ArtsFunded guide
DYCP: What Counts as Development (Discipline Specific Examples)
A clear guide to what Arts Council England considers genuine development in a DYCP application. Includes examples for theatre, visual arts, writing, dance, music, digital work and more.
Published · By ArtsFunded editorial team
!Planning personal creative development goals on a notepad
TL;DR
- DYCP funds growth, learning, new directions, risk, and development you cannot achieve alone.
- Think artistic deepening, skill building, testing new methods, or shifting your practice.
The DYCP programme is one of the most open and exciting funding routes from Arts Council England. It supports artists and creatives to grow, experiment, and deepen their practice in ways that would not be possible without funding.
But the biggest question applicants ask is the same: What actually counts as development?
This guide breaks down what ACE means by development, what does and does not fit, and gives you realistic, discipline specific examples you can adapt.
More DYCP guides → Browse DYCP posts
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What is Arts Council England?
Arts Council England (ACE) is the national body that funds and supports the arts, museums, and libraries across England. It distributes money from the National Lottery and the government to help creative projects benefit the public. DYCP funding is for individuals who want to develop their creative practice through learning, exploration, research, and risk taking. Projects should benefit your long term artistic growth and lead to stronger, more sustainable work in the future.
Important update: DYCP Round 24 opens for applications at midday on Thursday 4 June 2026 and closes at midday on Thursday 2 July 2026. Access support requests are open from midday Thursday 14 May 2026 to midday Thursday 11 June 2026. Decisions are due by Thursday 8 October 2026.
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What DYCP means by development
ACE uses the word development to mean:
- Growing your artistic practice
- Deepening your skills, knowledge, or craft
- Trying new methods, forms, or disciplines
- Collaborating in new ways
- Testing ideas without the pressure of production
- Exploring themes deeply
- Strengthening your long term creative sustainability
DYCP is not about delivering a finished show or public piece. It is about you, your growth, and the future of your practice.
Try ArtsFunded: Shape a clear, funder ready DYCP plan with structured development goals and templates.
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What does not count as development
Avoid these, as they weaken applications:
- Delivering a finished performance or exhibition
- Touring or presenting work publicly
- Paying yourself to do your usual job
- Buying general equipment with no developmental purpose
- Business costs unrelated to creative growth
- Doing a project you have already done before
- Covering budget gaps in another grant application
DYCP must shift your practice forward, not maintain it.
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Discipline specific examples you can adapt
Below are real, ACE friendly examples for different artforms. You can mix and match if your practice spans more than one area.
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Theatre and Performance
- Training with a specialist director or dramaturg
- Exploring movement, puppetry, clowning, or physical theatre techniques
- Researching a new cultural or artistic tradition
- Developing multilingual or bilingual practice
- Deepening inclusive practice with training in access methods
- Working with a mentor to grow your devising or writing skills
- Experimenting with new forms such as solo autobiographical work, immersive theatre, or audio performance
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Writing and Literature
- Working with a published author or editor on craft development
- Developing a new writing discipline such as poetry, memoir, or hybrid forms
- Researching underexplored themes connected to your identity or community
- Attending structured masterclasses in narrative design or character work
- Testing new writing routines or creative processes
- Exploring translation or multilingual writing techniques
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Visual Art
- Training in a new material or technique such as ceramics, printmaking, metalwork, or textiles
- Residencies focused on experimentation and research
- Learning digital visual tools such as 3D modelling or projection
- Deepening craft techniques with specialist mentors
- Exploring a new conceptual direction through research
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Dance and Movement
- Working with choreographers to develop new movement vocabularies
- Training in styles outside your usual discipline such as contemporary, street, or cultural forms
- Investigating inclusive movement practice
- Developing choreographic approaches or solo work
- Exploring dance film or motion capture
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Music
- Collaborating with a producer to explore new sound worlds
- Developing skills in composition, songwriting, or orchestration
- Learning specialist instruments or techniques
- Experimenting with electronic music or sound design
- Taking time to research themes that inspire future work
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Digital and Cross Disciplinary Work
- Learning creative coding, interactive design, or game engines
- Training in VR, AR, or immersive tech
- Developing hybrid performance methods that merge digital and live practice
- Working with digital mentors or technologists
- Experimenting with AI tools for creative development in ethical ways
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How to explain your development clearly
- Be specific
Name the exact skill, method, or knowledge you want to develop.
- Link it to your long term practice
Explain how this growth will strengthen your future work.
- Explain why you cannot do it alone
This is a key part of a strong DYCP case.
- Show the stretch or risk
ACE wants to see ambition.
- Keep it personal
DYCP is about your practice, not an organisation.
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Example development statement you can adapt
I want to deepen my practice by learning new physical storytelling techniques. This will expand my artistic language beyond text and help me create more accessible work. I will work with a mentor for structured training and spend dedicated time researching movement based performance. This development is not possible within my usual freelance schedule and will support stronger, more inclusive work in the future.
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Template for your DYCP development case
```md
What I want to develop
I want to develop [specific skill or method].
Why this development matters
This will strengthen my practice by [clear long term impact].
Why I cannot do this alone
Due to [financial barriers, access to expertise, time], I cannot achieve this without support.
How I will develop
Through [training, mentorship, research, experimentation, collaboration].
How this shapes my future practice
This development will lead to [better work, new methods, more inclusive practice, artistic growth].
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Related reading
- How to Write a Strong Arts Council England Project Grant
- ACE Project Grants: Need vs Outcomes (Examples You Can Adapt)
- Audience and Reach for ACE: What to Include (Templates)
- ACE Budgets: Simple Template and Common Pitfalls
More tools and guides: ArtsFunded funding guides
Try ArtsFunded to plan your DYCP project, shape development goals, and build a clear, funder ready application. Start your DYCP plan →
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If you want, I can now produce: ✔ A 5 slide Instagram carousel for this post ✔ A shortlist of header image ideas ✔ The next DYCP blog post (#7)