Community Arts Fund

The CAF fund is now closed for applications until 2024.

The Community Arts Fund supports a range of arts, cultural and heritage activities. These include:

  • music
  • sound
  • dance
  • mime
  • drama
  • theatre
  • storytelling
  • creative writing
  • poetry
  • printmaking
  • painting
  • ceramics
  • sculpture
  • photography
  • public art
  • digital arts
  • video
  • media
  • film and animation projects
  • participatory outdoor arts and events

It aims to increase engagement in the arts in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It encourages partnerships between established organisations, community groups and schools wherever possible. We are particularly interested in activity East of the borough to help widen access to arts programmes across Royal Greenwich but welcome all applicants hoping to bring communities together through arts and culture.  

The fund aims to support projects that:

  • deliver new arts and cultural activity for local audiences
  • encourage active participation in the arts by a diverse cross-section of the community. This should include young people, older people and under-represented groups within the borough
  • create participatory work in our town squares and outdoor spaces
  • develop partnerships between local cultural organisations, networks and groups
  • encourage delivery of community-based arts and cultural programmes

This year's recipients

The 2023 Community Arts Fund funded the following organisations and their projects:

Age UK Bromley & Greenwich – Sherard Road Creative Collective: Creative art workshops ranging from Batik to embroidery and stained glass, ending with an exhibition displaying artworks made by local residents.

Greenwich Winter Night Shelter – Pottery Workshops at Greenwich Winter Night Shelter Day Centre: A series of pottery sessions followed by an exhibition at Greenwich Winter Night Shelter Day Centre, Middle Park Avenue.

Power Mobile Gym – Woolwich Common Fete: A celebration of the Windrush generation, and the history of carnival in Woolwich Common Community Centre on Saturday 29 September 2023 from 1pm. The event will include workshops, poetry, music, storytelling, Caribbean food and arts.

TARU Arts – Samba Troupe: A 12-week community samba drumming group workshop for all ages, with no experience required, to learn and play Brazilian-style drumming and perform at local events over the Christmas period.

UK Latin Community CIC – Latin Expo: A celebration that highlights and honours the Latin American community with traditional dance, music, food, interactive workshops and folkloric activities in Woolwich Works.

Young London Print Prize – Young London Print Prize: A series of printing workshops in schools to enter a competition which will be exhibited at Woolwich Contemporary print fair.

Anna Fiorentini Theatre & Film SchoolPerforming Arts Access for Children: Performing arts workshops for children and young people with two community performances.

Black Female Entrepreneur GreenwichBenin Cultural Theatre Play: A series of community theatre workshops based on the Benin Kingdom Live Theatre Play for local residents to take part in and final live performances to enjoy.

Everyone’s A Singer CICReggae & Soul Jam: Deepening Community: A series of workshops to learn to sing and write music inspired by ska, reggae, soul, afrobeats, R&B and pop, followed by a performance in Cutty Sark.

See the full calendar of events funded by the Community Arts Fund