DYCP ARTS COUNCIL: things I wish I’d known before applying
For years I put off applying for Arts Council funding. It always looked impossible. The forms, the structure, the competition, the idea of trying to define myself in a format that never seemed built for the way I think. When I finally applied for DYCP, I realised how wrong I had been. DYCP is not about funding a project. It is about funding you. It is designed to support artists in developing their practice, and that is something I wish I had understood sooner.
What DYCP Actually Funds
DYCP is not a project grant. It is a development grant. It helps you to:
Strengthen your practice
Learn, research, or experiment
Find time for reflection and growth
Work with mentors or collaborators
Build skills or knowledge you can carry forward
Things to remember
DYCP focuses on how your practice will change, not what you will produce.
The project you include is a way to illustrate development, not the thing being judged.
They want to understand what you need in order to evolve.
Understanding the Step Change
When I applied, I started thinking about what I now call a step change.
That means:
Understanding where you are right now
Defining where you want to go next
Describing what needs to happen to make that shift
A step change does not have to be dramatic. It is about movement and clarity. It is about being honest about what is next for you, and what it will take for you to get there, and that honesty is what makes the strongest applications.
Why This Feels Difficult
For many creatives, especially those who are neurodiverse, the process can feel unnatural. It asks for structure and clarity that do not always match the way we make or think. The challenge is not in the ideas. It is in the organisation. Translating something instinctive into a form that feels administrative can feel impossible.
I understand that because I have been there. I have ADHD, and the hardest part for me was not writing the answers but organising my thinking. Once I realised that the form could be a reflection tool rather than a test, it stopped feeling like bureaucracy and started to feel like a creative act in itself.
What I Learned From My DYCP
Growth is its own creative output
Reflection is part of the craft
Development is discipline, not indulgence
Time spent clarifying is time spent creating
Receiving DYCP funding changed how I work. It gave me permission to slow down and define what I actually needed next rather than what I thought I should be producing. That was the real shift. Seeing that development is work, and that clarity itself is creative.
If you are about to start your DYCP application, keep these things in mind:
Focus on what needs to change in your practice
Be specific about how you will create that change
Use your project to show, not to prove
Be honest about what you need
Ask for support if you need it
If you are a neurodiverse creative and this process feels overwhelming, I offer DYCP Access Support to help you structure, organise, and express your ideas clearly while keeping your voice intact. You can book a conversation here to make the process lighter and more focused.
I’m Doug Crossley. I tell stories and I help people tell theirs. If you’re ready to work with someone who brings warmth, rigour and creative partnership to the process, explore my DYCP Access Support Service and how the right collaboration can help you find clarity, structure and confidence in your next application. Want to discover more? Get in touch to discuss your project and how I might be able to support you.
