New round of funding announced for arts and culture in Richmond upon Thames

We are launching a new round of the Challenge and Innovation Fund for 2026/27. The fund supports small-scale cultural projects that bring challenge, innovation and wider participation to cultural activity in the borough.

The fund forms part of our Cultural Commissioning programme and supports the delivery of Culture Richmond, the borough's cultural framework. 

The fund offers grants of up to £5,000 for projects that diversify cultural activity in Richmond upon Thames and test new approaches. We are particularly interested in projects that do one or more of the following: 

• Engage underrepresented communities 
• Focus on children and young people 
• Test new ways of working or develop new cultural partnerships 

Projects may include creative activity delivered with local communities, organisational development, research and development, sector support or partnership activity.

Last year’s funding recipients included organisations working across theatre, visual arts, community storytelling, youth music, cultural heritage and creative health – each bringing forward ideas that broaden access to cultural activity across the borough.

Councillor John Coombs, Richmond Council's Spokesperson for the Arts, said: "Last year's projects show the imagination and commitment of our local cultural sector. Each organisation is helping us reach communities who are too often excluded from the arts, while testing new and exciting ways of working. The Fund has been a great success, and we are delighted to support such a diverse range of ideas. We are even more delighted to be opening the next round of funding."

Recipients of funding in 2025/26 included RuptureXhibit, Taste of Twickenham, Basement Door, High Tide Music Festival, Richmond Music Trust, Optik Theatre, Art & Soul, Nutkhut, OSO Arts Centre, Exchange, Sen Unity, NRich, Friends of Anstee Bridge, Grey Court Education Fund, Landmark Arts Centre, National Park City and Prefacermon. 

The next round of the fund is now open and will close at 11.59pm on 6 September 2026. 

Projects must start and all funding must be drawn down before March 2027. Successful applicants will be asked to submit a short evaluation report in the form of a case study at the end of their project. 

Find out more about the Challenge and Innovation Fund.