The Cultural Talent Search Scholarship Scheme is run by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training to identify children with unusual promise in the arts and to give them structured training alongside their school education. The fields covered include traditional forms of music, dance and drama, painting, sculpture, crafts and literary arts. Support is awarded for a fixed term at a time and can be renewed on review until the recipient completes the first university degree stage, so a child selected early may remain within the scheme for several years. The award value, the number of places and the current application window are not confirmed here and are published by the centre on its official website.

The scheme is intended for school age children who show outstanding promise in a cultural or artistic field, and applications are normally accepted only within the age band that the centre specifies in its notification for each round. Children studying in recognised schools may apply, as may those from families that practise a traditional performing or visual art. Applicants are generally expected to provide evidence of their training or performance and a recommendation from a school or a recognised teacher. The age limits, the fields open and the documents required are stated in the official scheme document.

Applications are made through the process set out by the centre in its scheme information document. Applicants generally complete the prescribed form with the child's personal and school details, name the cultural field applied for, and attach supporting material such as a school certificate, proof of age, evidence of training and a recommendation from the school head or a teacher, before submitting it by the route and the announced closing date the notification specifies. Shortlisted children are usually assessed by an expert panel. The current form, the document list and the dates are published on the official website.