The goal is to support art as a way of enriching life experience.
Current priorities:
Grant making in London is focused on arts projects that provide opportunities to artists from diverse cultures for the creation, development, performance, or exhibition in the performing (music, opera, dance, theatre) literary, or visual arts.
New work or ground-breaking re-interpretations of classic repertoire that demonstrate the potential: for artistic excellence, to reach large and diverse audiences, and/or to make a significant, new contribution to the art form.
Art that is experimental, risk-taking, and/or engages controversial issues.
Projects that involve young artists.
In addition, the foundation also welcomes arts-related library, literacy and archiving projects.
Please note: Artist Residencies, workshopping and R&D projects are only considered for funding as part of the preparation towards a culminating exhibition or performance for live audiences in London.
Please note the following are NOT funding priorities of the foundation:
Arts projects that are primarily focused on social/political advocacy, community arts and arts-education programmes are not a funding priority of the foundation.
Cockayne grants are focused on project funding: the foundation does not consider applications for core funding.
The foundation does not fund digital arts projects or films, including the filming of productions. Please do not apply if your project falls into one of these categories.
Although many Cockayne-supported theatre productions that originated in non-for-profit venues have subsequently gone on to successful West End runs, the foundation does not provide project funding for work designed from the outset to receive its London premiere in a commercial/West End theatre. Please do not apply for a grant if this is the case.
Capital campaigns are considered when the improvement of the home of an arts organisation is its highest priority. Capital-campaign grants tend to be considered in the same range as programme grants.
Multi-year grant applications are considered only occasionally.
Consecutive year funding is not encouraged; please do not apply if you were successful in the previous grant round unless you have a compelling reason to do so.
Grant size
Average grants range from £1,000 to £30,000.
Major Grant Awards
Following the success of the 10 major £100,000 grants awarded in Cockayne's 10th Anniversary Year (see 2023 Grant Awards), the foundation may choose to award a number of £100,000 grants for exceptional projects going forward. If your organisation or project budget is £400,000 or above and you would like to be considered at this level, please contact Cockayne's Executive Director, Jo Hedley, at info@cockaynefoundation.org.
Applicants should not apply for more than 20% of their overall project budget and must demonstrate clearly how additional funds for the project are to be raised.
Geographic priority
Cockayne Grants for the Arts in London are only open to arts organisations delivering their proposed work/projects in London.
Not for profit status requirement
Cockayne only considers applications from arts organisations that are fully registered charities.
Cockayne does not consider applications from for-profit organisations or from individuals.
Application Opening Dates & Deadline
Applications to the 2026 Cockayne Grants for the Arts grant round are scheduled to open in June and close in July 2026 (exact details tbc at the end of May 2026). Applications should be submitted online to admin@cockaynefoundation.org, copied to info@cockaynefoundation.org.
Please Note: Applications submitted outside of the June/July 2026 opening/closing deadline will not be considered. Applications should be for projects/performances scheduled to open no sooner than March 2027.
Please see the instructions here on how to submit your application.
Please note, whatever level of funding you wish to request, you may make only one application for one specific project.
Cockayne initiated grants
Cockayne uses a portion of its resources to fund in fields of interest not currently emphasized in its guidelines. These grants may grow into formal parts of the foundation's program in the future or they may be single, one-time grants. Because these grants are initiated by members of the foundation's board of directors or staff, unsolicited letters of inquiry for programmes outside of the foundation's current guidelines are not considered.
Screening procedures
Please note - the application process is highly competitive. Cockayne receives many more applications than it can fund each year. Although most applications merit support and fall within guidelines, Cockayne is able to fund only a proportion of the projects submitted.
A four-stage review process follows the Cockayne - Grants for the Arts London application deadline. The schedule is as follows:
Summer/Autumn: Cockayne staff review of applications
November/December: Cockayne Arts Committee review of applications
December: Cockayne Board review of applications
December/January: Cockayne recommendations to UK Donor Advised Fund partner
January: Donor Advised Fund review of grant recommendations
February: Public announcement of the Cockayne Grants for the Arts Awards
Review of Applications
The following questions are also among those considered when reviewing an application for a grant:
Benefit - Will the project add significantly to the art form and/or help the applicant/organisation grow artistically/organisationally?
Leadership - Who are the project leaders? Do they have the relevant ideas and/or experience to ensure success?
Cost - What is the cost of the project? Is it sustainable and reasonable in relationship to the overall budget and promised benefits/outcomes?
Time frame - Is it realistic and achievable?
Likelihood of success - are objectives sustainable? What is the probability that the project will be achieved as described?
Urgency - Is the issue urgent, requiring attention on a timely basis; are there special conditions now that increase/decrease the likelihood of success?
Need - Is it probable the project could secure significant funding elsewhere?
Grant Acknowledgement
Any organisation that receives a grant from Cockayne must acknowledge the fund's support in all project related printed and on-line publicity material.
Cockayne reserves the right to announce any grant awarded and to publish an image of any completed Cockayne-supported project on the Cockayne foundation website.
Reporting requirements
The foundation is interested in its grantees' work and expects to be updated regularly on their progress and informed in good time of any relevant events/performances. The foundation aims to view all the projects it supports in person.
Any changes to a project for which the grant has been awarded will have to be agreed in advance with the foundation. Failure to comply could lead to the grant being withdrawn.
Once their project has been completed, all grantees must provide a report detailing the progress and results of their program. Cockayne is particularly interested in the artistic impact and artistic/public benefit of grantee's projects and expects the grantee to provide supporting material to illustrate their account.
Reports must provide:
A narrative summary of the progress that the grantee has made towards achieving the purposes for which the grant was made.
Any relevant reviews/feedback and images of their work (the latter possibly for inclusion on Cockayne's website).
Two copies of any publications or products resulting from the grant e.g. books, exhibition catalogues, performance programmes, music or video recordings.
A statement of the grantee's compliance with the terms of the grant.
A separate financial report for the project showing a comparison between budgeted income and expenses, and actual income by source (list each foundation grant and amount separately) and actual expenses.
A separate financial report for the grantee's entire organisation for the current and previous fiscal year, showing a comparison between budgeted income and expenses, and actual income by source (list each foundation grant and amount separately) and actual expenses.
Those organisations awarded a grant payable in installments over more than one year will also need to provide brief annual interim updates on their project's progress before receiving further grant installments.
Reports should be forwarded by email to Jo Hedley, Executive Director of Cockayne, at info@cockaynefoundation.org.