Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, Catherine Goodman, Simon Schama, Ali Smith and Turner Prize 2026 Nominee Tanoa Sasraku among Leading Artists and Cultural Figures donating works for Charity Auction in Aid of The Arts Foundation in the UK, funding £20,000 Fellowships for Independent Artists.

A charity auction taking place this autumn, including an online sale, a dinner and live auction at Toklas, and a selection of works presented at Sotheby’s as part of the house’s October Contemporary Day Auction, will support the UK’s leading unconditional grant programme for independent artists. All donated artworks will be auctioned in support of Arts Foundation’s prestigious fellowship programme, the Arts Foundation Futures Awards. 

Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, Catherine Goodman Joy Gregory, Claudette Johnson and Tanoa Sasraku, shortlisted for this year’s Turner Prize, are among the artists donating work to a series of autumn auctions in aid of The Arts Foundation, the charity that has quietly underwritten the early careers of British artists for more than three decades.

Highlights

Highlights include Gormley’s Draw (2025) and Kapoor’s Omo (2019), alongside work by Catherine Goodman, Allison Katz, Florian Meisenberg, Marcus Coates and Harley Weir. A rare first edition of Free Love (1995), signed by Ali Smith, (Short Story Writing Fellow, 2001) also features, alongside a range of unique experiences, dinner with Simon Schama; a private curator-led tour of Renoir and Love at the National Gallery with tea for six; an evening at the Royal Opera House hosted by Kevin O’Hare CBE, Director of The Royal Ballet, with dinner and tickets to Sir Wayne McGregor’s MADDADDAM; coffee with Asif Kapadia (Film Directing Fellow, 2001); dinner and a movie with Carol Morley (Documentary Making Fellow, 2003); a highland dance workshop with Charlotte McLean (Dance Fellow, 2025); and a tour of Quench Gallery in Margate by artists, Lindsey Mendick (Visual Art Shortlist, 2020) and Guy Oliver.

Key Dates

Online Auction: 21 September to 5 October

Online bidding opens on Monday 21 September, running through to Monday 5 October, with proxy bidding available on the night of the live auction.

Dinner and Live Auction: Monday 5 October

Online auction sales culminate in a celebratory dinner on Monday 5 October at Toklas Restaurant, with special performances by Daniel Casimir (Jazz Composition Fellow, 2024) and a DJ set by Nemone Metaxas (BBC Radio 6).

Sotheby’s Public View: 9 – 15 October

Selected artworks will go on public view at Sotheby’s on Friday 9 – Thursday 15 October, 34-35 New Bond Street, London, W1A 2AA.

Sotheby’s Contemporary Day Auction: 16 October

Selected artworks will be presented as part of the house’s October Contemporary Day Auction on the afternoon of Friday 16 October.

Tickets to the dinner and live auction are available by invitation. To find out more, contact info@artsfoundation.co.uk   

Artists Supporting Artists

A number of the donating artists are former Fellows, giving work to a programme that supported them at an early stage in their career. They include Ali Smith (Short Story Writing, 2001), the late Jane Harris (Painting, 1995), Joy Gregory (Photography, 1996), Asif Kapadia (Film Directing, 2001), Carol Morley (Documentary Making, 2003), Sam Lee (Music, 2011), Jochen Holz (Craft, 2018), Joanna Pocock (Environmental Writing, 2021), Savinder Bual (Animation, 2022), Ken Grant (Photography, 1993), Alex Hartley (Arts in the Elements, 2015), Holly Hendry (Experimental Architecture, 2019), Permindar Kaur (Sculpture, 1998,), Love Ssega (Music, 2022), Tanoa Sasraku (Visual Art, 2021), and Charlotte McLean (Dance, 2025).

Tanoa Sasraku, who is shortlisted for the 2026 Turner Prize for Morale Patch at the ICA and will show at MIMA, Middlesbrough, from 26 September, said:

“The Arts Foundation Fellowship transformed my career as a visual artist in myriad ways. From the effect that such a substantial and sudden injection of capital had on my mental wellbeing, providing me for the first time since leaving home with a solid financial safety net, to the sense of validation and boost in confidence that the accolade of becoming a Fellow has afforded me.”

Mary Jane Edwards, Director of The Arts Foundation, said: 

“The Arts Foundation funds artists’ potential, not just achievement. Every year we watch what unconditional support does for an artist, not just the money, but the permission it gives them to take risks they couldn’t otherwise afford. There is a distinct stage in an artist’s development, early in their career, when the work is fully formed, but the infrastructure required to sustain it is not, at which a single unrestricted investment can fundamentally alter their career trajectory. This fundraising event exists because of the generosity of artists and creatives who once needed exactly that kind of support themselves, and are now giving it forward. We are so grateful for their generous contributions and really excited to bring the event to fruition this Autumn.”

Saadi Soudavar, Chair of the Board, added: 

“The Arts Foundation is one of the very few organisations in the UK that funds individual artists directly, across every artistic discipline, without conditions. At a moment when independent artists face growing structural pressures, our model of unconditional support matters more than ever. We are delighted to be working in partnership with Sotheby’s this year to grow our community of supporters who share the conviction that artists shape our cultural life in profound ways.”

Participating Artists and Organisations

Artists and organisations include Oreet Ashery, Barbican, Lydia Blakeley, Savinder Bual, Gordon Cheung, Marcus Coates, Martyn Cross, Ben Edge, Max Frommeld, Glastonbury, Globe Theatre, Antony Gormley, Ken Grant, Joy Gregory, Jane Harris, Alex Hartley, Holly Hendry, Jochen Holz, Claudette Johnson, Anish Kapoor, Allison Katz, Permindar Kaur, Vann Kwok, Sam Lee, Lightroom, Maison Diptyque, Charlotte Mclean, Meadow, Florian Meisenberg, Carol Morley, National Gallery, Mary Norden, Erin O’Keefe, Joanna Pocock, Ronnie Scott’s, Royal Ballet, Tanoa Sasraku, Simon Schama, Ali Smith, Smythson, Love Ssega, Sinta Tantra, Suzanne Treister, Harley Weir, and Westwell Wines. 

About Sotheby’s

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s promotes access and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions, private sales and retail. Our deep expertise across 70 selling categories is supported by a leading technology platform and a global network of specialists spanning 40 countries. Selling categories include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewellery, Watches, Wine and Spirits and Design, as well as collectible cars and real estate through RM Sotheby’s and Concierge. Sotheby’s Financial Services is a leading art lender and provides capital solutions for collectors around the world, having originated more than $12 billion in loans since its inception. Sotheby’s new global headquarters is now open at the iconic Breuer building at 945 Madison Avenue in New York City. 

Press Release

Read the full Press Release

Media Enquiries & Images

Contact: Millie Hamilton: millie@artsfoundation.co.uk

Tanoa Sasraku  (Visual Art Fellow, 2021) has been shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2026!

We’re especially proud to celebrate Tanoa, who was awarded our Visual Art Fellowship in 2021, supported in partnership with our longstanding friends, The David Collins Foundation.

It’s been incredible to see Tanoa’s practice progress and continued recognition. It is a much-deserved nomination for the stunning and complex recent solo show, Morale Patch, at the ICA in London.

We’re also delighted to see Simeon Barclay shortlisted, who served on the Visual Arts Award jury this year, alongside the wonderful artists Kira Freije and Marguerite Humeau.

An exhibition of the artist’s work will be held at Teesside University’s MIMA, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, from 26 September 2026 to 29 March 2027. The winner will be announced on 10 December 2026 at an award ceremony at MIMA.

We wish Tanoa and all the artists the very best ahead of the announcement this year.

Photo: Tanoa Sasraku by Belinda Lawley

Artists, jury members and supporters share their experience of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026!

The Award Ceremony was held in London on 2 February 2026. Find out more about the Arts Foundation and consider becoming a Friend or Patron to directly support the livelihoods and future generations of artists and creatives in what continues to be an incredibly precarious time for so many. All donations go straight to artists as part of our Arts Foundation Futures Awards Fellowship Scheme.

“Art does not have to be specific to our struggles to be helpful to us in dealing with them. And this is because art is not about itself, but about us. It is what it does to us, what it opens up in us that counts.”

The renowned poet and novelist Sir Ben Okri delivered a poignant and rousing welcome address at The Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026.

Ben’s words were a testament to power of artists to respond to and transcend personal and collective crisis, and a powerful reflection on why the universal spirit of art really matters.

We’re honoured to share Ben’s wise words with you. The 2026 Awards Ceremony was held in London on 2 February 2026.

Ben Okri is the Nigerian-born poet, cultural activist, and author of thirteen novels, including the Booker Prize-winning The Famished Road, the first in a trilogy, and Astonishing the Gods, which was selected as one of the BBC’s ‘100 novels that shaped our world’, as well as collections of poetry, short stories, plays and essays. His work has been translated into more than 28 languages. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and has won numerous international prizes and been awarded many honorary doctorates. His poem following the Grenfell Tower tragedy was widely viewed on television and on social media. He was a Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was awarded an OBE in 2001 and a Knighthood in 2023.

Find out more about the Arts Foundation and consider becoming a Friend to directly support the livelihoods and future generations of artists and creatives in what continues to be an incredibly precarious time for so many. All donations go straight to artists as part of our Arts Foundation Futures Awards Fellowship Scheme.

Watch the moment the five £20,000 Fellowships for Film, Literature, Music, Theatre and Visual Art are announced at The Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026.

With a poignant and rousing welcome address given by Sir Ben Okri and live performance by Festival Voices, conducted by Gregory Batsleer (Choral Conducting Fellow, 2015), the Award Ceremony took place on 2 February 2026 in London.

The ceremony shared the extraordinary and varied practices of the twenty Shortlisted Artists across this year’s categories.

The annual Arts Foundation Futures Awards support the UK’s most promising artists and creatives at a pivotal moment in their career, providing £115,000 in unconditional grant funding, awarding five transformative £20,000 fellowships, with all shortlisted artists receiving £1,000 towards the development of their practice.⁠

With heartfelt thanks to our award supporters for their partnership and belief in the importance of artists and developing creative practice: The David Collins Foundation, The Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Fund and the Yoma Sasburg Estate.

Read the full announcement

The Arts Foundation announced the five recipients of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 at an Awards Ceremony in London

The Arts Foundation announce the five recipients of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards £20,000 Fellowships are:

Theatre: Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu

Music: William Marsey

Visual Art: Zein Majali

Film: Dorothy Allen-Pickard 

Literature: Fahad Al-Amoudi

The five winning fellows received their prizes from the judges at an awards ceremony, featuring a welcome address from renowned poet and novelist Ben Okri and a live performance from Festival Voices, conducted by Gregory Batsleer, the Arts Foundation’s Choral Conductor Fellow of 2015.

The annual Arts Foundation Futures Awards support the UK’s most promising artists and creatives at a pivotal moment in their career, providing £115,000 in unconditional grant funding, awarding five transformative £20,000 fellowships, with all shortlisted artists receiving £1,000 towards the development of their practice.⁠ 

Mary Jane Edwards, Director of The Arts Foundation, said: 

“From bold new cinematic voices and inventive poetic forms, to groundbreaking compositions, visionary theatre work and radical visual art, the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 celebrate the extraordinary breadth of creative practice shaping our cultural landscape. The courage, curiosity and commitment of these Fellows and shortlisted artists remind us why independent creativity matters now more than ever. We’re proud to deepen our support for artists across film, literature, music, theatre and visual art, and to champion the vital contributions they make to our shared cultural life. There’s no doubt their work will resonate far beyond this moment.”

The Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 are generously supported in partnership with The David Collins Foundation, The Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Fund of the Sidney E. Frank Foundation, and The Yoma Sasburg Estate.⁠

Read the Press Release

Full Press Pack and Images

The twenty artists shortlisted for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 have been announced across five categories: Film, Literature, Music, Theatre, and Visual Art.

The Arts Foundation is a registered charity that supports individual artists and creatives in the UK with unconditional financial fellowships through the Arts Foundation Futures Awards.

Since 1993 the Arts Foundation has awarded over £2 million to the most promising artists in the UK at a pivotal moment in their careers to enable them to concentrate on their creative development, experiment, and realise their artistic potential.

The annual Arts Foundation Futures Awards support the UK’s most promising artists and creatives at a pivotal moment in their career, providing £115,000 in unconditional grant funding, awarding five transformative £20,000 Fellowships, with all Shortlisted Artists receiving £1,000 towards the development of their practice.⁠

The vital contribution of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards to the arts in the UK is demonstrated by its past Fellows, many of whom are regarded as contemporary pioneers and have gone on to become leaders in their respective art forms, including: Wayne McGregor (1994), Alice Oswald (1996), Sarah Kane (1998), Asif Kapadia (2001), Ali Smith (2001), Rufus Norris (2002), Carol Morley (2003), Lynette Yiadom-Boakye (2006), and more recently, Simon Fujiwara (2009), Sam Lee (2011), Alice Birch (2014), Hollie McNish (2015), Evan Ifekoya (2017), Holly Hendry (2019), Onyeka Igwe (2020), Klein (2020), and Bethany Williams (2020).

The five winning Fellows, each receiving £20,000, will be revealed at a live Award Ceremony on 2 February 2026 in London at King’s Place. Mary Jane Edwards, Director of the Arts Foundation, said:

“The artists shortlisted for the 2026 Arts Foundation Futures Awards represent an extraordinary breadth of contemporary practice across film, music, literature, theatre and visual art. At a time of growing financial pressure on the UK’s cultural sector, we are proud to continue our support for independent artists. Awarding unrestricted funding to artists directly is vital to sustaining creative practice and reaffirming the transformative power of art.”

You can explore the Shortlisted Artists’ work on the Arts Foundation website and watch the Award Ceremony announcements via Instagram Live on the night.

Read the Press Release here.

The full Press Pack and Artist Images can be viewed online.

The Arts Foundation announce the four Shortlisted Artists of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Visual Art.

The Visual Art Award supports groundbreaking artists working across a broad range of visual arts and interdisciplinary art form practices, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and artist moving image. Meet the Shortlist:

Mark Corfield-Moore

Mark Corfield-Moore was born in 1988 in Bangkok, Thailand and currently lives and works in Hastings, UK. Describing himself as a painter who utilises textile techniques, in his practice, Mark reflects on his Thai and British heritage to investigate themes of transience and cultural memory.

Zein Majali

Zein Majali is a Jordanian-Palestinian sound and visual artist whose work explores the collision of technology with a rapidly evolving political landscape, with an interest in a post-colonial and globalised Middle East. Her work examines sense-making in the wake of narrative collapse, brought on by the disorienting effects of digital life.

Jesse Pollock

Jesse Pollock’s sculptural practice is rooted in the exploration of material, tradition, and the contradictions of contemporary rural life. Working primarily with cast and sheet aluminium, he distorts and reconstructs familiar objects—flowers, skulls, ladders, and flagons—through cutting, welding, and sandcasting.

Shaqúelle Whyte

Shaqúelle Whyte (b. 2000, Wolverhampton) lives and works in London. In his paintings, Shaqúelle presents imagined spaces imbued with a sense of ambiguity that interrogate the human condition, all the while exploring the material qualities of the medium.

With thanks to our independent Jury members:  Simeon Barclay, Artist; Sook-Kyung Lee, Professor, The University of Manchester; and Eva Langret, Director, Frieze London, who said:

“All the artists shortlisted for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Visual Art are exceptional practitioners with impressive and distinct respective trajectories to date. It’s not an easy time to be a visual artist in the UK, but all their work has a depth and urgency to it. They have such clear visions for the next stage of their growth and development of their practice, and we hope this recognition enables them all to continue to expand the scope of their ideas and production.”

The Arts Foundation has a long history of supporting visual art, and Mary Jane Edwards, Director of The Arts Foundation, says:

“The four shortlisted visual artists demonstrate exceptional creative ambition and originality, each pursuing a distinctive and highly considered approach to making work. At a pivotal stage in their careers, they are developing practices that challenge conventions, engage critically with the world around us, and contribute meaningfully to the evolving landscape of contemporary visual art. Through this recognition, we seek to support their continued experimentation and long-term artistic development.”

The winning Fellow, receiving £20,000, will be revealed at an Award Ceremony on 2 February 2026, with all Shortlisted Artists awarded £1,000 towards their artistic practice.

Read the full Press Release.

The Arts Foundation is a registered charity that supports individual artists and creatives in the UK with unconditional financial Fellowships of £20,000 through the Arts Foundation Futures Awards. Since it was founded in 1993, the Arts Foundation has awarded over £2 million to the most promising artists in the UK at a pivotal moment in their careers to enable them to concentrate on their creative development, experiment, and realise their artistic potential.

The Visual Art Award is supported by The Yoma Sasburg Estate.⁠

The Arts Foundation announce the four Shortlisted Artists of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Theatre.

The Theatre Award champions visionary theatre directors developing extraordinary theatrical productions across any genre.⁠ Meet the Shortlist:

Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu

Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu is a British-Ghanaian theatremaker whose work stretches the imagination of his audiences with his unique brand of storytelling. He was nominated for an Olivier in 2022 for his work on For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy by Ryan Calais Cameron.

Annie Kershaw

Annie Kershaw is a Theatre Director who strives to make striking, innovative and accessible theatre. She is often drawn to stories that are led by queer and/or female characters. Her approach to making theatre is highly sensory and instinct-driven, often focused on drawing out moments of symbolism.

Craig McCorquodale

Craig McCorquodale is a director based in Glasgow, pushing theatre into public space and public space back into the theatre. Often working with local people rather than actors, his projects ask us to look more closely at the people we share our streets with.

Hannah Noone

Hannah is a theatre and opera director whose work spans intimate new studio plays to large-scale opera. Her practice is rooted in building work collaboratively, finding and holding onto authenticity through discovery with performers and communities.

With thanks to our independent Jury members: Toisin Cole, Actor; Rufus Norris, Director; and Francesca Moody, Executive Producer, Francesca Moody Productions, who said: 

“It’s been a real privilege to join the jury for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Theatre. All of the shortlisted artists had such a strong sense of self, distinctive aesthetic and artistic integrity. What’s striking about all the practitioners is their determination to make their mark, by hook or by crook. In this challenging funding climate, in both the public and commercial sectors, awards like this are so necessary to support those operating at a high artistic level, who know what they need to do to take their creative practice further, but unfortunately, do not have the means to do so.”

The Arts Foundation has a long history of supporting theatre and the performing arts, and Mary Jane Edwards, Director of The Arts Foundation says:

“The four shortlisted artists reflect the exceptional quality and vitality of theatre directing in the UK. Each director brings a distinctive and personal vision to their work, shaping performances that speak compellingly to contemporary audiences. We are delighted to support their artistic development at such a pivotal early stage in their careers.”

The winning Fellow, receiving £20,000, will be revealed at an Award Ceremony on 2 February 2026, with all Shortlisted Artists awarded £1,000 towards their artistic practice.

Read the full Press Release.

The Arts Foundation is a registered charity that supports individual artists and creatives in the UK with unconditional financial Fellowships of £20,000 through the Arts Foundation Futures Awards. Since it was founded in 1993, the Arts Foundation has awarded over £2 million to the most promising artists in the UK at a pivotal moment in their careers to enable them to concentrate on their creative development, experiment, and realise their artistic potential.

The Arts Foundation announce the four Shortlisted Artists of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Music.

This year’s Music Award supports exceptional composers scoring contemporary classical across genres, including electronic and interdisciplinary practice. Meet the Shortlist:

Nneka Cummins

Nneka Cummins is a composer and producer, their practice has a focus on groove-inspired music which uses extended techniques to add colour and percussiveness and explores the idea of deconstruction and re-examination through sampled electronics.

Cassie Kinoshi

Cassie Kinoshi is a Mercury Prize-nominated (2019) and Ivors Academy Award-winning (2018) Berlin/London-based composer, arranger and alto-saxophonist with a focus on creating multidisciplinary and genre-blending performance work.

William Marsey

William Marsey is a UK-based composer. His music has been described as vivid, unsettling, distinctive and strangely touching. William’s music has been commissioned and performed internationally, including by the LA Phil and BBC Arts, with performances by Royal Northern Sinfonia, The Hallé, and Thomas Adès.

Sasha Scott

Sasha Scott is a composer, electronic artist and violinist born and based in London. Her work moves between acoustic and electronic, often merging the two to create hypnotic, dark, metallic sound worlds that blur the lines between the organic and the synthetic.

With thanks to our independent Jury members: Suzy Klein, Head of Arts and Classical Music TV, BBC; Rakhi Singh, Violinist, creative director and composer; and Tom Service, Writer, Journalist and Broadcaster, who said:

“It has been extraordinarily humbling reading about and listening to the work of musicians nationwide. The calibre of work was so high. The shortlisted artists, Nneka, Cassie, William and Sasha all share, in different ways, a sense that they are at a pivot point in their careers, asking critical questions about the essence of contemporary classical music. The wide range of voices and experiences that the whole shortlist represents is fantastic. It highlights why awards like this are so vital in the landscape today. As a jury, we are hugely excited to follow their respective next steps.”

The Arts Foundation has a long history of supporting music, and Mary Jane Edwards, Director of The Arts Foundation, says:

“The four shortlisted music artists represent the exceptional calibre and ambition of contemporary classical composition in the UK. In a field where composers are too often hidden from public recognition, each artist brings a distinctive voice and a bold commitment to shaping the future of music. We are delighted to support their respective career trajectories.”

The winning Fellow, receiving £20,000, will be revealed at an Award Ceremony on 2 February 2026, with all Shortlisted Artists awarded £1,000 towards their artistic practice.

Read the full Press Release.

The Arts Foundation is a registered charity that supports individual artists and creatives in the UK with unconditional financial Fellowships of £20,000 through the Arts Foundation Futures Awards. Since it was founded in 1993, the Arts Foundation has awarded over £2 million to the most promising artists in the UK at a pivotal moment in their careers to enable them to concentrate on their creative development, experiment, and realise their artistic potential.

The Music Award is generously supported in partnership with The David Collins Foundation.

The Arts Foundation announce the four Shortlisted Artists of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Literature.

The Literature Award supports inventive independent writers who are pushing the boundaries of the medium of poetry.⁠ Meet the Shortlist:

Fahad Al-Amoudi

Fahad Al-Amoudi is a writer and editor. His work is published in POETRY, The Poetry Review, Wasafiri, The London Magazine, and Mizna. His debut pamphlet, when the flies come (ignitionpress, 2023), was selected as a Poetry Book Society Winter Choice 2023 and was shortlisted for the Michael Marks Award.

Yanita Georgieva

Yanita Georgieva is a Bulgarian poet, facilitator, and journalist. She was raised in Lebanon and now lives in London. Her debut pamphlet, Small Undetectable Thefts, was published by Broken Sleep Books and received the 2024 Eric Gregory Award.

Lucy Mercer

Lucy Mercer is a poet and writer based in London. Her debut poetry collection, Emblem (Prototype, 2022), was a Poetry Book Society Choice and a book of the year in Frieze, The New Statesman and The White Review. She is currently writing Afterlife, a nonfiction essay on wax and mortality, which was awarded the 2024 Fitzcarraldo Editions/Mahler & LeWitt Studios Essay Prize.

Camille Ralphs

Camille Ralphs is a poet, critic and editor. Her first collection of poems, After You Were, I Am, was published by Faber in the UK (2024) and McSweeney’s in the US (2025). The UK edition was a Book of the Year in the Guardian and the Telegraph and on BBC Radio 4’s Poetry Extra.

With thanks to our independent Jury members: Imtiaz Dharker, Poet; Ted Hodgkinson, Head of Literature and Spoken Word, Southbank Centre; and Raymond Antrobus, Poet & Author, who said:

“Together, all the shortlisted artists of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards for Literature 2026 represent a powerful and diverse range of contemporary poetic voices across the UK. Fahad Al-Amoudi’s body of work has such a unique and deep understanding of story and storytelling. Yanita Georgieva’s poetry reflects a sharp intelligence and a gift for translation, alongside journalistic insight. Lucy Mercer’s writing is richly researched and historically resonant, and Camille Ralphs has a striking sense of precision, lyrical craft and intellectual depth to her work.”

The Arts Foundation has a long history of supporting literature and poetry practice, and Mary Jane Edwards, Director of The Arts Foundation, says:

“The four shortlisted poets demonstrate exceptional promise and originality at a pivotal early stage in their careers. Each brings a distinctive voice and a rigorous approach to language, form, and meaning, contributing to a vibrant and evolving landscape of contemporary poetry. By recognising and supporting these poets now, we seek to provide space for creative risk-taking and sustained development, affirming our commitment to nurturing outstanding literary talent and the vital role poetry plays in shaping cultural conversation.”

The winning Fellow, receiving £20,000, will be revealed at an Award Ceremony on 2 February 2026, with all Shortlisted Artists awarded £1,000 towards their artistic practice.

Read the full Press Release.

The Arts Foundation is a registered charity that supports individual artists and creatives in the UK with unconditional financial Fellowships of £20,000 through the Arts Foundation Futures Awards. Since it was founded in 1993, the Arts Foundation has awarded over £2 million to the most promising artists in the UK at a pivotal moment in their careers to enable them to concentrate on their creative development, experiment, and realise their artistic potential.

The Literature Award is generously supported in partnership with The Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Fund of the Sidney E. Frank Foundation.

The Arts Foundation announce the four Shortlisted Artists of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Film.

The Film Award supports exceptional early-stage career filmmakers, highlighting emotive and inventive storytellers working in non-fiction. Meet the Shortlist:

Dorothy Allen-Pickard

Dorothy Allen-Pickard works across narrative, documentary and theatrical modes of filmmaking, and her collaborative approach is often inspired by her protagonists’ lived experiences.  Currently, her projects focus on state systems of control and the possibilities of collective resistance.

Myrid Carten

Myrid Carten is an artist filmmaker based between the UK & Ireland. Using documentary and fiction, and often a playful combination of both, Myrid’s work interrogates both the struggle for intimacy and the ways we are compromised by our pasts.

Jessi Gutch

Jessi Gutch is a writer/director, who makes films whilst also trying not to die of an incurable ovarian cancer called Sertoli-Leydig. She is interested in reflexive films about big political ideas that don’t take themselves too seriously.

Alice Russell

Alice Russell is a documentary filmmaker who works with outlaws and romantic rebels,  outsiders who are agents of change.

With thanks to our independent Jury members: Asif Kapadia, Director, writer, and producer; Danny Leigh, Chief Film Critic, Financial Times; and Lindsay Poulton, Editorial Director, Film & TV and Head of Documentaries, The Guardian, who said:

“It’s been a great pleasure to join the jury of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Film. Independent documentary is a powerful artform as well as a tool for truth, empathy and dialogue, but independent filmmaking is increasingly at risk. Despite the challenging landscape, I was really encouraged by the range and extraordinary artistry of filmmakers across the UK. All the shortlisted filmmakers demonstrate a clear artistic purpose and such a confident command of their craft. Dorothy Allen-Pickard brings a remarkable clarity of vision to her filmmaking, while creating generous space for her collaborators and subjects to shape the work alongside her. Myrid Carten’s moving and captivating work carries a strong sense of momentum and creative ambition. Alice Russell has found a distinctive voice through her impactful first feature, and Jessi Gutch’s filmmaking style is grounded and inventive.”

The Arts Foundation has a long history of supporting film, and Mary Jane Edwards, Director of The Arts Foundation, says:

“The four shortlisted non-fiction filmmakers represent the calibre and ambition of non-fiction film today, creating work that expands our understanding of lived experience, interrogating the world around us and bringing vital, often unheard stories into public view. Documentary and non-fiction work is notoriously difficult to finance, and we are proud to champion these incredible storytellers and the power of cinema as a tool for insight and change.”

The winning Fellow, receiving £20,000, will be revealed at an Award Ceremony on 2 February 2026, with all Shortlisted Artists awarded £1,000 towards their artistic practice. 

Read the full Press Release.

The Arts Foundation is a registered charity that supports individual artists and creatives in the UK with unconditional financial Fellowships of £20,000 through the Arts Foundation Futures Awards. Since it was founded in 1993, the Arts Foundation has awarded over £2 million to the most promising artists in the UK at a pivotal moment in their careers to enable them to concentrate on their creative development, experiment, and realise their artistic potential.

Join us for a special screening and Q&A with the incredible shortlisted filmmakers of The Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Film!

Book your tickets today via the ICA website

Forms of Truth: Rising Non-Fiction Filmmakers
Tuesday 27 January 2026
6:30 pm at ICA, London

Discover the next wave of documentary filmmakers at this gathering of bold, boundary-pushing non-fiction storytelling. Join us for an evening of standout films from four rising artists, followed by an in-depth conversation led by Lindsay Poulton, Editorial Director of Film & TV and Head of Documentaries at The Guardian.

The films from visionary artists introduce sharp contemporary perspectives, illuminating the evolving landscape and compelling future of documentary film.

The featured artists will be announced in January 2026.

The artists have been selected by leading industry figures: Asif Kapadia (Filmmaker), Danny Leigh (Chief Film Critic, Financial Times), and Lindsay Poulton (The Guardian). The recipient of the £20,000 Arts Foundation Film Fellowship will be announced at an awards ceremony in February.

Presented as part of London Short Film Festival.

Each year we invite established professionals, subject experts, artists and creatives from across the UK to form part of the independent Jury that will select this year’s Shortlisted Artists and Fellow.

We are thrilled to share that the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Visual Art Jury Members are:

Simeon Barclay

Simeon Barclay (b.1975, Huddersfield, UK) spent his formative years during the 90s employed as a machine operative whilst being devoted to the transformative potential of clubs, music, fashion and youth culture movements across the UK. Channelling those alternative modes of expression, he would later attend night school before taking up a place at art college, graduating in 2014 with an MFA at Goldsmiths College. Barclay is the recipient of the Roberts Institute of Art, Practising Performance Commission, the inaugural Ares Art Award, and was included in the Heywood Gallery Touring exhibition; British Art Show 9. Selected projects and exhibitions have been presented at the ICA, South London Gallery, Somerset House, Tate Britain, London; Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh; Manchester Art Gallery, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester. Barclay lives and works in West Yorkshire, England.

Eva Langret

Eva Langret is Director, EMEA for Frieze, where she leads on two of the world’s most influential art fairs: Frieze London and Frieze Masters. Passionate about championing emerging artistic talent, she is the Vice Chair of the board of the Camden Art Centre, a place for world-class contemporary art exhibitions and education, a trustee of Fluxus Arts Project, a not-for-profit organisation created by the Institut français du Royaume-Uni, and a trustee of Forma, a London-based non-profit organisation supporting emerging and mid-career British and international artists.

Prof. Sook-Kyung Lee

Prof. Sook-Kyung Lee is Director of the Whitworth and Professor of Curatorial Practices at The University of Manchester. Lee has worked as curator, writer, and lecturer in the UK and internationally, advocating global art histories and transnational curating. She was Artistic Director of the 14th Gwangju Biennale (2023), titled soft and weak like water, which explored themes of resistance, indigeneity, decoloniality and ecology. She also served as the Commissioner and Curator of the Korea Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale (2015), presenting Kyungwon Moon and Joonho Jeon. She was Curator of the Japan Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale (2024), represented by the artist Yuko Mohri. Lee was previously Senior Curator, International Art at Tate Modern, working in exhibitions and acquisitions, and headed a major multi-year research initiative ‘Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational’, overseeing its strategic vision and associated programming. Exhibitions she curated include Santiago Yahuarcani: The Beginning of Knowledge at the Whitworth (2025-26), Mirroring: Lucio Fontana and Michelangelo Pistoletto at Prada Rongzhai (2025), A Year in Art: Australia 1992 at Tate Modern (2021-23), Nam June Paik at Tate Modern (2019-21), and CAMP: From Gulf to Gulf to Gulf at Tate Modern (2019-20).

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The Arts Foundation Futures Awards support the UK’s most promising artists and creatives at a pivotal moment in their careers with £20,000 unconditional Fellowships.

The Visual Art Award Shortlist will be revealed in January 2026, and the recipient of the £20,000 Fellowship will be announced at a live Award Ceremony in February 2026, with all Shortlisted Artists each awarded £1,000.

The Visual Art Award is supported by The Yoma Sasburg Estate.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram and LinkedIn for all the latest awards news and updates.

If you’d like to discuss press and media opportunities, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk.

Each year we invite established professionals, subject experts, artists and creatives from across the UK to form part of the independent Jury that will select this year’s Shortlisted Artists and Fellow.

We are thrilled to share that the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Theatre Jury Members are:

Tosin Cole

Tosin was born in Florida but moved to London as a child. He is of dual US and UK nationality.

Tosin took up acting at a young age, and regularly attended the Intermission Youth Theatre group which was formative in his desire to become a professional actor.

Tosin’s first professional role was in the BBC series THE CUT, which was one of the first ‘online only’ TV series that the BBC produced. Since then Tosin has gone on to appear in a variety of TV projects including THE SECRETS, a BBC TV series created and directed by Dominic Savage, and was a regular in BBC’S DR WHO.

Tosin has appeared in several feature films including STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS in the role of Lieutenant Bastian, BURNING SANDS, a movie for Netflix directed by Gerard McMurray in which he played the leading role of Frank, UNLOCKED directed by Michael Apted in which he played Amjad and EAR FOR EYE directed by debbie tucker green.

Tosin has worked extensively in theatre. He appeared in THEY DRINK IT IN THE CONGO at The Almedia, STOP at the Trafalgar Studios and EAR FOR EYE at the Royal Court. In 2023 he was the lead in the two-hander romantic work, SHIFTERS, which premiered at The Bush Theatre before transferring to London’s West End in 2024. It received widespread critical acclaim.

In 2022 Tosin was seen in AMC’s limited series, 61ST STREET in which he played Moses. He was also seen in the LeBron James produced reboot of the feature, HOUSE PARTY in the lead role. Finally, TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu in which he played Medgar Evers. Tosin can currently be seen playing the lead role of Michael, in SUPACELL for Netflix.

Prior to the release of SUPACELL, Tosin played Tyrone Downie in the feature, BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE.

In 2024 Tosin shot 3 BAGS FULL (Kyle Balda) in a leading role alongside Emma Thompson, Hugh Jackman, and Nicholas Galatzine. Tosin is currently shooting the feature, CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE for Paramount in which he plays Tzian.

Tosin lives in London. Outside his acting his interests include basketball and trainers.

Francesca Moody MBE

Francesca Moody MBE is an Olivier award-winning Theatre Producer. She is best known as the original producer of the multi-award winning, ‘Fleabag’ by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and ‘Baby Reindeer’ by Richard Gadd.

In 2020, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Francesca led and coordinated the Fleabag for Charity campaign, streaming Fleabag NT Live on Amazon and Soho Theatre on Demand, raising over £1,000,000 for charities supporting those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. With Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Olivia Colman, Francesca later established the Theatre Community Fund, raising a further £1,000,000 to support theatrical artists and professionals whose livelihoods and creative futures have been threatened in the wake of Covid-19.

Francesca is also the former Producer of British new writing theatre company Paines Plough, where she produced and developed plays by leading UK playwrights including Dennis Kelly, Duncan Macmillan, James Graham and Kae Tempest. She was also the Executive Producer at curious directive.

Francesca has received an Olivier Award, ten Fringe First Awards and three Off West End Awards for her productions. She is interim Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees for Theatre Royal Stratford East, a Trustee of the Royal Theatrical Fund and an Honorary Associate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. In 2022 she was awarded an MBE for services to Charitable Fundraising for the Arts in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Honours.

Rufus Norris

Rufus Norris was Director and CEO of the National Theatre from 2015-2025. Prior to that he was Associate Director at the National and Young Vic Theatres, and has directed theatre and film in London, New York, across the UK and internationally.

While Director of the National Theatre, Rufus oversaw more than 170 productions at the theatre’s South Bank venue, directing 13 himself. During his tenure he drove forward key commitments to staging new work, increasing representation on and off stage, making theatre more sustainable and increasing the National Theatre’s nationwide and global presence.

He has been the recipient of numerous theatre and film awards, two honorary doctorates, and was Knighted for Services to Theatre in 2025. Since leaving the NT he has taken a step back to rejuvenate and start building projects for the future. He is married to Tanya Ronder, and they have two sons.

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The Arts Foundation Futures Awards support the UK’s most promising artists and creatives at a pivotal moment in their careers with £20,000 unconditional Fellowships.

The Theatre Award Shortlist will be revealed in January 2026, and the recipient of the £20,000 Fellowship will be announced at a live Award Ceremony in February 2026, with all Shortlisted Artists each awarded £1,000.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram and LinkedIn for all the latest awards news and updates.

If you’d like to discuss press and media opportunities, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk.

Each year we invite established professionals, subject experts, artists and creatives from across the UK to form part of the independent Jury that will select this year’s Shortlisted Artists and Fellow.

We are thrilled to share that the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Music Jury Members are:

Suzy Klein

Suzy Klein is responsible for commissioning all arts and classical music content for BBC television channels and iPlayer.

She oversees a wide range of programmes, from returning favourites such as Extraordinary Portraits, Fake or Fortune, Hidden Treasure of the National Trust and the BAFTA Award winning series Rob & Rylan’s Grand Tour to premium series and boxsets including Rise of a Genius and Civilisations.

Classical music makes up a large proportion of Suzy’s brief, including commissioning The Proms for TV and events including Cardiff Singer of the World and BBC Young Musician. Working with the BBC’s performing groups, her team have created a new series on BBC Four – Inside Classical – bringing the orchestras to TV viewers throughout the year. Recent classical music and performance programmes include The Read, Dance Passion and Big Night of Musicals by the National Lottery.

Before joining BBC commissioning, Suzy was a presenter on TV and radio, specialising in music and arts, and previously spent more than a decade working in factual TV production.

Tom Service

Tom Service presents the Saturday Morning programme and the New Music Show for BBC Radio 3, where he wrote and presented 250 editions of The Listening Service, and hosted Music Matters from 2003. His writing about music is at theguardian.com, he was Gresham Professor of Music from 2018-19, and Guest Artistic Director of the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in 2005. He has made films for the BBC about composers from Mozart to Saariaho, and has been part of the radio and TV coverage of the BBC Proms for more than twenty years. His books include Music as Alchemy: Journeys with Great Conductors and their Orchestras, and Full of Noises, interviews with the composer Thomas Adès.

Rakhi Singh

Rakhi Singh is a violinist, creative director and composer based in Manchester.

As a solo artist she released her 2023 debut solo album ‘Purnima’ on Bang on a Can’s Cantaloupe Music label but has also released a number of records on Bedroom Community, two albums as curator/director of Manchester Collective and her debut composition/production EP ‘Quarry’.

She has performed in many major venues and festivals around Europe, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg; Concertgebouw Amsterdam; National Concert Hall Dublin; Funkhaus Berlin; Kings Place London; Cheltenham Festival; Supersonic; Bach Thuringen; Ludwigsburg Festival, Kilkenny Festival and Walden Festival. Her artistic life is split into many different roles – performing, recording, collaboration, mentoring and creatively directing.

As a creative director she made a film for the Royal Opera House starring Blackhaine, and has devised large scale works for Manchester Collective and the Southbank Centre, working with Chris Watson and Carlos Casas on an immersive experience of Michael Gordon’s Weather. Designing a light installation for a tour of Rothko Chapel, the iconic piece by Morton Feldman and most recently creating Refractions – a collaboration with British producer Clark and choreographer Melanie Lane for Multitudes Festival 2025 at The Southbank Centre.

As a collaborative composer she has written a number of works with Vessel/Sebastian Gainsborough, NYX Electronic Drone Choir, Laura Cannell, Simmy Singh and Go-go Penguin. She is often heard on film sound tracks, live on Radio 3 and on the records of Clark, Fever Ray, Able Selaocoe, Olivia Chaney, Vessel and Hania Rani.

In 2016 she co-founded Manchester Collective who perform over 50 concerts a year nationally and internationally and work with a huge variety of artists from many different genres. They are resident at the Southbank Centre London.

She thrives on the sharing of artistic languages and creating safe and explorative spaces for artists. This has led her into education and mentoring. After leading a group for 2 years at the RAM she is currently running Manchester Collective Studio at the RNCM and running a residency for Warp Records, working intensively for a week with 3 producers on the space between electronic and acoustic music, culminating in a performance in Unsound and the Southbank.

Through her curating she continues to endeavour to bring important music to the fore and as a soloist and with the Collective she has premiered over 30 new works over the last 10 years.

Born to an English mother and Indian father in rural Wales, Rakhi’s upbringing was influenced by many different cultures and traditions.

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The Arts Foundation Futures Awards support the UK’s most promising artists and creatives at a pivotal moment in their careers with £20,000 unconditional Fellowships.

The Music Award Shortlist will be revealed in January 2026, and the recipient of the £20,000 Fellowship will be announced at a live Award Ceremony in February 2026, with all Shortlisted Artists each awarded £1,000.

The Music Award is supported by The David Collins Foundation.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram and LinkedIn for all the latest awards news and updates.

If you’d like to discuss press and media opportunities, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk.

Each year we invite established professionals, subject experts, artists and creatives from across the UK to form part of the independent Jury that will select this year’s Shortlisted Artists and Fellow.

We are thrilled to share that the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Literature Jury Members are:

Raymond Antrobus

Raymond Antrobus is the author of ‘The Perseverance’, ‘All The Names Given’, ‘Signs, Music’ and ‘The Quiet Ear: An Investigation of Missing Sound’.

Imtiaz Dharker

Imtiaz Dharker is a poet, artist and video film-maker, awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2014, Chancellor of Newcastle University since 2020. Her seven collections, all published by Bloodaxe Books, include Over the Moon and the latest, Shadow Reader. Her poems have featured on BBC radio, television, the London Underground, Glasgow billboards and Mumbai buses. She has had eleven solo exhibitions of drawings and scripts and directs video films, mostly for non- government organisations working in the area of shelter, education and health for women and children in India.

Ted Hodgkinson

Ted Hodgkinson is Head of Literature and Spoken Word at the Southbank Centre, Europe’s largest arts centre. He was formerly online editor at Granta magazine and literature programmer and communications manager at the British Council. He has judged numerous literary awards, including the Orwell Prize for Political Writing and RSL Encore Award. In 2020 he chaired the judging panel of the International Booker Prize. He is a trustee of English PEN and New Writing North.

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The Arts Foundation Futures Awards support the UK’s most promising artists and creatives at a pivotal moment in their careers with £20,000 unconditional Fellowships.

The Literature Award Shortlist will be revealed in January 2026, and the recipient of the £20,000 Fellowship will be announced at a live Award Ceremony in February 2026, with all Shortlisted Artists each awarded £1,000.

The Literature Award is supported by The Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Fund of the Sidney E. Frank Foundation.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram and LinkedIn for all the latest awards news and updates.

If you’d like to discuss press and media opportunities, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk.

Each year we invite established professionals, subject experts, artists and creatives from across the UK to form part of the independent Jury that will select this year’s Shortlisted Artists and Fellow.

We are thrilled to share that the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Film Jury Members are:

Asif Kapadia

Asif Kapadia is an Academy Award, BAFTA, Grammy, and European Film Award-winning director, writer, and producer, renowned for pushing the boundaries of cinematic storytelling. Widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation, Kapadia is best known for his groundbreaking trilogy — Senna, Amy, and Diego Maradona — which redefined the documentary genre by crafting emotionally powerful, archive-only narratives that play with the urgency and drama of fiction.

Asif has just released his latest work, Kenny Dalglish in cinemas, an inspiring and emotional documentary capturing the mercurial sports figure.
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Asif is also an Ambassador of the Arts Foundation, having been awarded the Fellowship for Film Directing in 2001.⁠

Danny Leigh

Danny Leigh is the film critic of the Financial Times. As a journalist, he has written for the FT since 2012, and before that, wrote for many years for The Guardian. He has also worked as a documentary-maker and broadcaster, including co-hosting BBC One’s long-running Film show. He is currently finishing his third novel for publisher Faber.

Lindsay Poulton

Lindsay is Editorial Director of Film and TV, shaping strategy and output across the Guardian’s film and TV work. Alongside this global focus, she commissions and curates Documentaries for the Guardian’s digital platforms, including the Oscar-winning Colette and BAFTA-winning The Black Cop. With this multi-platform outlook, Lindsay is committed to finding the most powerful ways to bring stories rooted in the Guardian’s distinctive editorial ethos and purpose to the screen.

Before this, Lindsay worked as a filmmaker and journalist and her work has been recognised with numerous awards and shown at The White House as well as top-tier film festivals around the world including Sundance, Tribeca and Sheffield DocFest. She enjoys regular opportunities to judge industry awards, speak at international conferences, teach at universities, and is a proud member of BAFTA.

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The Arts Foundation Futures Awards support the UK’s most promising artists and creatives at a pivotal moment in their careers with £20,000 unconditional Fellowships.

The Film Award Shortlist will be revealed in January 2026, and the recipient of the £20,000 Fellowship will be announced at a live Award Ceremony in February 2026, with all Shortlisted Artists each awarded £1,000.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram and LinkedIn for all the latest awards news and updates.

If you’d like to discuss press and media opportunities, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk.

We are thrilled to announce that the fifth and final award category of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 is Visual Art.⁠

The Visual Art Award supports groundbreaking artists working across a broad range of visual arts and interdisciplinary art form practices, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and artist moving image.⁠

Announced at the award ceremony in February 2026, the recipient of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Visual Art will receive an unconditional £20,000 Fellowship, with all three Shortlisted Artists each awarded £1,000.

The Visual Art Award is supported by The Yoma Sasburg Estate.

We’ll be announcing this year’s independent Jury of artists and industry professionals over the coming weeks.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram and LinkedIn for all the latest awards news and updates.

If you’d like to discuss press and media opportunities for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk

For partnerships and award sponsorship opportunities please contact: info@artsfoundation.co.uk

We are excited to announce that Theatre is the fourth award category of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026.

The Theatre Award champions visionary theatre directors developing extraordinary theatrical productions across any genre.⁠

Announced at the award ceremony in February 2026, the recipient of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Theatre will receive an unconditional £20,000 Fellowship, with all three Shortlisted Artists each awarded £1,000.

We’ll be announcing this year’s independent Jury of artists and industry professionals over the coming weeks.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram and LinkedIn for all the latest awards news and updates.

If you’d like to discuss press and media opportunities for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk

For partnerships and award sponsorship opportunities please contact: info@artsfoundation.co.uk

We are delighted to announce that the third award category of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 is Music!⁠

This year’s Music Award support exceptional early-stage career composers scoring contemporary classical works of any genre.⁠

Announced at the award ceremony in February 2026, the recipient of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Music will receive an unconditional £20,000 Fellowship, with all three Shortlisted Artists each awarded £1,000.

The Music Award is supported by The David Collins Foundation.

We’ll be announcing this year’s independent Jury of artists and industry professionals over the coming weeks.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram and LinkedIn for all the latest awards news and updates.

If you’d like to discuss press and media opportunities for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk

For partnerships and award sponsorship opportunities please contact: info@artsfoundation.co.uk

We are thrilled to announce that Literature is the second award category of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026.

The Literature Award supports inventive independent writers who are pushing the boundaries of the medium of poetry.⁠

Announced at the award ceremony in February 2026, the recipient of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Literature will receive an unconditional £20,000 Fellowship, with all three Shortlisted Artists each awarded £1,000.

The Literature Award is supported by The Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Fund of the Sidney E. Frank Foundation.

We’ll be announcing this year’s independent Jury of artists and industry professionals over the coming weeks.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram and LinkedIn for all the latest awards news and updates.

If you’d like to discuss press and media opportunities for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk

For partnerships and award sponsorship opportunities please contact: info@artsfoundation.co.uk

The Arts Foundation is extremely excited to announce the first award category of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 is Film.

The Film Award supports exceptional early-stage career filmmakers, and this year we are highlighting emotive and inventive storytellers working in non-fiction.

Announced at the award ceremony in February 2026, the recipient of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Film will receive an unconditional £20,000 Fellowship, with all three Shortlisted Artists each awarded £1,000.

We’ll be announcing this year’s independent Jury of artists and industry professionals over the coming weeks.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram and LinkedIn for all the latest awards news and updates.

If you’d like to discuss press and media opportunities for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk

For partnerships and award sponsorship opportunities please contact: info@artsfoundation.co.uk

We are thrilled to share that our wonderful long-standing award partner, The David Collins Foundation, will present a special exhibition, Convergence as part of London Design Festival
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The Lavery  4 Cromwell Place, SW7 2JE⁠
11 – 19 September 2025 ⁠
Part of the London Design Festival and Brompton Design District⁠
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Curated by journalist and broadcaster Ellen E Jones, and designed by London-based studio Bibliotheque, the exhibition brings together work by eleven artists and designers who have been supported through our partnership and fellowship programme, the Arts Foundation Futures Awards:⁠
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TK Hay (Theatre Fellow, 2025)⁠
Cherish Oteka (Short Documentary Fellow, 2024)
Louise Skajem (Bio Design Fellow, 2023)⁠
Savinder Bual (Animation Fellow, 2022) ⁠
Ayo Akingbade (Visual Art Shortlist, 2021) ⁠
Onyeka Igwe (Film Fellow, 2020)⁠
Will Harris (Poetry Fellow, 2019)
Ella Frears (Poetry Shortlist, 2019)
Jochen Holz (Craft Fellow, 2018) ⁠
Max Frommeld (Furniture Design Fellow, 2017)
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Taking place in the fortieth year of David Collins Studio, the exhibition also reflects on the enduring influence of the late David Collins’ creative vision and his commitment to nurturing talent.⁠

Read the press release online here.

Full details, dates & times.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Image: Courtesy of the artists and David Collins Foundation ⁠

We’re excited to share a new limited edition print by artist Holly Hendry as part of our Patron Programme.

Labyrinth (2024) by Holly Hendry (Experimental Architecture Fellow, 2019) has been created especially for our generous Director’s Circle Patrons.

A sculptural entanglement between body and building; Labyrinth responds to architectural methods of sectional drawings and the origins of the word as a confusing maze-like structure. The work presents a visualisation of the innermost part of the ear (also known as the labyrinth), which relays sounds to the brain and is responsible for hearing. 

This larger vestibular system, a complex set of fluid-filled channels, contributes to a sense of physical balance. The work has been influenced by research into ancient visualisations of water and nautical maps, where watery fluctuations curl and entwine together, representing water in motion as well as the geographical mapping.

If you would like to support artists and enjoy a range of benefits, including invitations to one-off events and gatherings, our annual award ceremony, and limited edition artworks by Arts Foundation Fellows, we invite you to become a Friend and Patron of the Arts Foundation.

Every donation goes straight to artists as part of our unique Fellowship programme, directly supporting the livelihoods and future generations of artists and creatives in the UK.

Given ongoing precarity across the arts and culture sector, there has never been a more urgent time to support artists and creatives. We feel it is essential to continue to provide financial support without constraints to exceptional but often under-supported, independent practitioners.⁠

Find out more about becoming a Patron.

We are saddened to hear of the passing of Prudence Skene, an incredible champion of the arts.⁠

Prudence, known fondly as Prue, was the Director of the Arts Foundation from its early formation in 1993 until 1998. Her achievements were formidable. Our past trustees have shared that she cloaked her achievements with being one of the most intelligent, humble and gentle people you could ever want to meet and that she was undoubtedly the person who set the course of the shape of what the foundation has become today. ⁠

An obituary and details of her enduring legacy, written by Jane Pritchard, can be read in The Guardian. We send our sincere condolences to her friends and family and remember her fondly on this bright Spring day.⁠

Photo by Brian Wray

We are thrilled to share a special live performance from by Daniel Casimir (Jazz Composition Fellow, 2024) accompanied by his quartet band, which opened the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 Ceremony.

Daniel is an influential figure within the UK Jazz scene, having performed in several countries and with a vast discography. In a significant milestone in his career, Daniel released his debut album “Boxed In” in 2021. The album blends the sound of ‘New UK Jazz’ with classical orchestration, showcasing Daniel’s artistic evolution. “Boxed In” was met with critical acclaim, earning the title of ‘Top albums for 2021’ by Vinyl Factory, an exclusive performance and radio interview on BBC Radio 3, and “Editor’s Choice” in Jazzwise. It also led to Daniel being named “Jazz instrumentalist of the Year” by Jazz FM and “Album of the Year” by the Parliamentary Jazz committee, solidifying his position as a rising star in the jazz world. Continuing his innovative approach, Daniel’s latest project, “Balance” builds on the success of his album “Boxed In”. This venture merges a full big band, comprising leading figures from the UK Jazz scene, with a string section from the esteemed London Contemporary Orchestra.

Daniel played bass with his band: Binker Golding, Saxophone; James Copus, Trumpet; James Beckwith, Keys; and Jamie Murray, Drums.

“…I am not talking about being inspired, but trying to notice and honour how the work of other people is essential to our own growth as makers.”⁠

The esteemed British choreographer Siobhan Davies’welcome address at The Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 was such a poignant and fitting start to the awards.

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Siobhan’s poignant address reminded us all of our place in the lineage of art and how we are nourished by the centuries of labour and practice of other artists and makers.

We are honoured to share Siobhan’s words of wisdom with you. The Award Ceremony was held in London on 17 February 2025.

Siobhan Davies is a renowned British choreographer who rose to prominence in the 1970s. Davies was a founding member of London Contemporary Dance Theatre and in 1982 joined forces with Richard Alston and Ian Spink to create independent dance company Second Stride. Founding Siobhan Davies Dance in 1988, she works closely with collaborating artists to ensure that their own artistic enquiry is part of the creative process. By 2002 she moved away from the traditional theatre circuit and started making work for prestigious Art Institutions including ICA, Victoria Miro, Whitechapel, The Barbican, Turner Contemporary.⁠
Davies applies choreography across a wide range of creative disciplines including visual arts and film. ⁠
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In 2006 she commissioned a lottery funded building Siobhan Davies Studios designed by Sarah Wigglesworth which became a home for many dancers and choreographers to work and study in often alongside other artistic disciplines. In 2020 she retired from the studios.⁠
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In 2016 she became Associate Professor at the Centre for Dance Research (CDaRE) at Coventry University. Following her CBE, Davies was awarded a Damehood in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours and is an Ambassador and past trustee of the Arts Foundation.⁠

Find out more about the Arts Foundation and consider becoming a Friend to directly support the livelihoods and future generations of artists and creatives in what continues to be an incredibly precarious time for so many. All donations go straight to artists as part of our Arts Foundation Futures Awards Fellowship Scheme.

Watch the moment the five £20,000 Fellowships for Dance, Design, Film, Theatre and Visual Art are announced, with all artists receiving £1,000 towards their practice.

With a special welcome address from the renowned choreographer Siobhan Davies and a live performance from Daniel Casimir (Jazz Composition Fellow, 2024), the Award Ceremony took place on 17 February 2025 in London.

The ceremony shared the extraordinary and varied practices of the twenty Shortlisted Artists across this year’s categories.

The awards mark over 30 years of the Arts Foundation’s support for independent artists in the UK since it was founded in 1993, and whose alumni include eminent artistic practitioners, such as Wayne McGregor CBE, Asif Kapadia, Ali Smith, Rufus Norris and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.

Read more about all the artists and the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 on our website.

With thanks to our award supporters for their partnership and belief in the importance of artists and developing creative practice: The David Collins Foundation, the Yoma Sasburg Estate and The Maria Björnson Memorial Fund.