Arvon Grants: The David Pease Fund | Low Income and Teacher Grant | Creative Writing Courses - Arvon
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Arvon Grants: The David Pease Fund

Writing course participants in the kitchen at Lumb Bank

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 online and residential writing weeks and weekends, we offer a Low Income Grant. If you couldn’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. Grant funds are released on a quarterly basis, in January, April, July and October.

Funding for all residential and online courses running up to the end of December 2024 has now been allocated. We are also unable to accept new applications for courses running January – March 2025, as we do not currently have the funds available. We next hope to release grant funding in January, for courses running April – June 2025.

Four grants of £600 are now available for our Writing for Performance course, 2-7 December 2024 at The Hurst, or our Dramatic Narratives course, 2-7 December 2024 at Totleigh Barton. The grant will cover part of the course fee, with the balance to be paid by the applicant. Please note that this award is only available to those aged 18-29.

To apply, please complete our standard grant application form and return it to grants@arvon.org by Monday 28 October. You will be notified of the outcome by the end of that week. This grant is separate from our main grants programme.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for grant fund release dates straight to your inbox. Please note that we can now only offer one grant per person, so if you have received an Arvon Grant in the past, you will be unable to reapply. Our terms and conditions are below.

GENERAL LOW INCOME GRANT – RESIDENTIAL COURSES AND ONLINE WRITING WEEKS/ WEEKENDS

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 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.

If you’re having difficulty downloading or completing the grant application form, due to access reasons, and would like help to complete the form over the phone, please call 020 4529 4970 or email access@arvon.org and we can call you.

Low Income Grant Application Form (Word)

Low Income Grant Application Form (PDF print version)

HOW TO APPLY:

  1. Download our application form via one of the attachments above (Word or pdf format) or contact us to send you a copy at: grants@arvon.org. Please read this and the Terms and Conditions through carefully before applying.
  2. Reserve a place on your chosen course online. (If you have any problems with this contact grants@arvon.org). You do not need to pay a deposit at this stage. Your place will be held while we await your application form.
  3. Complete the application form and send it with your supporting documents by email or post  within seven days.  See the application form for contact details.
  4. Once we’ve assessed your application, we’ll contact you with a decision and finalise your booking. If you have any questions, please contact grants@arvon.org

If you would like more information about our grant scheme, or help with the application, email grants@arvon.org.

Eligibility: You must be resident in the UK and able to demonstrate that you do not have the financial means to cover the full cost of an Arvon course.

Please see the grants scheme 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

  1. The Society of Authors administers a number of grants for writers
  2. 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.
  3. Ideal for the short story writer or poet, the Scottish Book Trust aims at supporting new writers
  4. With some funding coming from partners it’s worth having a look at Creative Scotland
  5. Royal Society of Literature Brookleaze Grants supporting writers from novelists, playwrights, poets, to short story writers who need time away from their normal lives
  6. Arts Council Grants – fund projects that are all about engaging people, aiding Artists and Art Organisations
  7. Developing your Creative Practice is a new development fund designed to support independent creative practitioners
  8. 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
  9. Peggy Ramsay Foundation gives money to theatre writers in order to afford them the time and the space to write

"It would have been impossible for me to pay for this course, and I’m extremely grateful for the generous grant which was awarded to me. For a few days, I was much more than a parent and a carer: I was truly myself again… In that sense, it’s been life-changing.”

— Grant Recipient

"In 2010 I was given a grant by Arvon to attend a narrative non-fiction course at Totleigh Barton. During the week I produced a piece which I read out on the final night called The Caravan, based on my experience of living in a caravan on the North Kent Marshes. I am happy to tell you that I expanded this idea and my first book, On the Marshes, was published by Little Toller in April 2017. I would like to thank Arvon for giving me the opportunity to attend the course which gave me the time and thinking space to come up with this idea."

— Tracey Craze

"I applied for a grant following a recent corneal transplant operation. I have been unable for some time to continue as a stage actress due to the degeneration of my sight. It goes without saying that this grant was undoubtedly a lifeline.”

— Grant Recipient

"I have no doubt that my writing career has already benefitted significantly from the course and will continue to do so into the long term. It’s an opportunity I know I will always be grateful for, and will still reflect upon in years to come as a key turning point."

— Grant Recipient

"What I learned at Arvon is that we all have stories, and mine is worthwhile."

— Grant Recipient

"The advice I gained about my novel is invaluable, the support was wonderful…I cannot express my gratitude enough; I feel truly blessed to have received financial assistance for this. Having had a long term illness and been unable to earn for a very long time, I would never have been able to afford this otherwise. In about a month I shall be submitting my first novel to agents, this would not be the case without Arvon."

— Grant Recipient

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.

Donate now

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.

Find out more