Arts Council 1-to-1 Advice Sessions

These 1‑to‑1 advice sessions focus on Arts Council England’s main funding opportunities: National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG) and Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP).

Participants will have the opportunity to discuss a project or funding idea directly with one of Arts Council England’s Relationship Managers, and receive tailored advice and guidance on how to strengthen an application. Sessions are designed to be supportive and informative, offering insight into eligibility, priorities, and next steps.

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. These sessions are best suited to artists and organisations who already have a project or idea in mind and have familiarised themselves with the relevant guidance in advance.

National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG) support arts, cultural and creative activity across England. Applicants are encouraged to read the latest NLPG guidance before attending their session.

Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) is aimed at individual artists and creatives, supporting them to develop their skills, practice and ways of working at key points in their career. Guidance for DYCP can be found on the Arts Council England website.

Arts Council England also provides a range of resources to help applicants plan and develop their applications. It is recommended that attendees refresh themselves on the guidance before their advice session to make the most of the time available.

Relationship managers:

RM1: Nikki Harrison-Davis-Combined Arts Relationship Manager

Nikki has worked at Arts Council for 16 years in various roles including the Visual Arts team, Dance team and now Combined Arts team. Nikki also worked in the Grants for the Arts team so am happy to advise on any artform. Before joining the Arts Council, Nikki worked at HOME and Cornerhouse in Manchester and has a degree in Fine Art Photography. Nikki has experience of running community workshops and ran community workshops in Photography at a mental health charity in Salford and worked on commissions such as with WAST- Women’s Asylum Seekers Together project which culminated in a book and exhibition and supported photography students at City College.

RM2: Nick Ponsillo- Relationship Manager Music

Nick Ponsillo joined Arts Council as a Relationship Manager for Music in September 2025. Nick has worked in higher education, the NHS and the arts with particular interest in participatory arts, creative community projects and creative health. In higher education, Nick introduced arts-based learning into non-arts courses and pioneered creative health in nursing education, including the first creative health placement and drama training for simulation practice. In the NHS, Nick developed online and arts-based learning for early career researchers and, in the arts, pioneered music and dementia projects as well as research relationships at Manchester Camerata.

RM3: Chandan Shergill- Relationship Manager - New Technology and Innovation

Chandan Shergill is a Relationship Manager at Arts Council England, specialising in New Technology and Innovation. She has a TV and Film background and previously worked at the British Film Institute before joining ACE in 2024. Chandan is local to Wigan.

RM4: Eleanor Wilson- Relationship Manager- Communities and Engagement

Eleanor Wilson is a Relationship Manager for Communities and Engagement at Arts Council England, based in the North West. She works closely with Creative People and Places (CPP) programmes and initiatives that support communities to shape and participate in arts and culture. Eleanor is happy to talk through project ideas across any discipline, particularly those focused on participation and community co-creation.

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