How to Prepare a Strong DYCP Application
By Sarah Francis
DYCP is not a performance. It is not “prove yourself”. It is a check in. Where are you now. What do you need. What is actually going on in your practice, not the shiny version you drag out when you feel watched. Most people apply when they feel stuck or scrambled. Honestly, that is the right moment. The Arts Council expect mess. They expect uncertainty. So you can stop trying to sound like you have a perfect plan. You do not. None of us do.
I have done DYCP and I have supported enough artists through it to see the same pattern over and over. The problem is never the work. It is clarity. Saying the thing you have been avoiding saying. Naming the bit that feels uncomfortable. Once that’s out, the rest follows.
Before you even touch Grantium, sort this.
Why now
Something shifted. Something is off. Maybe you are burned out or unsure or circling the same idea for the fiftieth time hoping it magically explains itself. Say that. Panels respond to honesty more than confidence theatre. If you pretend everything is fine, your application will read flat.
What development actually means
DYCP is not about making a polished outcome. It is your thinking time. Your skill building time. Your “I need to go deeper into this before I can make anything worthwhile” time.
Training. Research. Mentoring. Shadowing. New materials. Focused time to undo old habits. Choose what you actually need, not what sounds impressive.
What you will do
No waffle.
No spiritual journeys.
No “explore my practice” with no explanation.
Tell them the thing you would tell a friend who knows when you are avoiding the point.
Ground it in actions, even if the actions are small.
Who is part of it
Most DYCPs involve other people in small, targeted ways. A mentor. A technician. Someone who challenges your thinking. Someone who steadies it. Choose people who make sense for your practice, not for your ego. And yes, APS support or mentoring goes in this list if it genuinely fits the plan.
Access before budget
If you need support to communicate or organise your ideas, use the Access Support route. It is not extra paperwork. It is literally there for you. It does not touch your main budget. Use it so you are not wrestling the whole thing on your own.
Why this moment matters
Panels need context. What changed. Why this point in your practice needs attention. If you cannot explain the timing, the application reads adrift.
Your budget
Pay yourself.
Pay for your labour.
Pay for your time to think.
If you underbudget you make it look like you don’t take your own work seriously.
This is development, not a hobby.
Write in your voice
Panels can spot when you panicked and rewrote the whole thing at 1am. You do not need artspeak. You do not need theory unless it is already part of your work. Write like a person trying to make sense of their practice, not a brochure.
If you need help
You can do it alone, but you do not have to. Most artists need a conversation space to figure out what they are actually trying to say. That’s where mentoring or project support sits. It can be part of your DYCP budget, and APS can also help with Access Support if that’s part of your needs.
DYCP is not a test. It is an opportunity to stop, tell the truth, and give yourself the time you keep postponing. Start there.
FAQ's
Clarity. Feasibility. Self awareness. They want to understand where you are in your practice, what you need to develop, and why the proposed activity makes sense. They are not judging taste. They are assessing coherence.
You apply through Grantium, the Arts Council England online system. DYCP is a specific fund for individual artists to develop their practice, not to deliver a finished project.
You must be an individual artist based in England, not currently in full time education, and able to show a commitment to your practice. You do not need a long CV or national profile.
DYCP funds development, not outcomes. This includes mentoring, training, research, skills development, materials testing, shadowing, travel for learning, and time to think and recalibrate your practice.
You can apply for between £2,000 and £12,000. The amount should match what you actually need. Inflated or under costed budgets weaken applications.
Yes. DYCP does not require an exhibition or public outcome. It is specifically for development before making or showing work.
Budget for real labour. Your time, mentoring, training, access support, materials, and travel. Underbudgeting suggests you do not value your work or your development.
Access Support is funding for applicants who need help to communicate, organise, or apply. It sits outside the main project budget and does not reduce your DYCP award.
Yes. Access Support is designed for this. You do not need to disclose everything publicly. You only need to explain what support helps you apply or work effectively.
Rejection is common and not a judgement on your work. You can request feedback, revise, and reapply. Many successful applications are funded on a second or third attempt.
Start with why now. What has shifted or stalled in your practice. Then say what you will do in clear actions. Who is involved. What will change for you by the end. Funders are not looking for certainty. They are looking for clarity and intention.