Arvon Grants: The David Pease Fund
Our grant fund is named in affectionate memory of David Pease, Arvon’s National Director from 1973-2000, who ‘grew Arvon from a small charity to a national literature organisation’. David was committed to ensuring an Arvon course should be available to as many people as possible, and it was under his visionary leadership that the grant fund was created.
For our tutored online and residential writing courses, we offer a Low Income Grant. Unfortunately we cannot offer grants for untutored retreats or Clockhouse Retreats. If you can’t attend an Arvon course without some financial help, we encourage you to apply. With Low Income Grants, you can apply for any amount up to the full course fee, with the exception of Arvon Plus courses, where the upper limit is £995. Grant funds are released on a quarterly basis. Please note that you cannot reapply if you have received an Arvon grant in the past 5 years.
We will next be accepting applications during April (exact dates to be advised). This is for courses running July – September 2026 only. Please note that there are only 2 grant spaces available for each course. You can register your interest before the grant application window opens, by making a booking on your chosen course and requesting a grant, which will reserve the place until we receive your application. These limited places can go very quickly, so you may find there is no availability on your chosen course when you come to book. To check whether there are still grant places available on a course, please email: grants@arvon.org
We will assess all applications that we receive within the above timeframe and award funding to those we feel are most in need of support, in that current round. We have limited funding and receive a large number of applications, from very deserving applicants, which can make this decision extremely difficult. If you are unsuccessful, you may reapply in the following quarter. Grant deadlines for future rounds will be uploaded at a later date, so keep an eye on this webpage.
The application form is now provided as part of the online booking process, so you will have access to it once you have chosen and booked your course, via our website, with a grant applied.
If you need the application form in a different format or would like some additional assistance to complete it, please contact grants@arvon.org.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter for grant fund release dates straight to your inbox.
Our terms and conditions are here: Grant terms & conditions
GENERAL LOW INCOME GRANT – RESIDENTIAL COURSES AND ONLINE WRITING WEEKS
If you are a UK resident and cannot afford the full course fee, we encourage you to apply for one of our grants, which are awarded on the basis of financial need – not writing ability.
You may apply for any amount up to the full course fee. To help us support as many people as possible, please apply only if you’d be unable to attend the course without a grant, and ask for the minimum amount you need.
To apply for a grant, you must first book on a course, and then send us your completed grant application form. We will hold a place for you while we assess your application. You do not need to pay anything to book your place. Payment will only be required if we confirm your grant application was successful and your grant is less than the full cost of the course.
Grants are only available for those booking a course with tutors, not our untutored courses or Clockhouse retreats. Grants are also not available for our online Masterclasses or Writing Days. We encourage applications from D/deaf and/or Disabled people, and factor in any additional living/support costs when considering your grant – see here for information about accessibility on Arvon courses. See here for details of our grant fund terms and conditions.
CONCESSIONS
Concessions are available for both online courses (50%) and residentials (30%). You need to meet certain criteria but do not need to complete an application form. See here for further details.
Please note that you cannot apply for both a Grant and a Concession for the same course.
We also offer a very limited number of free fully subsidised places on online Masterclasses, if you cannot afford the concession rate.
Alternative sources of funding
- The Society of Authors administers a number of grants for writers
- The Royal Literary Fund offers a range of grants to professional writers seeking short-term to long-term financial support who unable to write due to a change in circumstances, sickness, disability or age.
- Ideal for the short story writer or poet, the Scottish Book Trust aims at supporting new writers
- With some funding coming from partners it’s worth having a look at Creative Scotland
- Royal Society of Literature Brookleaze Grants supporting writers from novelists, playwrights, poets, to short story writers who need time away from their normal lives
- Arts Council Grants fund projects that are all about engaging people, aiding Artists and Art Organisations
- Developing your Creative Practice is a new development fund designed to support independent creative practitioners
- Franics W Reckitt Arts Trust Fund for playwrights supports residential stays by professional artists, writers, composers and others for short periods away from home for holidays, convalescence or quiet working time
- Peggy Ramsay Foundation gives money to theatre writers in order to afford them the time and the space to write
Support the Grant Fund
Grants are funded by generous donations from supporters and our fundraising work. Want to support the Arvon Grant Fund? Learn about how you can donate and keep Arvon #OpenToAll.
Late availability concession pricing
Aged 18-25 or receiving certain state benefits? You could qualify for our late availability concession pricing, giving you a half-price discount on selected courses.