FEAST offers a variety of grants aimed at supporting arts and cultural activities across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The projects we support create a lasting, positive impact on local communities, bringing people together and fostering a greater sense of pride of place.
What do we fund?
Artys Bosvena. We’ve got £20,000 of grant funding to give out for Bodmin, and we don’t want to limit or overwhelm people’s ideas, so we’re welcoming applications for anything up to £5,000.
We’re in a pretty special position this time! We’ve teamed up with Flamm, a visual arts festival taking place in Bodmin over the weekend of 28th February – 1st March 2026. Because of that partnership, there’s no requirement for match funding; which is a fantastic opportunity for local projects.
All projects will need to have some kind of presence either in the build-up to the festival or during the festival weekend itself. You’re welcome to keep things going afterwards, but projects do need to wrap up by 31st December 2026.
We’re not looking for projects with huge numbers of artists or participants, what matters most is the connection to the community. That said, any artists involved must be paid at least Artists’ Union rates.
For this level of grant, we expect projects to involve multiple artists and a large audience, or aim for high participant numbers. We expect there to be match funding in place, this can be in-kind support. Artists must be paid at the Artist Union rate.
What Artys Bosvena is all about Bodmin!
This programme is all about celebrating Bodmin’s creativity, community, and people. We want every funded project to be rooted in the local community and to make a real difference to those who live here.
We’re keen to see new partnerships develop and projects that leave a lasting legacy for Bodmin. This isn’t about creating a flash in the pan for one weekend, it’s about laying the foundations for future activity.
We can’t fund artistic or organisational development on its own, projects must be community-led. And there are no limits when it comes to artforms: FEAST can support anything from pottery to poetry to puppetry (and plenty of things that don’t start with P!).
If your project involves interns, we’ll want to see that they’re fairly paid and that there are clear learning and development opportunities built in.
Who can apply?
One of the great things about FEAST grants is that you don’t need to be a constituted group, charity, or CIC to apply. If you’re an artist, individual, or organisation based within the Bodmin Community College catchment area, we’d love to hear from you.
We’ve tried to keep the application process as accessible as possible, with written, video, and audio submissions all accepted. But if for any reason you’re finding it difficult or need support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch, we’re here to help.
What can’t we fund?
So here’s the small print, there are some limitations on what we can fund. We’re not able to fund:
- Capital purchases. If you’re looking to buy a 3-D printer, a laptop or a camera for your community, unfortunately we won’t be able to help.
- Core costs. Artys Bosvena can support the set up or testing of a new group or project idea, but we are unable to fund the ongoing costs.
- Support costs e.g. management and administration: Artys Bosvena can only fund support costs that relate directly to the delivery of the specific project.
- Projects with long lead times. Artys Bosvena funded projects must be completed by 31st December 2026.
- We can’t fund projects that don’t include at least one self-defined artist. Their practice can be any artform.
- Expressions of interests from non-Bodmin based artist or organisations. These grants need to be led by a Bodmin based, as defined by the catchment area for Bodmin Community College, artist or organisation.
Still not sure if your project fits the bill? Ellie, the Feast Programme Manager will be at IntoBodmin on Thursday 6th November, book a slot here to have a chat.
How to apply?
FEAST funding is there for everyone. We’ve worked hard to make our application process as straight forward and equitable as possible. So, please try not to over think it!
Stage 1: Stage 1: Complete the Expression of Interest form or Expression of Interest video / audio (you can find notes on what you need to include here) by midnight on Monday 1st December 2025.
Stage 2: Once the closing date has passed, the FEAST team will score all the Expressions of Interest against our criteria (see below). We recommend you keep these in mind when completing the Expression of Interest form.
Stage 3: Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a chat with our panel. The panel dates will be 11th & 12th December. So, please try and keep them clear in your diary. We are not sure how many applicants we will have for these grants, we hope to be able to talk to all applicants, however this will be reliant on the number of expressions of interest. We will let all applicants know by close of play on Friday 5th December.
The panel is made up of four people: a member of the Flamm Festival team, a community leader from Bodmin and 2 artists / creatives. If you are shortlisted we will give you more detail of what to expect when you meet the panel and you will need to provide additional information on your budget, timeline, safeguarding and environmental considerations. If you haven’t been shortlisted we will let you know at this point. For projects that haven’t received funding feedback will be available, if wanted.
Stage 4: All shortlisted applicants will be contacted by email with the decision. For projects that have received funding, we will then support you through next steps. We will also provide feedback to all unsuccseful applicants.
Criteria
| Criteria | Demonstrated |
| Visibility, Reach & Legacy: Through Artys Bosvena, we aim to ensure that projects reach as many people as possible. Artys Bosvena is about ensuring that creativity and culture is as inclusive and accessible as possible. We would particularly like to see projects that have some kind of legacy after Flamm. | Expression of Interest / Chat |
| Authentic Community Engagement: Artys Bosvena projects should be led by the community of Bodmin. Applicants should be able to demonstrate strong relationships with a community in Bodmin | Expression of Interest / Chat |
| Realistic Delivery: Artys Bosvena projects will be reviewed based on their timeline and budgets. FEAST cannot support projects where artists are not remunerated appropriately. | Expression of Interest / Chat |
| Environmental Impact: Aryty Bosvena projects are expected to consider their environmental impact, and efforts should be made to reduce the carbon footprint of the project. | Chat |
| Innovative: Innovation can be reflected in various ways – for example, through how the project engages with communities, the art forms used, or the creative application of techniques or technology. The panel will be looking for fresh, original and exciting ideas. | Expression of Interest / Chat |
| First Timers: Artys Bosvena helps ensure that projects reflect the diversity of the population. We support artists at all levels of their careers. Projects from first time applicants and early career artists, may be looked at more favourably. | Expression of Interest / Chat |
If you’re applying by video or audio don’t forget to read the notes here.
Don’t forget Ellie, the FEAST Programme Manager, will be at IntoBodmin on Thursday 6th November, if you’d like a chat about your project, just want to know more about Artys Bosvena or about the application process book a chat here
If you still have questions, get in touch with us at [email protected]