Securing funding is essential to deliver high quality public art that benefits the community. There are various opportunities for funding and support for public art in Dorset.
Council Grants and Developer Contributions
Dorset Council can provide grants to support public art projects.
Additionally, where justified, developer contributions can support the provision of cultural infrastructure including public art where required through development proposals. This can include securing infrastructure or financial contributions through legal agreement where the need for cultural infrastructure constitutes a reason for granting planning permission.
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is another form of developer contribution and provides a source of income to fund infrastructure that supports growth in the area. A portion, known as Neighbourhood CIL (NCIL), is specifically intended to benefit the local community where the development takes place. Public art projects can be funded through Community Infrastructure Levy. For more information email: [email protected]
Arts Council England and Other Funders
National and regional arts funding bodies, such as Arts Council England, offer grants for public art, cultural programmes, and community-led projects. Other funders include charitable trusts, foundations, and cultural organisations that support arts, heritage, or community engagement.
Sponsorship and Community Fundraising: Alternative funding models, such as corporate sponsorship, partnerships with local businesses and community fundraising platforms such as Crowdfunder can support public art projects. Engaging the community in fundraising can also increase local interest, ownership and long-term support for the artwork.
For support with funding email: [email protected]
Case study: Mary Anning
The Mary Anning Rocks project in Lyme Regis demonstrates how community crowdfunding can support public art. Aimed at celebrating the life and achievements of pioneering palaeontologist Mary Anning, the project used the Crowdfunder platform to engage the local community and raise funds. Launched in 2018, the campaign successfully reached its target of £100,000 with contributions from over 2000 supporters, enabling the commissioning of a statue by artist Denise Dutton. The project also included local schools in the design process, ensuring community involvement and ownership. This example highlights how crowdfunding can deliver meaningful, community-focused public artworks.