National Lottery Major Individual Artist Awards (SIAP) – closing 11 July

Major Individual Artist Awards are intended to create the circumstances in which established artists with national / international recognition may develop extended or ambitious work. Your proposal should result in a significant creative outcome. Costs can be for specific projects, specialised research, personal artistic development and materials/equipment.

Four awards of up to £15,000 each are being offered in 2025/26.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants to the Major Individual Artist Awards scheme are as follows:

• Established artists of all disciplines and in all types of working practice who have not previously received a major award and who have achieved national or international recognition.
• Please note: You must contact the relevant artform officer and discuss your proposal with them prior to submission of any application to the Major Individual Artist Awards and by close of play on 1 July 2025 at the latest. Applications submitted to the Major Individual Awards programme with no prior contact with the relevant art form officer will be ineligible for consideration.
• Practicing artists who are also undergraduates, postgraduates and academics employed at 3rd level educational institutions are eligible to apply but – where their project proposal lies within the same artform area as their study or work – they must prove that the funds which they are seeking are for costs which are not properly the concern of their employer and/or are not related to their work or academic study. They must submit evidence of this in the form of a letter on headed paper from their Head of Department.
• In the case of post-graduate students, the letter must clearly state the title of the student’s PhD thesis and include a declaration by the Head of Department. This declaration must state “The project for which funds are being sought does not form part of any academic work undertaken in relation to the above-titled PhD nor will it be assessed as part of any academic course”.
• Applicants undertaking a Masters or a PhD must also include a separate statement which provides information on how the project applied for differs from their Masters or PhD work.

Please note: The Arts Council may use its own judgement in determining this matter.

Eligible applicants must also

• Have made a contribution to artistic activities in Northern Ireland for a minimum period of 3 years within the last 5 years.
• Live in Northern Ireland
• Be at least 18yrs old and not in secondary education.

To apply

For more information about the awards, and to apply online, visit the Arts Council of Northern Ireland website below.

National Lottery Major Individual Artist Awards (SIAP)