This grant programme is for UK hospices to develop arts and culture projects, events and activities which which open up conversations about dying, death and grief in new and creative ways at a grassroots level, and which reach new groups in new ways.
The project grants are for £5,000 to £10,000, with a total programme budget of £40,000 in this round.
The grants are aimed at community-led arts and culture projects, with a focus on equality and inclusion, and which approach the subject of dying in an innovative or creative way. They are looking for activities which take place in communities, outside of formal healthcare settings, which help make it easier for people to talk about death and dying. The hope is to support hospices to build new partnerships, particularly with arts and cultural organisations.
Consideration will only be given to applications that show evidence of partnership working with local groups/community organisations who can help your hospice to reach a group that you have traditionally struggled to support.
Projects must aim to reach one of the below defined groups, who are less likely to be reached by hospice care and the Dying Matters campaign:
- racialised communities
- people experiencing homelessness
- imprisoned people
- LGBTQ+ people
- people living in remote and rural areas
- people living in poverty, deprivation and with lower socioeconomic status
- people living with learning disabilities.
Grants can only fund projects that are due to start during or after December 2025. However, projects that have had a clearly identified pilot phase before this date will be considered.
Examples of previous projects funded through this programme include:
- The development of a video game that supports young people to think about death and grief
- A series of art workshops that enable people experiencing homelessness to explore feelings about life, death and grief
- A theatre production exploring queer Jewish grief practices
Other examples could include, theatre production, exhibition, community mural, public art display, comedy nights, or workshops and courses.
The deadline for applications is 5pm on 5 December 2025.
Applicants will be informed whether or not they have been successful by mid-February 2026.
For full details, visit the Dying Matters Community Grants webpage here.
