Awards and bursaries

A bursary for professional craftspeople using traditional craft skills, including those that are at risk of dying out.  The Cockpit Arts Society GLA Bursary offers one year of business support and subsidised shared studio space at Cockpit.

• Subsidised shared studio space for one year within the creative community at Cockpit, with an anticipated start date between January – March 2027
• Business support an professional development including one-to-one coaching and workshops
• Selling and promotional opportunities, including two annual Cockpit Open Studios events

Required maker contribution: £2,000 per year (approx. £167/month)

• This bursary is offered to a craftsperson using traditional craft skills or working in a craft that is at risk of dying out
• Makers who can demonstrate a dedication to developing and nurturing their craft to a level of excellence and an interest in passing on their craft. 
• Please note: We only accept one application per applicant for each award round. If you are unsure about which award to apply for, please contact Kanny Morgan, Awards & Admissions Coordinator at kanny@cockpitstudios.org.  

The Arts Society is a leading arts education charity with a global network of over 380 local Societies, which bring people together through a shared curiosity for the arts. Our events provide welcoming places, locally, nationally and globally, to hear expert lecturers share their specialist knowledge about the arts. Our 90,000+ members contribute to and preserve our artistic heritage through volunteering and grants. Our strength is our people, joined together by a passion for the arts which can nourish and empower us all. Our work creates a better, healthier and more connected society.

Cockpit is committed to inclusion, diversity, and equity in all our activities, recognising that creativity and innovation are fuelled by diversity.  

Read our full statement and see our aims here.  

We particularly encourage applications from those who are underrepresented in craft including non-graduates, disabled, D/deaf, and neurodiverse people, LGBTQ+ people, and people from Black, Asian, and Global Majority* backgrounds. We welcome applicants from a range of educational backgrounds, and there is no minimum formal qualification for this programme.  

*Global Majority is a collective term that refers to people who are Black, Asian, dual-heritage, mixed-heritage, indigenous to the global South, and/or have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities’.  

As part of our commitment to increasing diversity, we offer a guaranteed first round interview scheme for applicants who meet Cockpit’s eligibility criteria, the award criteria, and identify as being from a Global Majority background and/or as D/deaf and/or disabled. This scheme recognises under-representation and that structural injustices mean that currently there is not a ‘level-playing field’ in our sector or society.   

If you identify as having one or more of these protected characteristics and meet the eligibility and award criteria, please indicate in your application that you would like to be considered under our guaranteed interview scheme for a first round interview.   

If you have any questions, check our FAQs page or contact us.