Learning Through Making Fund
Objective of fund:
We believe making matters. Working with materials - testing, shaping, experimenting and playing - changes how we think and learn.
We are looking to support exploratory projects that embrace openness, collaboration and iteration. We want to enable organisations to work in an expansive way with materials, unpicking and challenging preconceptions about making and material literacy, interrogating practice and working in an open and collaborative way. This could mean trying out a new idea, developing workshops or events, adding a making-focused strand to existing work, or improving access to materials, facilities, transport or specialist expertise.
We are particularly interested in approaches that challenge assumptions about making, and do not set out predefined outcomes. What becomes possible when we let materials lead?
The Learning Through Making fund will support projects of any length, taking place between 1 January and 31 December 2027 with funding of up to £25,000. Funding will be provided no earlier than December 2026.
Who can apply
The Learning Through Making fund is open to organisations that meet the below eligibility criteria. You can also use our quick online eligibility checker here.
1. UK based
Freelands Foundation can only fund organisations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, with activity occurring within the United Kingdom.
2. Charitable Purpose
Only visual arts organisations which are run with a charitable purpose and for public benefit are eligible for funding.
We use Charity Commission of England and Wales definitions, and you can find more information on charitable purpose here and on public benefit here.
This includes, but is not limited to:
Organisations registered with The Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Scottish Charity Regulator, or The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.
Exempt charities.
Galleries, museums, or organisations which are part of a Local Authority.
Galleries, museums, or organisations part of a larger charitable organisation, such as a university.
Community Interest Companies, Community Benefit Societies, and other organisations with charitable purposes run for public benefit. (For these types of organisations, please see below for additional eligibility requirements).
3. Community Interest Companies and other organisation types
In order to be eligible for the Learning Through Making fund, organisations such as Community Interest Companies must demonstrate:
Their activities fall within charitable purposes determined by Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Have asset lock provisions in the organisation’s governing document.
Prohibit payment of dividends or other disbursement of surplus funds or profits.
Be able to physically segregate restricted funds, usually through a separate bank account.
Please note: Organisations who have a prior or existing grant relationship with Freelands Foundation are eligible to apply to the Learning Through Making fund. You may not apply for funding for activity that is already funded by Freelands Foundation.
Find out more about the eligibility of your organisation through our Application Guidance doc. If you have any further queries, please contact us at grants@freelandsfoundation.co.uk.
Restrictions
The Learning Through Making fund 2026 is not open to:
For-profit organisations
Individuals
Primary or Secondary Schools
Further Education Colleges
University teaching faculties, such as art schools
Sector or infrastructure organisations
Fiscal sponsor relationships, where one organisation applies on behalf of another
Organisations based outside of the United Kingdom and/or have no activity occurring within the United Kingdom.
Eligible Expenditure
Project staffing (salaries and freelance rates)
Materials and equipment
Room hire or spaces
Transport
Marketing associated with the project
A contingency of up to 5% of the total budget.
We cannot fund:
Direct grants to individuals, including for travel, study or other purposes
Projects that are solely artistic and do not centre education (for example, exhibitions or commissions of work)
Projects which do not have a public benefit in the UK
Capital campaigns or building works
Retrospective funding for programmes or work that has already taken place.
How to apply
The Learning Through Making fund consists of a one-stage application process.
To apply, please download the application documents found here and email your completed form to grants@freelandsfoundation.co.uk with the subject line ‘LTM Fund – Application’
You may also submit one additional page with any images, diagrams, or visual aids to support your responses in the application.
The deadline for applications is 12pm, Friday 11 September 2026.
Source: Funding Wales