The Grand Plan

Launched in May 2021, Grand Plan offers micro-grants to emerging artists and creative people of colour, providing a “leg up” or boost that they may never otherwise receive. Grantees work across a broad spectrum of artforms and the £1,000 awards may be put towards a range of purposes. The purchase of equipment, the hiring of studio space, skill acquisition, and the sourcing of materials are all possible ways the monies might serve to strengthen recipients’ artistic skills, output, outreach, or to build their resilience. The funding offers artists the opportunity to take creative risks and to undertake the playful exploration necessary to realise the next stages of their development. Beyond limited, one-time financial support, Grand Plan is fostering a peer network of alumni and exploring the offering of mentorship and other support to assist the career progression of both grantees and applicants. Examples of work funded through past award rounds include: the creation and publication of a zine on racism and colourism within the tattoo industry; the establishment of a collective garden for the Afro-diaspora community in Lewisham; the online publication of mental health resources for queer people of colour; the facilitation of educational workshops for the deaf dance community; the creation of an online archive for the Igbo community in the UK; and the composition of a hip-hop album exploring Black British history. Thus far, Grand Plan has made 29 awards, and has received c. 2,000 requests for funding.