Untold Stories - Frequently Asked Questions

There are some areas, types of organisations or projects where we did not receive as many applications in Round One.

We are therefore encouraging applications in the following priority areas:

Deaf and disabled Londoners

• projects that increase or highlight representation of Deaf and disabled people

• we are keen to support projects that have involved Deaf and disabled Londoners in leading, planning, shaping and running activities

If you are a Deaf and disabled led organisation and need support to apply, please contact:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 020 3291 3026

We have a budget to cover access costs to help you understand the grants and apply.

Faith and belief-based applications

• we did not receive many applications from faith or belief-based organisations or communities

• we are keen to support projects that increase representation of different faiths and beliefs in London’s Public Realm

Arab Communities

• projects that are led-by and increase representation for Arab communities in London

Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller Communities

• projects that are led by and increase representation for Gypsy, Roma or Irish Traveller communities in London

London Boroughs

We are keen to support projects across London. So far, we have not funded activity in:

• Barking and Dagenham
• Bexley
• Camden
• Croydon
• Enfield
• Hammersmith & Fulham
• Haringey
• Harrow
• Hillingdon
• Hounslow
• Kingston
• Newham
• Redbridge
• Richmond

Whilst we encourage applications from the above boroughs, we will still support applications from all London Boroughs.

You can look at what was funded in Round One on our website.

There’s no one right way to write a successful funding application and all the projects we’ve funded are very different.

However, we noted that successful projects generally combined three elements well:

Strong Story and Community Voice

The strongest projects knew whose stories they wanted to tell and why. Whether this was for an individual, community or event – they were clear about who the participants would be, how they had influenced this project, and why it was important to them to tell this story.

Tell us about:

• how have you spoken to your community about this project? And how has what you’ve heard influenced the way you have designed this project?
• whose story or history are you telling and why is this important to your community?
• how have you involved a wide range of voices in developing this project?
• will you be working with other organisations or networks to reach people and involve them in decision-making?

Public Realm

Successful projects made it clear how they would use London’s public spaces to tell their stories and why this is the best way to tell that story.

In some cases, such as heritage tours, applicants made clear how they would use the public realm by taking people to spaces and sites and highlighting diverse history, events or people.

In other cases, such as painting murals or sound installations, applicants were clear on why they had chosen their public space and why that was the best place for their project to happen.

Tell us about:

• how will you use London’s public realm to tell your Untold Stories?
• how have you chosen spaces for your project to happen?
• how will telling your story in this public space reach people?

Increasing Diversity and Representation

Some projects were community-led and involved their community in creating something new in the public realm, but it wasn’t clear how it would increase representation and visibility for:

• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Londoners
• Deaf and disabled Londoners
• LGBTQ+ Londoners
• Women
• Those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Tell us about:

• how will people experience the outcome of your project?
• how will they understand the story it is telling?

Not all projects had considered how they would make their projects accessible for Deaf and disabled Londoners – either as participants or as audiences.

Some questions to ask yourself:

How are you involving Deaf and disabled people as participants?

You can apply for additional funds to cover personal access costs to enable Deaf and disabled Londoners to run or take part in a project.

Have you thought about how they will find out about the project?

Are you communicating in a way that is accessible and welcoming to people with a range of abilities?

Most importantly, have you involved Deaf and disabled people in making or influencing decisions about this project?

How will someone who is blind or partially sighted experience your project?

You may be offering an audio-description of your final artwork or object through a QR code or website link. How will people know how to access that description?

Will your trail or tour include audio-description?

VocalEyes have some useful resources here.

How is your project physically accessible?

If you’re organising a tour or trail, have you considered how accessible they are? Are there a lot of steps? Is the ground uneven? How long will it take? Are there accessible toilets, parking or drop off points on the route? Some things are not always possible in some spaces – be clear and up front about them and try to offer remote access wherever possible

There are lots more resources to help you think about accessibility on Unlimited’s website.

This funding is directed at Community-led projects. That means that the communities who will be affected by or take part in this project have been involved in planning, shaping and deciding on the ideas presented.

We are unlikely to fund any applications that have not shared at least some of their ideas with their community.

How you can show that your project is community-led will vary depending on who you are and how your organisation works. Some things to think about are:

How have you spoken to your community about this project? How do you know that they want it? This could be:

• you’ve been discussing it as part of your regular activities
• you’ve held a workshop or consultation meeting
• you’ve involved them in making decisions about what stories they want to tell
• you’ve spoken one-to-one with some of your intended participants
• your community has asked you to develop this project

For all the above, tell us what learned from your conversations and how that has helped you to develop your project or idea.

How will your community continue to make decisions about this project?

• you will form a steering group or committee
• they will co-create a final object or artwork
• they will contribute their stories and have a say in how they are told
• they will select the artists or contribute to an artistic brief
• they’ll be supported to develop their own tours or trails

The public realm is our shared spaces in the city. The spaces in between buildings that are accessible to everyone - including streets, squares, parks and open spaces.

We are hoping to fund projects that have a lasting impact on London’s public realm and the communities who take part in them.

• most Round One projects that were creating new objects for the public realm (murals, artworks, plaques or signage) were designed to be permanent (in place for 5-years or more) or semi-permanent (minimum of 1-year)
• some projects may plan to tour an exhibition to different public spaces. We would expect to see a tour take place over a period of one-year. Your application should explain how the spaces have been chosen and why they are the best space to tell your story. Please also consider storage, transport and installation costs within your budget
• you can use our funding to develop new tours and trails that highlight diverse heritage in London. You should think about how the new tours and trails will be sustainable in the future and how Londoners can continue to learn from them. This could be through making maps, audio trails, guided tours, physical markers or QR links to online content
• we are unlikely to fund the costs of a one-off event such as a site-specific performance, concert or festival unless you can clearly describe how it will have a lasting legacy that is accessible from a public space – website, audio/visual content, or archive

You should also consider how Deaf and disabled Londoners will access the project. Having a digital or remote option makes your work available to more people.

No. Your project doesn’t have to be new. If you’ve got a project that’s working well, you can apply for funding to continue or grow it – providing it meets our criteria for funding.

You can’t apply for funding to recover money you’ve already spent on your project or for anything that happens while we’re making our decision.

You should also think about how you will keep this project running long-term and how our funding can help you do this.

You will need to contact the team for feedback on your unsuccessful application. They can advise you on whether your project is suitable for a reapplication.

If you successfully applied for a Test and Nurture grant, you can apply for a Grow and Make Happen grant in Round Two, if:

• your Round One project is complete, and you’ve sent us your final report
• you have a clear idea and project plan for your Grow and Make Happen grant
  

We would normally use your registered address. However, if you are registered outside London, but have very strong links to a London community and the focus of your work is in London (i.e. not an organisation that works with communities around the country), then you could be eligible. Please contact us to discuss:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 020 3291 3026

• FAQs title
• Introduction
• Priorities for Round 2
• What was funded and why
• What do you mean by making your project accessible
• What do you mean by community-led
• What do you mean by public realm
• Temporary, Touring or One-off
• Does my project have to be new
• Can we reapply if we were unsuccessful
• What do you mean by based in London
• Audio created by a2i