National Lottery Support for Individual Artists Programme
9 July 2026
Deadline: July 20, 2026
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Support for Individual Artists Programme (SIAP), offers you the chance to apply for grants between £62 and £15,000. This programme is for artists who are ready to develop their practice. This fund offers opportunity for research, supports you by providing time to create new work, to train, to develop fresh ideas, to receive mentoring and to travel.
Major Individual Artists – Apply here by 20th July
Major Individual Artist Awards are intended to create the circumstances in which established artists with national / international recognition may develop extended or ambitious work. Your proposal should result in a significant creative outcome. Costs can be for specific projects, specialised research, personal artistic development and materials/equipment.
Four awards of up to £15,000 each are being offered in 2026/27
Project Funding for Individual Artists – Apply here by 30th July
The Project Funding for Individuals scheme aims to support the wide range of activity that can be undertaken by artists of all disciplines in relation to their practice, and to enable innovation and experimentation. A “project” and its associated costs can be any activity that develops and supports your creative practice.
Artists’ International Development Fund – Apply here by 30th July
The programme will support early-stage international development opportunities for individual, freelance and self-employed artists and organisations based in Northern Ireland.
It will afford recipients the opportunity to spend time building links with artists, organisations and/or creative producers in another country.
The aim of the programme is to support individual international developmental opportunities for talent and artistic excellence from Northern Ireland and, thereby, enhance Northern Ireland’s international artistic development, reputation and standing.
Creative Progression Scheme – Apply here by 20th August
This scheme has been developed following a review of the Minority Ethnic Artists Residency and Mentoring Programme. This review recognised how artists and creative practitioners from minority ethnic and migrant backgrounds make a vital and distinctive contribution to the arts in Northern Ireland. They bring perspectives and practices that expand and enrich the local arts ecosystem.
The scheme aims to support the artistic development, skills development, and career progression for artists and creative practitioners who self-identify as having a minority ethnic background and/or are migrant, across all career stages.