PIVOTAL

Pivotal is a celebratory series of free events that connect and support creative women across Barking and Dagenham.

Funded by Arts Council England and initiated in 2021, Pivotal has evolved each year to suit the needs of local creative women. This year’s focus will be on offering specific grants and support as well a variety of work-related skills and advice specifically for creative females via our new GALvanise Female Creativity Fund.


Interested? Then don’t miss the first Pivotal event of the season as we launch GALvanise Creativity Fund and share everything you need to know.

Find out more on Saturday 4 October and join us on a new creative journey together.

GALvanise Female Creativity Fund LAUNCH EVENT

SAT 4 OCT, 2-5PM

An inspiring afternoon of live performances and workshops to spark your ideas and creativity, as we launch our new Pivotal project. This is a great opportunity to meet like-minded local women and work on your creative mindset, whilst discovering more about the GALvanise Female Creativity Fund.

Are you a creative female living in Barking and Dagenham, with an idea you’d like to see happen?

GALvanise Creativity Fund is a new small pot of funding available as part of the 2025-26 Pivotal programme.  If you are a local creative female in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham we invite you to apply, outlining your creative idea that you would like to progress with the help of:

  • 1-2-1 mentoring sessions

  • Female-only group sessions

  • Access to free space

  • £500 to make your idea happen

The programme will run between November 2025 and March 2026. The five successful chosen creatives will have their final outcomes showcased publicly as part of the final celebration during Women’s Empowerment Month in March 2026.

If you are successful you will be offered four 1-2-1 hour-long sessions on a Friday, plus two group sessions between November 2025 and January 2026.

Deadline: submit your completed GALvanise application form by Friday 17th October 2025.

If yo have any questions and for more information about GALvanise please email pivotal@galleonartscentre.org

WHO CAN APPLY? You need to...

  • be a creative female, living, working, or with strong ties to Barking & Dagenham

  • have an idea you’d like to develop further or try out for the first time

  • be happy to join in with the cohort of other successful women to work together and share support with one another

  • be available to attend four 1-2-1 sessions on a Friday from Nov 2025 to Jan 2026.

  • be prepared to then develop your idea independently over an 8-week period and be ready to present your outcome back in March 2026.

  • You do not need to be a professional artist or performer, but have a keen interest/passion in any artform. 

  • Open to women over 18

We will NOT fund: 

  • An idea that is not creative or an idea not from a female

  • An idea that is not of impact for the people of Barking & Dagenham, or has no relation to the Borough

  • We will not fund overheads, travel, or solely fund equipment with no strong evidence of a creative outcome.

  • If you are under 18

  • If you are an organisation

  • Work that promotes any hate or harm 

Application Deadlines: Please submit your completed application by Friday 17th October 2025.

MORE INFORMATION:

  • To apply fill out the application form using the link above. In the application form you can tell us about us your idea in no more than 400 words, explaining what it is you would like to achieve.  Or send us a short 2 minute video/voice recording explaining your idea.

  • The application form also has space for you to tell us more about yourself and provide examples of your creative work. Let us know why now would be a great time for you to expand your ideas/ try something new.

  • Your idea does not need to be fully formed just yet. We will work together with you over the winter to help you achieve your goal. 

  • Your creative proposal can be a piece of new work, a new idea, work in progress, or development of something you are already working on.

KEY DATES:

  • GALvanise launch event - join us in person to chat about your application on Sat 4 Oct, 2-5pm. Info & book in advance here >>

  • Pre-application ONLINE Q&A: Mon 6 Oct, 7-8pm

  • Application Deadline: Fri 17 Oct

  • All applicants will be contacted by Fri 31 Oct 

  • Successful applicants will be invited into meet the Pitoval team for an informal chat about their idea on Fri 7 Nov