Endorsement route
Arts and Culture
Arts and culture is endorsed by Arts Council England, which assesses combined arts, dance, literature, music, theatre and visual arts directly, and works with specialist partners for the disciplines that need them. The evidence here looks different from the other fields: it is built from professional engagements, commissions, press and peer recognition rather than papers or product metrics.
Who it's for
Who this route is for
Combined arts, dance, literature, music, theatre and visual arts — assessed by Arts Council England
Architecture — assessed with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
Fashion design — assessed with the British Fashion Council
Film and television, including animation, post-production and visual effects — assessed with the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT)
Practitioners at any career stage: established artists applying as exceptional talent, and emerging ones with a clear recent trajectory applying as exceptional promise
Criteria
What is assessed
The judgement is about standing in the discipline, evidenced through a professional track record. Arts Council England and its partners each publish their own criteria and evidence formats — confirm the current ones before you prepare anything.
01
International recognition, or emerging recognition
For exceptional talent, recognition as a leading figure in your discipline, in more than one country. For exceptional promise, evidence that you have begun to be recognised beyond your immediate context and are on a clear upward path.
02
A professional track record
Work performed, exhibited, published, broadcast, built or distributed at a significant level, typically over the last five years, with a clear record of professional engagements.
03
Critical and media recognition
Reviews, features and coverage in respected national or international outlets, and recognition by juries, festivals, prizes and awards in your discipline.
04
Contribution to the discipline
Influence on other practitioners, curatorial or commissioning work, teaching and mentoring at a significant level, or a distinctive body of work that has changed how others work.
Documents
What you have to produce
Formats vary by discipline and by partner body. As a general shape, expect the following.
A CV or portfolio setting out your professional practice and engagements
Three letters of support from established figures in your discipline, normally including at least one from a UK-based organisation
Evidence of professional engagements over recent years: performances, exhibitions, publications, commissions, screenings, built work or releases
Evidence of critical recognition: reviews, press coverage, awards and jury selections
Supporting material appropriate to the discipline — images, recordings, links or extracts, within the limits the body sets
Certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh
What goes wrong
The mistakes we see most on this route
Submitting a portfolio in place of an argument. The work has to be framed against the criteria, not simply presented.
Letters from collaborators and friends rather than from figures whose own standing in the discipline gives the letter weight.
Local or single-country recognition presented as international, when the talent standard expects recognition across borders.
Evidence spread thinly over fifteen years instead of concentrated on a strong recent period.
Going to Arts Council England directly when your discipline sits with RIBA, the British Fashion Council or PACT.
This page is general information about the arts and culture route, current as at September 2026. Endorsing bodies revise their criteria, evidence formats and service standards, so confirm the current requirements with the body assessing you, and with GOV.UK, before relying on anything here. Nothing on this page is advice on your individual case.
Is arts and culture the right route for you?
Send us your CV and a short description of your work. We will tell you which route and which standard your evidence actually supports — and if it does not yet, what would change that.