Cumbria has a long tradition of artistic excellence. The county has been home to and inspired a wide variety of artists, musicians and writers such as Conrad Atkinson, Sheila Fell, Margaret Forster, Jess Gillam, Percy Kelly, William Wordsworth and more. It is also home to a rich community of arts and creative organisations.

Cumbria Community Foundation brings more than 25 years’ experience of working with the county’s people and communities to the funding map of creativity in Cumbria.

The Cumbria Cultural Fund was set up in 2007 by patron of the arts, Mary Burkett. The fund was established to provide support to individuals who may otherwise not have been able to take up opportunities to advance their art and creative practice. It supports activities that reflect the highest level of achievement and introduce artistic and creative work to new audiences.

An enhanced Cumbria Cultural Fund will be vital in supporting a new generation of creative talent.

There are many more people in our county who would benefit from engaging in cultural activities than currently do. Accessibility due to rural isolation and financial support are often significant barriers because of reductions in national funding and local authority budgets, less arts and music provision in schools, and cost of living issues. These barriers particularly impact children and young people.

We are seeking the support of new donors to enhance the fund and be able to achieve:

• Making grants of a minimum of £50,000 annually, supporting around 25 practitioners through the fund,
• Expanding membership of the Cultural Fund panel to bring even more experience to grant making decision,
• Encouraging partners, grant aided organisations and supporters to be ‘scouts’, identifying people with talent and opportunities to widen the scope of those who might benefit from the fund,
• Strengthening partnerships with arts-related organisations and Cumbria Arts and Culture Network, bringing the Foundation’s capability, experience and reach to bear where value can be added.

Click here to donate to the Cumbria Cultural Fund

Cumbria Cultural Fund review

The Foundation commissioned a review in 2024 to explore what arts, creativity, creative practice and culture mean today. The purpose of the review was to inform the Foundation’s support for the arts and creative practice in Cumbria and consider how the Cumbria Cultural Fund, which the Foundation manages, could make the most impact.

A consultation was held with arts leaders and other stakeholders across Cumbria, and an online survey was sent to a wider audience including Cumbria Arts and Culture Network.

Read the full report

Read a summary of the consultation

Read the results of the online survey

Read about some of the people supported by Cumbria Cultural Fund:

Stephanie Bradshaw – stand-up comedian and actor, from Keswick

Lewis Charlton – dancer, from Whitehaven

Michael White – artist, from Barrow