Arts Council England letters of support for Global Talent: who can write them and what they must say
Arts Council England letters of support for Global Talent: who can write the 3 letters, what each must say, format rules and letters that are rejected.
By Mihir Thaker, Founder·Updated 4 October 2026·5 min read
Quick answer
Arts Council England letters of support for Global Talent must be exactly three letters, each from a different organisation or person. One must come from a well-established UK cultural organisation, one from another well-established cultural organisation in the UK or overseas, and the third from a further organisation or an eminent individual in your field. Each letter must be written for this application and include specific mandatory details, or it may not meet the criteria.
Only one of your three letters has to come from a UK organisation, so an artist based abroad can use well-established cultural organisations or eminent individuals in their own country for the other two, as long as each has worked with them.
Who this guide helps
Artists preparing an Arts Council England application
Theatres, galleries, festivals and publishers asked to write a letter
Artists based outside the UK looking for a UK letter writer
Applicants who have been refused and are reviewing their letters
What you will know
You submit three letters, for both Exceptional Talent and Exceptional Promise.
At least one letter must come from a well-established UK cultural organisation.
No two letters can come from the same organisation.
Each letter must be dated, signed, specific to this application and no more than three sides of A4.
Letters from Arts Council Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland and Arts Council Wales are not accepted.
You need exactly three letters, whichever route you apply under
Arts Council England asks for three letters of support for both Exceptional Talent and Exceptional Promise. Only the three letters listed on your application form are used. A fourth letter will not be read, so it adds nothing.
One UK organisation, a second organisation, and a third organisation or eminent individual
Each letter writer must be recognised as having expertise in your specialist area of practice, within the art forms Arts Council England covers. You cannot include more than one letter from the same organisation. Arts Council England will not confirm in advance which organisations are acceptable; checking that is part of its assessment.
Letter 1: a UK cultural organisation that is well established nationally or internationally, such as a theatre that has produced your work
Letter 2: another well-established cultural organisation, based in the UK or overseas
Letter 3: a third well-established cultural organisation (UK or overseas) or an eminent individual with recognised expertise in your area
Arts Council England treats this content as mandatory, and it is your responsibility, and your letter writers', to make sure it is there. A warm letter that skips these points may not meet the criteria.
The past or current working relationship between you and the writer in your area of practice
Your past achievements and why the writer sees you as a leader (Talent) or a potential leader (Promise)
How you would benefit from living in the UK, such as networks you cannot reach at home
The contribution you could make to cultural life in the UK, including skills you would share and who would benefit
Where possible, any future professional engagements or projects in the UK the writer knows about
Letters must be dated, signed, typed and no more than three sides of A4
Every letter must be written specifically to support your Global Talent application, then dated and signed by the author. It must include the author's CV or biography and full contact details, including a personal email address and direct telephone number. Letters from organisations have extra requirements.
Show the organisation's logo and registered address
Be signed by a senior person with authority, such as the Chief Executive, Artistic Director, Principal or Chair
Say when the organisation was established and how it is managed or constituted
Give a Companies House number for UK organisations where possible
Some letters are rejected however strong they sound
Arts Council England endorses on behalf of all four UK nations. For that reason it does not accept letters from the government-supported arts funding organisations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, even though they look like obvious choices.
General reference letters or testimonials
Handwritten letters
Letters from Arts Council Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland or Arts Council Wales
More than one letter from the same organisation
Any letter beyond the three listed on the application form
Give each writer a short brief and warn them they may be contacted
Most letter writers have never seen these rules, so send each one a short brief before they start. Assessors may email your letter writers to check the details, and writers who reply quickly help avoid delays.
Send the list of mandatory content and the organisation requirements
Remind them of the dates, venues and roles you worked on together
Ask them to focus on your one area of practice, for example theatre, not film
Ask for a typed, dated and signed letter of no more than three sides of A4
