A joint initiative by the Big Lottery Fund, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch) and Local Trust, ‘Creative Civic Change’ will support communities to address specific social issues and make positive changes in their areas. 
During this development phase this initiative is looking to work with at least 10 communities across England. Some will already be part of the Big Local programme. Some won’t be but will share similar needs and characteristics to Big Local areas (having been overlooked in the past and facing a range of issues).
The initiative is to support communities who are using the arts and creativity to make positive social change in their areas, so it is likely that successful applications to join this development phase will come from locally-based community groups or organisations. This means groups that are constituted or organised in some way (e.g. by a committee) and are working to deliver local public or community benefits (e.g. a residents’ committee, a club or an association).
Creative Civic Change is open to local and hyperlocal communities. This refers to an area smaller than a local authority, which could be anything from a few streets or part of an estate, to a neighbourhood or a cluster of villages.
In your area you will have people who are committed to using the arts and creativity to engage people and to make positive change locally. The initiative wants to know how you think about the arts and creativity and what you might include, such as: knitting, singing, drama, dancing, pottery, sewing, writing stories or poems, storytelling, making jewellery, animation, making music, coding, photography (including Instagramming), woodcraft, gardening, cake decorating, film making, community radio, putting on festivals, parades and much more.
The initiative wants to help you use any or all of these activities - and the many others not listed here - to achieve your vision for your community. That could mean bringing people together; building connections; improving your local environment; or expressing the pride you have locally and your hopes for the future.
Deadline for expressions of interest: 28 September 2018, after which at least 10 communities will be selected to work with, helping them to develop their ideas and local plans and decide what support and funding they need to deliver these (between £50,000 and £300,000 in each local community).
The final ‘programme delivery’ phase will start in February 2019. This will be the point at which some or all of the communities will receive funding to deliver their plans locally.
For further information and to apply, visit: http://localtrust.org.uk/our-work/creative-civic-change/