For the 25th Anniversary Awards, the Foundation asked all the fellows (past winners of the awards since 1993) to nominate an artist of their choice. The longlist were arranged in four main groups namely Craft, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Literature. Different judging panels were put together for each area and twenty-five finalists were announced in November 2017. They all received £1,000 awards. The five Arts Foundation Fellows were announced and received their £10,000 fellowships at a special 25th Anniversary Party in January 2018 which was attended by many AF fellows and friends of the Foundation. The David Collins Estate supported two of the Awards in special recognition of the anniversary.
2018
Visual Arts: 25th Anniversary Awards
The visual arts received the largest number of nominations from past fellows with work ranging from live performance work, painting and installation.
Jury
Isaac Julien
Artist
Alice Rawsthorn
Design critic and author
Hans Ulrich Obrist
Art curator, critic and historian of art and Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries
Literature: 25th Anniversary Awards
Nominations received included poets, literary translators to writers of fiction and storytellers.
Jury
Joe Dunthorne
Poet and author
Tim Liardet
Professor of Poetry, Bath Spa
Erica Wagner
Critic and author
Performing Arts: 25th Anniversary Awards
This was the second largest category being comprised of such a range of diverse areas in the Arts. The judges presided over applications from choreographers, directors, sound artists and composers.
Jury
Susannah Clapp
Theatre critic for the Observer
Andrew Comben
Artistic Director of Brighton Dome and Festival
Joanna McGregor
Pianist, composer and Head of Piano, Royal College of Music
Craft :25th Anniversary Award
Again a diverse longlist of creatives many of whom spanned the area of craft and visual arts.
Jury
Phillip Hughes
Director of Ruthin Craft Centre, Wales
Corinne Julius
Critic, curator of craft and design
Freddie Robins
Artist and senior Tutor and Reader in Textiles at RCA
