ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND
NATIONAL LOTTERY PROJECT GRANTS
APPLICATIONS FOR £30,000 AND UNDER
Make the application as strong as the idea behind it.
Practical, one-to-one support for first-time applicants, independent artists and small arts organisations developing theatre and performance projects.
We will work through your artistic idea, application, budget, timeline and audience plan together, so that every part of the project makes sense and the final application still sounds like you.
FROM IDEA TO APPLICATION
A good idea does not automatically become a good application.
You may know exactly what you want to make but find it difficult to fit the project into application questions, character limits and funding language. Or you may already have a draft where the idea, budget, timeline and audience plan do not yet feel fully connected.
I can help you step back, see the whole project clearly and work through what still needs developing before you submit.
Independent artists and small arts organisations do not always have a producer or fundraiser available when an application needs attention. I offer focused support when you need it, without needing to bring someone into the team on an ongoing basis.
HOW I CAN HELP
Support for the application and the project behind it.
Clarify the project
We begin with what you want to make, why you want to make it now, who it is for and what needs to happen. I ask questions, help you express what is already there and bring the different parts of the project into clearer focus.
Shape the application
We examine the questions and character limits, organise the material and shape answers that are specific, grounded and easy to follow. I can help draft and edit the application while keeping the language and tone recognisably yours.
Prepare the budget and timeline
We check that artist fees, production costs, income, support in kind, contingency and project stages are realistic and consistent. We make sure the resources, relationships and support that you already have in place or are working towards are shown clearly across the application, budget and timeline.
Plan for audiences
We identify who you want to reach, why the project matters to them, how they will experience or engage with it and what information can support your audience estimates. We make sure the audience you describe is appropriate for the project and reflected in the wider plan.
Review the whole application
I read the application, budget and timeline side by side, checking for contradictions, missing information and areas that may leave assessors with questions. We then refine the final version so that it is clear, coherent and ready for submission.
WHAT I BRING TO THE WORK
Experience in making theatre and producing projects.
I am Lokky Lau, a London-based actor, theatremaker and producer. This service grew out of performing and producing theatre, supporting artists with funding applications and outreach, and years spent coaching and training people at work.
Acting and theatre-making keep me close to what a project is trying to say, why it matters and how it might take shape. Producing brings the practical questions: what it will cost, how it will happen and whether the plan can carry the ambition. Coaching and training taught me to listen closely, ask useful questions and help people find clearer words without taking over their voice.
I pay close attention to the details that hold an application together, from figures and dates to whether the answers, budget and timeline are telling the same story. I do not try to make a project sound grander than it is. I help you show what is already valuable, clarify what is not yet clear and make sure the practical plan supports the work.
My experience is strongest in theatre and performance. I may also support projects in other artforms where my experience is a good fit.
WHAT THEY SAY
From artists I have worked with.
“
Lokky is a gift to any project! He’s an incredible communicator; extremely competent; with a passion to match; a remarkable attention detail (no joke, he will find a pimple on the moon) – he makes every room he joins better. I have always felt incredibly supported and encouraged working on projects and funding applications with him.
Stampin’ in the Graveyard
The Cockpit, 2024
Photo by Valeriia Poholsha
Prayers for a Hungry Ghost
The Barbican, 2025
Photo by Ikin Yum
Elisabeth Gunawan (Betty) · Kiss Witness
“
When you look at the grant application with overwhelm, like I did, you wonder if there is anyone that not only understands it, but who will sympathetically walk you through it. For this daunting task, Lokky is a godsend. He doesn’t just understand the process, he enjoys it. My application became our application, he was invested in its success. Everything is an important detail worthy of his attention. Thank god for his spirit and his scary level of enthusiasm for the intricacies of a lengthy and confusing process. There is no way my application would have got approved without Lokky. But we did, the project is funded!
Markus Flanagan · Same Day Plays 2027
WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER
Choose the support that fits your project.
First conversation
Free
A half-hour conversation to hear about your project, where it has reached and what you would like help with. We will identify the most useful next step and whether my support is the right fit.
Working support
£30 per hour
Flexible one-to-one support for developing your application and the project behind it. We can focus on the writing, budget, timeline or audience plan, depending on what needs attention. The time can be used for reading, drafting, editing and feedback.
Full application review
£125
For a complete draft that would benefit from a focused second pair of eyes before submission. I review the application, budget and timeline together, looking for gaps, inconsistencies and places where assessors may be left with questions.
The review includes:
- your full application, budget and timeline;
- annotated feedback;
- a half-hour conversation to talk through the feedback;
- brief follow-up by email for questions or clarification.
This is a review and feedback service rather than a substantial rewrite. If further development is needed, we can agree what would be most useful next.
Marketing and outreach pack
From £175
For projects preparing to reach their audiences. I research relevant organisations, community groups, listings and platforms, then turn that research into a practical outreach plan.
Depending on the project, your pack may include:
- organisations and groups to approach;
- suggested outreach priorities;
- a simple outreach schedule;
- adaptable outreach email copy.
Each pack is shaped around the size, location and needs of the project, so you will receive a fixed quote before work begins. The aim is to leave you with clear priorities and practical material you can begin using straight away.
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Questions that often come up.
If your question is not covered here, please feel free to email me.
You do not need a finished application or to have every answer, but you should have a project you genuinely want to make and have started thinking about how it could happen. You can come to me with project notes, an incomplete application or a complete draft, and we can begin with what needs the most attention.
The application remains yours: you make the decisions and approve the final wording. I can help shape, draft and edit answers based on the project information you give me, but I will not invent a project or make claims that cannot be supported.
I can help you think through what the project needs and how confirmed or expected income, support in kind and project relationships should be presented in the application. I do not secure venues, match funding or support in kind on your behalf.
Arts Council England makes the funding decisions, and no application support can guarantee an award. My role is to help you submit a clearer, more coherent and better-prepared application.
My main service is designed for applications of £30,000 and under, but I can consider larger Project Grants where the project and the support required fit my experience. I have experience preparing project cashflows and can support the additional planning involved. We can talk through what the application requires and agree an approach and price that are proportionate to the work involved.
A GOOD PLACE TO START
Tell me what you have so far.
Send me a short description of what you are planning, where the project is now and what you would like help with.
lokkylau.com · hello@lokkylau.com
© 2026 Lokky Lau · Privacy Policy