£30,000 creative grants for Cornwall charities close Sunday

If you run a Cornwall charity that helps people break into creative work, there is a pot of money open right now with your name on it, and only a few days left to reach it. Amazon has reopened its Regional Creatives Fund for 2026, with grants of up to £30,000 for charitable organisations across Cornwall that train people for careers in the creative industries. Applications opened this week and close on 2 August 2026.

Who the money is for

The fund is aimed at Cornwall charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs) and Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) already running programmes that build skills and widen access to creative careers. That covers a broad sweep of work, from performing arts and music to television, podcasting, gaming, fashion, photography, reporting and comedy.

Amazon set up the Regional Creatives Fund in 2025 and has brought it back for a second year. It is open to organisations in Cornwall and across the UK that help underserved communities find a way into the arts, screen, audio, digital and more. The 2026 round launched at The National Theatre in London and is tied to the Government’s Creative Places Growth Fund.

Single organisations that meet the criteria can apply for up to £30,000. Partnerships applying together, where members are based in the same region, can access as much as £100,000. Applicants need to already be running a programme that upskills people from underserved communities, and to show the grant will grow, sustain or reimagine that existing work rather than start something from scratch. Creative Access, which works on inclusion across the creative sector, defines underserved communities as groups shown to be under-represented in the industry.

The creative fields in scope

The fund welcomes applications from organisations working right across the creative industries. Music covers performance, production, artist development, sound engineering and the music business. Performing arts and live events takes in theatre, live performance, events production, stage management and technical production. Screen and audio spans film, television, animation, podcasting, radio and audio production.

There is room too for digital and interactive work such as gaming, XR, AI-enabled creative tools, digital design and social media production. Publishing and communications covers books, reporting, copywriting, PR, advertising and podcasting. Fashion, craft and visual arts brings in textiles, fine art, illustration, photography and graphic design. Comedy sits in its own category, from stand-up and sketch to sitcom and comedy writing. Cross-disciplinary projects that genuinely span two or more of these areas are welcome, as are other creative fields where a strong fit can be shown.

More than a cheque

The grant is not the only thing on offer. Through its network of creative professionals, Amazon also gives successful organisations pro bono support including mentoring, work experience, placements and digital training. That help goes to staff at community organisations and to the people they work with, delivered by teams from Amazon Music, Prime Video, Amazon Games and beyond.

An independent judging panel decides who gets funded. It includes senior figures from Amazon, The National Theatre, BAFTA, Arts Council England, NI Screen, Creative Wales, Help Musicians, Audible and the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. Proposals are assessed across five areas: creative purpose, real impact through skills and industry links, a smart and achievable plan, a focus on inclusion, and building on programmes that already work.

What the backers say

The Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said the UK’s creative industries are the best in the world, from film and television to theatre and music production. “The Creative sector is a leading driver of economic growth and a provider of good jobs. This Government is determined that access to those jobs should be spread across the country, and available to everyone, everywhere,” she said.

Lisa added that she had worked with Amazon during the recent Greater Together LA conference to secure further investment in the fund, which she called “a great scheme that is investing directly in people’s potential.”

James Dibbo, Amazon VP and CFO for Global Entertainment, said the company is significantly invested in the success of the UK’s creative industries and is working with the Government to unlock opportunities in every nation and region. “After seeing the incredible impact of our first awardees, we are delighted that the Regional Creatives Fund is now reopen for applications,” he said. “Where you start should not determine how far you go, and we want to help build a future where creativity belongs to everyone, everywhere.”

Proof it works

Last year’s round shows what the money can do. Beat Routes, a charity in Slough, received £10,000 from the 2025 fund. Katie Nutt from Beat Routes said the grant had been vital in sustaining a year-round creative employment pathway for young people facing barriers in the town.

“Over the past year, it’s helped more than 300 young people gain creative skills, build confidence and take real steps towards careers in the music industry,” Katie said. “For so many of them, Beat Routes is something they rely on, for their mental health, their creativity, for connecting with friends and making new ones, and for the mentorship that opens up genuine opportunities. Amazon’s support means we can keep that door open.”

Amazon calls the UK one of its global creative hubs. In 2025 it announced £40 billion of investment in the country over three years, including the acquisition and planned redevelopment of Bray Film Studios, and it employs more than 2,000 people across books, film, television, sport, music and fashion.

For Cornwall organisations, the catch is the clock. The window is short, applications are open now through the Regional Creatives Fund page, and they close on 2 August 2026.

📷John Boumphrey and Lisa Nandy at Amazon Regional Creatives Fund Event, National Theatre, London. 16/6/26