UPDATE: Applications for the first round of the Nudge Fund have now closed and the available grants have been awarded. Successful candidates will be announced on our Social Media when their funded activity has taken place.
There were over 600 applicants from around the UK, spanning a wide range of art forms. Requests ranged from rehearsal space, research and development time, marketing assistance, training, technology or specialist industry equipment, materials, travel, collaborators, expert advice, venue hire, insurance, registration fees, access support, and more.
It was an absolute pleasure for the team to discover so many exciting projects and artists while reading applications, and also to find out more about what artists needs are in the current climate. We are using everything this process has taught us to design new ways to support independent artists in future rounds of the Nudge Fund.
If you wish to be kept informed of when the next round of the Nudge Fund goes live, or to hear about other opportunities, please join our Mailing List by clicking here:
UPDATE: APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS ROUND.
Are you looking for a little boost for your project, idea or artistic practice? At We Are Epic, we know that sometimes just a small step can help keep the momentum, and get your project closer to the next stage.
We Are Epic’s Nudge Fund is a small, low effort funding programme offering awards of up to £300 to support creative practitioners with anything that directly helps their artistic practice. From paying for training, rehearsal space, props/costume, tech/tools, R&D days, or other practical costs that enable creative work and close a little gap to where you want to be.
We aim to make this scheme simple and non-intimidating. We trust artists to know what they need and recognise that even small amounts of money at the right time can have material impacts on creative development and momentum.
Open to: individuals over the age of 18, living in the UK and working in creative sectors (visual arts, performance, dance, film, craft, music, interdisciplinary, etc.).
Funding amount: up to £300 per applicant, but please only apply for what your activity will cost. In this first pilot round, we expect to fund 4 or 5 individuals.
How to apply
Fill in our simple application form, which should take around 5 minutes to complete. In it, we will ask you to write a short paragraph on what you want to spend the money on, and why that’s important to you.
The form opens on: 15th January 2026
Application deadline is: 9th February 2026
We aim to let you know the outcome by: 27th February 2026
The link to the application form can be found at the bottom of this page.
Who is eligible?
You are eligible to apply if:
- You are an artist / creative practitioner over the age of 18.
- You are based in the UK.
- The funds will be used for activities or resources that support your artistic practice (training, equipment, props, rehearsal space, software/hardware, R&D time, subcontracted support).
- You can explain to us how the bursary will benefit your work.
- Your activity is standalone and does not require match funding from another source in order to deliver it.
We welcome applications from everyone, but because of the nature of our work we are particularly keen to hear from artists who identify as disabled/neurodivergent or are from an underrepresented group.
If you need the application in another format or alternative ways to apply (audio, video, offline form etc), just let us know by contacting us at jack@epicarts.org.uk
What we will fund
In short, nearly anything that will help you get a little closer to that artistic goal. Examples might be things like:
- Short creative training or workshop fee
- Props, costumes, materials, fabrication costs
- Technical equipment or software relevant to your practice
- Access requirements or support
- Studio hire
- Day rate for R&D / creative focus time
- Subcontracted support relevant to the creative activity
- Retrospective applications (costs you have already paid)
- General living expenses and day-to-day costs
- Activities that discriminate, promote exclusion or go against We Are Epic’s values and ethos
- Political campaigning unrelated to your artistic practice
What we want from you in return
There’s no point in micro bursaries if the benefit is outweighed by large amounts of reporting requirements. So instead we just ask for two things:
- a brief email within 2 months of receiving the funds, containing a couple of paragraphs about how you used the bursary and — if applicable — a photo.
- a shout out to We Are Epic on your social media about what you have done with the fund, or add us as a collaborator on relevant posts for work that the fund has supported.
This helps us to continually improve what we are doing, gives us an opportunity to tell our wider network more about you as an artist, and helps other artists find out about the fund for future rounds.
The full Terms and Conditions can be found here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply more than once?
For this round, you can only have one active application per artist.
If you change your mind about what you want to apply for, you can submit a new application — we’ll just look at your most recent one.
Applying for this round does not stop you from applying for future bursaries from We Are Epic.
What if I'm not successful?
Sorry that we can’t fund everyone, but we would love to stay in touch with artists and keep you in mind for future collaborations or opportunities. And you are more than welcome to apply again with the same or a different application in future rounds.
Will I get all the money I ask for if I’m successful?
We aim to give successful applicants the full amount they request.
If there isn’t enough money left in the fund to cover your full request, we’ll contact you first to talk through options before making a decision.
What if my activity costs more than £300?
The maximum we can offer in this round is £300 per person.
If your activity costs more than this, you’re welcome to apply for up to £300 as a contribution alongside other confirmed funding / self funding.
However, we can’t support applications that rely on unconfirmed or “to be secured” match funding in order for the activity to go ahead.
Who is making the decisions?
Applications will be reviewed by a group of We Are Epic staff and board members.
We won’t be able to confirm exactly who is on the panel in advance. This helps us avoid any conflicts of interest, depending on who applies.
My question hasn’t been answered.
Then get in touch with Jack@epicarts.org.uk and Jack will be happy to help.
Ready to apply?
APPLICATIONS HAVE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS ROUND OF THE NUDGE FUND.
Or if you need an alternative way to apply, contact Jack at jack@epicarts.org.uk
