How many
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.
Who writes them
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.
Content
Every letter must cover the same mandatory points
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
1Is your work professional, rather than student, amateur or academic work?
2In the last 5 years, has your work been published, performed, presented or exhibited in at least 1 country (2 for Exceptional Talent)? Your home country can count.
3Do you have media reviews, awards or proof of appearances from the last 5 years?
4Could 2 well-established cultural organisations, 1 of them in the UK, write for you, plus a third organisation or an eminent individual?
Answer the 4 questions to see where you stand.
A quick self-check, not an assessment. It does not predict any outcome.
Format
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
- Include a link to the organisation's website
Not accepted
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
Briefing writers
Give each writer a short brief and warn them they may be contacted
Your letter writers may not know 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
- Tell them an assessor may contact them by email
Want us to look at your own evidence against these rules?
Book a free 30-minute callRelated guides
Keep reading
Guides applicants usually read next on this topic.
Arts Council England Global Talent endorsement: who it covers and what evidence counts
Arts Council England endorses artists in combined arts, dance, literature, music, theatre and visual arts, and strict rules decide which evidence it will accept.
Read related guidePact Global Talent endorsement for film and television: what you need to know
Pact assesses film, television, animation, post-production and visual effects applications for Arts Council England, under Exceptional Talent only.
Read related guideWho should write my Global Talent recommendation letters?
Find out how many letters each endorsing body asks for, who qualifies to write them and the mistakes that get letters set aside.
Read related guideApplying from outside the UK. Only one of your three letters has to come from a UK organisation, so an artist based abroad can use a well-established cultural organisation in their own country for the second letter, and a cultural organisation or an eminent individual for the third, as long as each has worked with them.
Article FAQ
Questions to settle before you spend time or money.
Use these answers to check the practical risks, documents, and decisions connected to this topic.
Do all three letters have to come from UK organisations?
No. Only one must come from a UK cultural organisation; the other two can be from the UK or overseas.
Can two people from the same theatre each write a letter?
No. You cannot include more than one letter from the same organisation.
Can I add a fourth letter to strengthen my application?
No. Only the three letters listed on the application form are used, and any extra letters are not read.
Can Creative Scotland write one of my letters?
No. Letters from Creative Scotland, Arts Council Wales and Arts Council Northern Ireland are not accepted.
Can I reuse a reference letter written for a job?
No. Each letter must be written specifically to support your Global Talent application, and general references are not accepted.
Plan your letters
Want help choosing and briefing your three letter writers?
We help you check each writer against the published rules and prepare a clear brief covering the mandatory content.