DYCP & Funding Mentoring
Funding support at APS helps artists develop stronger applications through practical guidance, critical discussion and clear feedback. Rather than writing applications, we support artists to strengthen their ideas, build confidence and develop the skills to apply for DYCP, Project Grants and other funding opportunities.
Funding & Professional Development Mentoring
Whether you’re applying for Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP), Project Grants or another funding opportunity, mentoring gives you the space to think, reflect and develop your ideas with confidence.
I don’t write applications for artists. Instead, I help you understand your practice, challenge your thinking and find language that genuinely feels like your own. Together we’ll shape a stronger application by developing a clearer understanding of where your practice is now, where you want it to go and why this is the right time.
“The mentoring I got was incredibly valuable and helped me make key decisions about how I present my artwork for exhibition and sale.”
My approach
The strongest applications rarely come from finding better words.
They come from understanding your practice.
Our conversations are about slowing the process down, asking the right questions and creating space to think. We’ll explore your ideas, identify what matters most and develop an application that feels honest, focused and recognisably yours.
The application remains yours.
The ideas remain yours.
My role is to help you uncover them.
What we can work on
Every artist and every application is different, but sessions often include:
- Developing your project idea.
- Clarifying what you want to learn or develop.
- Finding language that feels authentic.
- Structuring your application.
- Reviewing drafts and strengthening responses.
- Identifying mentors, research or training opportunities.
- Discussing Access Support where appropriate.
- Building confidence before you submit.
Some artists arrive with pages of notes.
Others arrive with no idea where to begin.
Both are completely normal.
“I found the support Sarah provided to guide us through curating a group exhibition was excellent… The mentoring was incredibly valuable.”
Is this right for me?
Most of the artists I work with don’t come to me because they can’t write.
They come because they’re struggling to organise their thoughts, explain their practice or turn a good idea into a clear development plan.
This mentoring could be right for you if you:
- have an idea but don’t know how to shape it into a strong proposal
- struggle to talk or write about your practice
- aren’t sure what Arts Council are really asking
- keep changing your mind or rewriting your application
- are neurodivergent and find it easier to think through conversation
- want honest, constructive feedback from someone who understands both artistic practice and funding
“Access and inclusion are built into everything they do, and they genuinely care about creating an environment where artists can learn from and support each other.”
About Sarah
Alongside my own artistic practice, I’ve supported hundreds of artists through one-to-one mentoring, professional development and funding applications.
My role isn’t to write applications.
It’s to help artists understand their own practice more clearly.
Because once you’re clear about what you’re trying to develop and why it matters, the writing usually becomes much easier.
What artists have said
Every artist’s practice is different, and so is every mentoring conversation. Here are a few reflections from artists I’ve worked with.
“The mentoring I got was incredibly valuable and helped me make key decisions about how I present my artwork for exhibition and sale.”
“Access and inclusion are built into everything they do, and they genuinely care about cultivating an environment where artists can learn from and support each other.”
“Sarah doesn’t tell you what to write – she helps you understand your own practice.”
“The conversations gave me the confidence to organise my ideas, identify what really mattered and write an application that genuinely reflected my work.”
“I came away with much more than a funding application.”
“The mentoring helped me understand my practice more clearly, develop my thinking and feel more confident about the direction I wanted to take.”
Ready to get started?
Whether you’re exploring an idea, preparing a DYCP application or refining a final draft, mentoring provides dedicated time to reflect, ask better questions and move your practice forward.
I’d love to help you take the next step.