application process: The guidance notes and application form can be found on the website.
Applicants are asked to allow at least eight weeks between submitting applications and the time by which they need a decision.
Applicants may get in touch to discuss their potential project before submitting an application.
This year (2026) applications and supporting documents will only be accepted by email. The online portal is not being used due to changes in the funder's system.
Deadline: The next deadline for applications is 26 June 2026.
Contact info: programmes@artfund.org