Why We Walked Away from a Six-Figure Cheque — and What That Means for the Crazy Peach Pilot Micro-Grant 2025
Why We Walked Away from a Six-Figure Cheque — and What That Means for the Crazy Peach Pilot Micro-Grant 2025
Why We Walked Away from a Six-Figure Cheque — and What That Means for the Crazy Peach Pilot Micro-Grant 2025
Published
8 May 2025
(formerly CRAZY PEACH Art Foundation Award 2025)
Crazy Peach is powered by a mix of self-funding and outside sponsors we accept only when the terms match our values. Last month a large cultural backer in China offered to underwrite the 2025 awards—then asked for veto power over any work touching “sensitive” themes.
That’s a hard no for us. We’ll take money, never muzzle.
Turning down the cheque shrinks this year’s pool, but every pound now on offer is free of creative strings and already in the bank. We’d rather write smaller cheques than let anyone disinfect your ideas.
What Stays the Same
same judging panel
same criteria
payments within 30 days of confirmation
What’s Different
Cheques are smaller than we first teased (thanks for rolling with us).
Total winners jump to 300, so more artists step straight into Crazy Collective as Founding Members—with invite-only access to the Crazy Symposium and backstage chat.
Key dates move 14 days later to give everyone breathing room: submit/edit/withdraw by 14 July 2025, results on 15 Sep 2025, payouts finished by 15 Oct 2025.
No one has to second-guess whether a topic is taboo—Crazy Peach is now the corner where big thinkers finally feel at home.
Cheques are smaller than we first teased (thanks for rolling with us).
Total winners jump to 300, so more artists step straight into Crazy Collective as Founding Members—with invite-only access to the Crazy Symposium and backstage chat.
Key dates move 14 days later to give everyone breathing room (details below).
No one has to second-guess whether a topic is taboo—Crazy Peach is now the corner where big thinkers finally feel at home.
Updated Award Structure
£1,000 ✖ 3 artists — Deep-dive funding that frees you to concentrate and push a bold, critical idea to completion.
£500 ✖ 7 artists — Project-catalyst cash to prototype, publish, or exhibit—with the full Crazy Collective network behind you.
£5 ✖ 290 artists — A symbolic micro-grant that unlocks Founding-Member status, backstage chat access, and Crazy Symposium invites.
Updated Key Dates (14-day extension)
Step | New date | Old date |
|---|---|---|
Apply | 14 July 2025 | 30 June |
Winners announced | 15 September 2025 | 31 Aug |
Latest payout (≤ 30 days) | 15 October 2025 | 30 Sept |
Stretch-Fund Possibility
In the meantime, we’re working hard to secure extra, string-free funding — and your help can make all the difference. Please bank on the numbers you see today; any top-up will be a bonus we announce publicly the moment it lands.
How You Can Help
Like / repost / share – bigger community = easier string-free money
Apply or stay in – your voice proves censorship-free funding matters
Spread the word – every supporter grows a censorship-free pot for 2026
Smaller cheques for now, bigger freedom forever.
Published
8 May 2025
(formerly CRAZY PEACH Art Foundation Award 2025)
Crazy Peach is powered by a mix of self-funding and outside sponsors we accept only when the terms match our values. Last month a large cultural backer in China offered to underwrite the 2025 awards—then asked for veto power over any work touching “sensitive” themes.
That’s a hard no for us. We’ll take money, never muzzle.
Turning down the cheque shrinks this year’s pool, but every pound now on offer is free of creative strings and already in the bank. We’d rather write smaller cheques than let anyone disinfect your ideas.
What Stays the Same
same judging panel
same criteria
payments within 30 days of confirmation
What’s Different
Cheques are smaller than we first teased (thanks for rolling with us).
Total winners jump to 300, so more artists step straight into Crazy Collective as Founding Members—with invite-only access to the Crazy Symposium and backstage chat.
Key dates move 14 days later to give everyone breathing room (details below).
No one has to second-guess whether a topic is taboo—Crazy Peach is now the corner where big thinkers finally feel at home.
Updated Award Structure
£1,000 ✖ 3 artists — Deep-dive funding that frees you to concentrate and push a bold, critical idea to completion.
£500 ✖ 7 artists — Project-catalyst cash to prototype, publish, or exhibit—with the full Crazy Collective network behind you.
£5 ✖ 290 artists — A symbolic micro-grant that unlocks Founding-Member status, backstage chat access, and Crazy Symposium invites.
Updated Key Dates (14-day extension)
The deadline to apply, edit, or withdraw is now 14 July 2025 (previously 30 June). Winners will be announced on 15 September 2025 instead of 31 August, and all payouts will be completed by 15 October 2025—within 30 days of confirmation—moved back from 30 September.o3 |
|---|
Stretch-Fund Possibility
In the meantime, we’re working hard to secure extra, string-free funding — and your help can make all the difference. Please bank on the numbers you see today; any top-up will be a bonus we announce publicly the moment it lands.
How You Can Help
Like / repost / share – bigger community = easier string-free money
Apply or stay in – your voice proves censorship-free funding matters
Spread the word – every supporter grows a censorship-free pot for 2026
Smaller cheques for now, bigger freedom forever.
