Creative, Confident Communities
Hijinx Theatre
We want to strengthen the bonds in communities, helping local people to build vibrant, confident places where they can fulfil their creative, human, and economic potential.
Places where the local economy works better for the people who live there, where there is equality of access to arts and culture, and where communities are at the heart of change.
Working with others, we will contribute to three key impact goals by 2030:
- Communities use their power to make change happen
- Local economies work better for the people who live there
- Culture and creativity build thriving communities
Watch our Q&A webinar about applying for funding in Creative, Confident Communities.
Our priorities
We have three priorities through which we believe we can best contribute to these goals over the next seven years.
If you would like to apply for funding under any of these priorities, please read our Guidance for Support.
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Communities working together for change
We seek out work where communities are at the heart of the changes they want to make and develop transformative models that others could learn from.
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Community driven enterprise and regeneration
We believe local economies work better when local people have a stronger stake in how they operate. Models of economic development which are led by or owned by the community are more responsive to local needs, build resilience and positively contribute to economic equity, nature recovery and social inclusion in a place.
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Community-led art and creativity
We believe culture and creativity can bring people together and strengthen communities. The shared vision that results from community-led, cross-sector collaboration demonstrates the potential of creative partnerships in delivering social, environmental, and economic wellbeing.
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You might be interested in
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01 September 2025Community-led art and creativity – 2025 review: Invitation to tender
We are looking to work with an external consultant to carry out a short review to inform how we deliver our strategy for Community-led art and creativity.
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Pre-application Q&A Webinar: 3 February 2025
Watch a pre-application Q&A webinar we held on 3 February 2025 for organisations interested in applying to Esmée for support who have questions about our application process or guidance.
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The new Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund
Alison Holdom, a Funding Manager Lead in Esmée’s Creative, Confident Communities team, writes about the new Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund, how it’s evolved, and our long-running partnership with the Museums Association.
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New Connections funding: behind the scenes and reflections so far
Chebet Kuntai, Esmée’s Climate and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Co-ordinator, writes about the development of New Connections along with how we identified and reached out to organisations to support.
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