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Cornwall Museums Partnership

Bright Sparks Applications Now Open

Cornwall Museums Partnership and FEAST are challenging museums and artists to work together to generate original ideas for bringing more and different people into the museums of Cornwall to enjoy Cornwall’s unique heritage. For the third year, we are offering a joint small grants fund to enable the best ideas to be tested and delivered.

We are looking for genuine innovation and collaboration between the artist(s) and museum, and for ideas which would appeal to a broad range of the community. We are inviting proposals for creative projects which spark interest in what museums have to offer: we want more people interested in their heritage and more people doing or experiencing something creative.

We are offering a number of small grants of up to £2,500. The project must involve some form of tangible activity or event with which the community can get involved.

Applications must be made jointly by the artist(s) and museum. Ideas must be generated collaboratively and plans for delivery shared by both. We imagine that some of the strongest ideas may come from an artist working with their local museum, but are not making this an absolute condition. You choose whether it is the artist(s) or museum who is the grant recipient on behalf of the project.

Our criteria:

  • Quality and the ability to excite

We are looking only for work of a high professional standard that is fresh and inspiring

  • An innovative approach to involving as wide a range of people of all ages and backgrounds as possible

Show us how you plan to include people who normally assume arts and heritage activities are not for them

  • Imaginative ways of rewarding and enhancing the experience of museum volunteers

We want projects which ignite the enthusiasm of the volunteers and give them new ways to get involved

  • Value for money

We will take into account other match funding raised, but this can be in kind and will vary according to the scale of the project and amount requested. 

We will also be looking at the difference the project could make to the museum’s offer – the value added

  • Evidence of genuine collaboration between museum and artist

We want jointly developed proposals that draw on the strengths of both (Artists should not be used simply to deliver workshops devised by the museum and museums should not be used simply as a venue by the artist)

  • Legacy

We are looking for projects with a longer-term impact and which build skills, confidence and innovation within the museum and its volunteers. With the Digital Strand, we are looking for projects that take into account the use of the equipment past the end of the project.

Additional factors

  • In selecting projects we will be looking at the geographical spread of activity. This is obviously outside of your control, but please understand that this is a factor for us.
  • We will also be looking for projects of different scales. Don’t be afraid to apply for a few hundred pounds to make something small but perfectly formed happen in the museum!

For grants over £1,000, we will pay in 3 stages: 50% upfront, 40% on receipt of an interim report and the final 10% on receipt of a project evaluation (templates provided by us).

For grants under £1,000, we will pay 90% up front and 10% on receipt of evaluation.

Selection of successful projects will be made by a panel of FEAST and Cornwall Museum Partnership directors and a member of each organisation’ s board or advisory group.  The deadline for applications has been extended to 27th October 2019 and decisions will be announced shortly afterwards.

To apply, please download and complete the application form below.

For more information contact celine@cornwallmuseumspartnership.org.uk Tel: 01209500750 or feast@creativekernow.org.uk Tel: 01209312502.

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