Cambridge Festival Community Funding

Have you an idea for a community activity for the Cambridge Festival? Will communities, children, or young people be involved in the design and/or delivery of your activity?

There are two ways to take part: the General Programme and the Family Weekend.

Stream 1: General Programme

The Cambridge Festival is the University of Cambridge's annual celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math's, enabling over 50,000 engagements with the public each year about research happening across Cambridge. The festival runs across a fortnight each spring, with talks, workshops, presentations, exhibitions, film, performance and demonstrations during the daytime, evening and weekends. Most activities are delivered by university departments and institutions, but we welcome participation from the local community too.

Next year's General Programme runs from 10th to 25th March 2027. Activities should be accessible for at least one event during this period.

Stream 2: Family Weekend

The Family Weekend is a large arts and sciences event aimed at inspiring, educating and entertaining children, young people and their families. As with the General Programme, most activities are delivered by university departments and institutions, but we welcome participation from the local community too.

In 2026, 10,000 visitors attended the Family Weekend across central Cambridge, with individual activities reporting at least 1,000 visitors each. Most come from Cambridge and Cambridgeshire, though we also attract visitors from London, the East of England and Europe.

Next year's Family Weekend takes place on 13th–14th March 2027. Activities should be accessible for the whole weekend.

Are You Eligible?

We want activities aimed at the local community (General Programme) or at children and young people (Family Weekend) that are also designed and/or delivered by them.

You could be a local community group with a project to grow your membership, a school looking for a platform for an extracurricular group, or a charity involving adults or young people in a current campaign to increase your reach.

Activities should be engaging and educational, and should fit one of our four themes: Society, Environment, Health or Discovery.

To receive funding, your organisation must be constituted, or led by someone self-employed and registered with HMRC.

Funding and Support

What We Can Offer

Funding of up to £2,500.

Support entering your activity into the Cambridge Festival programme and event management system.

A space at the 2027 Festival's general programme or Family Weekend, if desired, or assistance finding a suitable University or community venue.

Marketing and PR support (as part of the Family Weekend or Cambridge Festival as a whole).

What We Need From You

A short description (max. one page of A4) of who you are and what you want to do, including who you'll involve (e.g. “our community group,” “children aged 6–12”), how you'll involve them, and — if applicable — safeguarding arrangements (e.g. DBS-checked leaders, parental attendance).

A rough timeline of development activities leading up to the Festival/Family Weekend.

A breakdown of how you expect to spend your grant.

If funded, we'll ask you to complete a collaborator survey and help with reporting: feedback, numbers and demographics of engagement, and a few quotes from participants about what the experience meant to them.

Please send all documents in one email to cambridgefestival@admin.cam.ac.uk, subject line “Open Call: Cambridge Festival 2027.” If an alternative format (e.g. voice note or video) is easier, contact the team to discuss.

Judging Criteria

Applications are judged by the Cambridge Festival Working Group, drawn from representatives of the local community.

If we receive more applications than we can support, priority will go to projects reaching communities, children and young people in areas of multiple deprivation, using these maps as a guide.

Timeline