Victoria Wood Foundation

The Victoria Wood Foundation is a grant-making charity honouring the legacy of comedian, musician, and writer Victoria Wood, with a mission to sustain and expand UK arts through high-quality theatre, music, dance, culture, and heritage initiatives. Core values emphasize the transformative power of arts for personal growth and community cohesion, championing accessibility, inclusivity, excellence, talent nurturing, and creative generosity infused with humour and authenticity. Their relational, responsive philosophy drives funding towards artistic projects demonstrating clear vision, local relevance, and sustainable participation, believing change arises from empowering arts organizations to foster creative engagement, broaden access, and enrich cultural life through community-led excellence.

They prioritize performing arts programs including youth theatre workshops, musical productions, community choirs, dance classes, and new stage writing that develop emerging performers and engage local audiences. Funding supports grassroots theatre groups delivering creative arts activities for young people, children, and families facing barriers to participation; regional music ensembles and orchestras providing inclusive music training and performances; dance organizations offering workshops for underrepresented communities; performance venues hosting community-led events addressing social isolation through arts; and charities promoting therapeutic creative activities like drama therapy and ensemble singing for disadvantaged youth, adults with complex needs, and isolated individuals. Interventions focus on talent development, new work commissions, audience enrichment, and broadening access via outreach, after-school performing arts clubs, peer ensemble support, and inclusive cultural events that build confidence, skills, and social connections in community settings.

Exclusions encompass support for individuals rather than organizations, unrestricted or multi-year funding, and non-arts activities; capital or core costs only if project-essential. Distinctive priorities favour small to medium arts charities in northern England communities and London cultural hubs, with niche emphasis on projects echoing Wood's comedic spirit, nurturing underrepresented talent, and combating exclusion through authentic, humour-infused theatre, music, and dance. They seek grassroots organizations with lived artistic experience, community relevance, and commitment to inclusive, preventative arts engagement over top-down models.