Beyond Grants: Building Financial Resilience in Outdoor Arts with Figurative and Wild Rumpus

How can outdoor arts organisations build financial resilience and diversify income while keeping community impact at their core? This session will explore how impact investment can complement grants and sponsorship options, helping organisations build on their creative strengths and realise their financial and social goals.

James Cross will lead the session with an introduction to Figurative - an independent charity dedicated to impact, investment and innovation in the cultural and creative sector – and its £16 million Arts & Culture Impact Fund supporting socially driven cultural organisations across the UK.

You'll also hear from Rowan Cannon, director of Wild Rumpus, about how the organisation used investment from Figurative to support a strategic shift in direction – diversifying income through commissions, touring work and new events, building financial reserves for quieter periods, and funding essential redevelopment at their facilities.

The session will finish with an opportunity for open discussion and to ask questions. Whether you’re curious about repayable finance, would like to understand the benefits and risks, or just want to learn more about the fund, please do join us.

Figurative is an independent charity finding imaginative ways to grow the financial resilience and social impact of the UK's cultural and creative sectors. It specialises in raising and managing impact funds and attracting new philanthropy. Figurative conducts and supports research to make the case for continued investment and innovation in these areas to funders, policymakers and the public. It also provides expert advisory services to support the development of cultural impact and funding models across the globe. See more at: figurative.org.uk.

James Cross is an investment manager at Figurative who leads on the origination, execution and management of investments for the Arts & Culture Impact Fund – a £16 million fund supporting socially driven arts, culture and heritage organisations across the UK.

Wild Rumpus is an arts organisation and social enterprise, working to deepen nature connectedness through a programme of projects including festivals, large-scale events, creative interventions, meaningful partnerships and sector development work. They make and support work, most often in green places, that surprises, inspires and stirs people. Their work spans the culture, arts, tourism and heritage sectors, partnering with organisations to engage audiences in bold and creative ways. Operating from their rural creative space in Cheshire, they host artist residencies and networking events that foster connections with nature and help develop artistic practice. Wild Rumpus are an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.

Rowan Cannon is Artistic Director and CEO of Wild Rumpus. She leads on strategy and development across the organisation and holds space for a team of 15 employees from makers to curators to production managers to create, curate and deliver transformative experiences.

If you have any access needs to help you with the session, please let us know by emailing David@outdoorartsuk.org.

Event image caption Homestead Park Festival: Here is Hope, 2026