Organizer Information
The Freelands Foundation is a UK-based philanthropic organisation dedicated to supporting contemporary Visual Arts education and expanding access to material-based learning practices. The Foundation works across the United Kingdom to develop funding initiatives that strengthen art education infrastructures, with a particular focus on experimentation, research-led pedagogy, and material literacy within contemporary art contexts.
Through its grant-making programmes, the organisation seeks to challenge conventional models of arts education by encouraging institutions and organisations to prioritise process, experimentation, and open-ended inquiry over fixed learning outcomes. The Learning Through Making Fund reflects this mission by investing in organisations that enable artists and participants to engage directly with materials, tools, and experimental processes.
Title & Description
Learning Through Making Fund 2026
The Learning Through Making Fund is a UK-based grant programme supporting visual arts organisations to develop or expand projects centred on material exploration, experimental making, and process-led education. The fund is designed to reinforce the importance of making as a fundamental mode of thinking, learning, and artistic inquiry.
Rather than prioritising predefined outputs, the programme supports open-ended, research-driven approaches where materials, experimentation, and iterative processes guide the direction of the work. Applicants are encouraged to propose projects that embrace uncertainty, curiosity, and collaborative exploration.
The fund supports projects taking place between 1 January and 31 December 2027, with grants of up to £25,000. Funding will be distributed no earlier than December 2026.
Projects may vary in scale and duration, from short experimental workshops to long-term educational programmes. The key requirement is that they meaningfully engage audiences through making-based processes and material investigation.
The fund is particularly interested in proposals that:
- Develop new approaches to material literacy
- Integrate making into existing educational programmes
- Provide access to tools, materials, or specialist facilities
- Support action research in arts education contexts
- Experiment with collaborative, process-driven learning models
The programme explicitly invites organisations to rethink assumptions about making, shifting focus from final outcomes to exploratory engagement with materials and processes.
Categories
- Visual Arts
- Art Education
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Craft & Material Practice
- Installation / Process-Based Practice
- Research-Based Arts Education Projects
Eligibility
Applications are open to UK-based organisations that meet the following criteria:
- Organisations located in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland
- Organisations operating with a charitable purpose and delivering public benefit
- Registered charities, exempt charities, museums, galleries, or local authority arts organisations
- University-based or larger charitable organisations with arts education programmes
- Community Interest Companies (CICs), Community Benefit Societies, and similar entities that:
- Demonstrate charitable purpose
- Have an asset lock in place
- Do not distribute profits as dividends
- Can segregate restricted funds appropriately
The fund is not open to individual artists. It is strictly aimed at organisations working within Visual Arts education and public programming.
Program Benefits & Awards
- Grants of up to £25,000
- Support for material-based Workshops, events, or educational programmes
- Funding for materials, transport, access to facilities, or specialist expertise
- Opportunity to develop Project-based or action-research initiatives
- Capacity to embed making-focused methodologies into existing programmes
- Flexibility to design short-term or long-term learning interventions
- Institutional support for experimental, non-outcome-driven approaches
The fund aims to unlock experimental possibilities in arts education by prioritising process, material engagement, and collaborative exploration.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Completed application form
- Organisational details (including eligibility documentation)
- Project proposal focused on material exploration and making-based learning
- Optional: one additional page containing visual materials (images, diagrams, or supporting references)
- Access Form (if applicable, outlining accessibility requirements or barriers)
Applications must be submitted via email with required documents attached.
How to Apply?
To apply, please download the application documents below and email your completed Form to grants@freelandsfoundation.co.uk with the subject line ‘LTM Fund – Application’
Key Dates
- Applications Open: 17 June 2026
- Support Session #1: 9 July 2026
- Support Session #2: 12 August 2026
- Applications Deadline: 11 September 2026
- Notification Date: 23 November 2026
- Funding Period: 1 January – 31 December 2027
Location
United Kingdom
Additional Details
The Learning Through Making Fund is designed as a one-stage application process and emphasises accessibility and inclusivity in submission procedures. Applicants requiring assistance can request alternative formats or additional support directly from the Foundation.
The programme encourages action research methodologies, where outcomes are not rigidly defined in advance. Instead, organisations are expected to explore how making, material engagement, and experimentation can reshape learning environments.
Two online application support sessions are offered, and recordings will be made available after each event to ensure broader accessibility.