Factory Seminar – A beginner’s guide to funding and grant applications.

What is the session about?

This is an in-person seminar for artists and creative businesses who need an introduction to writing funding and grant applications. British Ceramics Biennial Artistic Director & Chief Executive Clare Wood will lead this event drawing on her wealth of experience working in the cultural sector in fundraising and leadership roles. This event will provide clear advice and tips ranging from where to find out about opportunities to how to manage an unsuccessful application. The session will include resources for identifying opportunities, further reading and advice. 

What will this session cover?

• Trusts and foundations a UK context 
• Assessing whether trust and foundation support is right for you/your project 
• Where to look for opportunities 
• How to assess which is the right opportunity 
• How to identify your idea 
• Writing your application 
• What happens next  

Who is the session for?

• People who feel unsure about how to write a funding application
• People who have submitted funding applications but haven’t been successful yet and need some advice to improve 
• People who find funding application guidelines difficult 
• Students or people who are early in their career and want to start building a tool kit to help manage a sustainable career 

Who is delivering?

Clare Wood – Artistic Director & Chief Executive, British Ceramics Biennial 

Clare Wood started her career at the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol, co-curating, funding and promoting exhibitions by artists including Gillian Ayres, Richard Long and Anthony Whishaw. She then moved to Stockholm supporting the city’s museums and cultural organisations in event and exhibition delivery. 

On returning to the UK, Clare ran the Manor House Museum and Alfred East Art Gallery in Kettering before joining The Culture Trust Luton. In 2013, Clare joined the team at MK Gallery to work on delivery of the £12m redevelopment that doubled the gallery spaces and introduced facilities to transform the accessibility and appeal of this iconic Milton Keynes cultural organisation. 

In early 2018, Clare became Chief Executive of Re-Form Heritage, a national charity that supports communities through the regeneration of their historic buildings, based at Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent. At Re-Form Heritage, Clare worked closely on the campaign to reinstate bell founding to the famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry site and has been instrumental in the transformation of a terrace of former pottery workers’ houses in Stoke-on-Trent to create a new heritage attraction, studio and workshop complex, a publicly accessible archive service and a community centre. Clare began her role leading BCB in August 2021. 

How to book?

All Factory events are free and tickets are booked through the event pages on the BCB website.

What is Factory?

This workshop is proudly run as part of the creative business support programme Factory. Factory is a partnership between Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, Staffordshire University, British Ceramics Biennial and ACAVA. The programme is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Visit our main Factory page for more information about other opportunities and workshops run through Factory. 

In-person Access:

• All venues we will use will have flat access via lift or location on the ground floor.
• We have a portable Loop for those who need it. Please email rhiannon@britishceramicsbiennial.com ahead of the event if you would like to use this system.
• In advance of each event we aim to share an overview of the event including tasks that may be given to participants you can prepare.  
• We will share a resource pack after the event including summary notes and other relevant links and resourced. 

If there is anything we can do to support your participation in the event please do get in touch with: rhiannon@britishceramicsbiennial.com to discuss what we can put in place for you.