How to buy contemporary art with an interest free loan - Arts Council England’s interest free loans are designed to make it easy and affordable for you to buy original, high quality works of art. To find out more about the Own Art Scheme please click here

What can I buy?
You can buy paintings, sculpture, glassware, ceramics, drawings, photography, jewellery, furniture, limited edition prints, textiles; in fact, any work of art or craft by a living artist which you can see in one of our participating galleries.

If you want an original painting for your home, a dramatic sculpture for your garden or handcrafted jewellery for a special occasion, you can have it with an interest free loan.

Some participating galleries can even help you commission something unique by an artist you admire. Ask the gallery if this option is available.

How much can I borrow?
Loans are available from £100 up to £2,000, over a period of up to 10 months. You can buy several items at a time, or one or more items at different times in different galleries, providing the total amount you owe does not exceed £2,000 at any one time.

How do I apply for a loan?
To be eligible for a loan you need to be aged over 18, resident in the UK and have a bank or building society account that can operate standing orders. The gallery will help you complete the credit agreement and, after satisfactory credit checking, a standing order will be set up to make your repayments. (Standard terms and conditions apply to the scheme)

Do I have to pay anything up front?
Some galleries may ask you to pay a deposit of 10%. This will be returned if, for any reason, your application for credit is unsuccessful.

Are there any hidden extras?
No, there is no charge for the credit (APR 0%). This means the total amount payable under the loan, and the deposit, is not more than the cash price of the piece(s) of work you purchased.

There is no administrative charge or handling fee when you take out an interest free loan. Ask for a copy of our loan terms.

Arts Council England is the national development agency for the arts. We want the arts to be at the heart of our national life. Providing interest free loans is one of the ways we encourage people throughout England to experience and enjoy art of the highest quality

© Arts Council England April 2003
Buying art, interest free is operated by ArtCo Trading Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arts Council England. Arts Council England is the trading name for The Arts Council of England. Charity registration number 1036733.

To find out more about the Own Art Scheme please click here