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HOW TO APPLY FOR A GoDA BURSARY
The deadline for the next round of entries is 30 November 2025

All Youth Groups intending to take part in an adjudicated local festival are eligible to apply for a bursary of up to £200 to help them with costs.  Priority will be given to groups looking to take part in a festival for the first time, and to groups who identify that their chosen festival will have a constructive public adjudication from a professionally competent, recognized adjudicator who will give them helpful feedback.  Groups can be youth theatres, youth wings attached to adult drama societies, after-school drama groups, charities, formally constituted or not-for-profit voluntary organisations.
Theatre schools with paying students and paid staff will not, however, be considered. 
You will need a bank account that is not a personal one. You may have an organisation that can be your representative in this, such as the main adult group overseeing a youth group.  We will ask details of that bank account so that, if you are awarded money, we can make the bursary payment by BACS.

The bursary can be used to help pay costs such as entry fees, licence fees, travel, material for costumes and props, etc.  Please note that the money may only be spent on the project and festival for which it was awarded.

Please note that bursaries will only be awarded where the festival for which you are applying is adjudicated by recognised adjudicators such as G.o.D.A.  
If you are successful, you will be informed by email and the money will be paid by BACS shortly after.  We would very much like successful youth groups to acknowledge in any publicity and festival programme information that they received financial help from the G.o.D.A. bursary scheme, and to email a short report on how the money was used and how things went for them at their festival.
If you are unsuccessful, you will be informed by email.  Please be aware that the trustees’ decision is final and that no reason will be given if your application is unsuccessful. 
Good luck!