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.

⁠
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. ⁠
⁠
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.⁠
⁠
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.

The Arts Foundation Announce the winning Fellow of the 2025 Futures Awards £115,000 prizes awarded at ceremony in London

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

Dance: Charlotte Mclean

Design: Kaye Song

Film: Tina Pasotra

Theatre:  TK Hay

Visual Art:  Leo Robinson

The five winning Fellows were revealed at an Award Ceremony on 17 February 2025 at Kings Place, featuring a special welcome address from renowned choreographer, Siobhan Davies and a live jazz performance by Daniel Casimir (Jazz Composition Fellow, 2024)

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 reimagining Highland Dance, politically charged set design, and climate-positive architecture, to sharing layered stories about identity and belonging- the creative ingenuity, determination and focus of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards Fellows always inspire us. We’re really proud to increase our support for independent artists this year and champion the livelihoods of creatives. We have no doubt all the artists and fellows will have a significant impact on our shared cultural life.”

Read the Press Release

Full Press Pack and Images

The Arts Foundation will announce the five recipients of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards £20,000 Fellowships in London on 17 February 2025.

The annual Arts Foundation Futures Awards provide five transformative £20,000 Fellowships, with all Shortlisted Artists receiving £1,000 towards the development of their practice.

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 practitioners, such as Wayne McGregor, Asif Kapadia, Carol Morely, Ali Smith, Rufus Norris and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.

Featuring a special welcome address by British choreographer, Siobhan Davies DBE, the Award Ceremony will take place on Monday 17 February in London.

The ceremony will also include a special live performance from last year’s winning fellow for Jazz Composition Daniel Casimir with his quartet band, a DJ set by Oli Keens, and continued celebrations!

You can explore the work of all the Shortlisted Artists on the Arts Foundation website, and watch the award announcements via Instagram Live on Monday 17 February 2025, from  7.00 pm.

Read the Award Ceremony Press Release

We are delighted to share that the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 Ceremony will include a special live jazz performance by Daniel Casimir (Jazz Composition Fellow, 2024) from his critically acclaimed new album, ‘Balance, ’ accompanied by his quartet band.

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

The Awards Ceremony will take place on Monday 17 February in London.

Watch the live performance and follow all the award announcements via Instagram Live on the night from 7 pm!⁠

We are thrilled to share that renowned British choreographer, Siobhan Davies DBE will be our Guest of Honour at the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 Ceremony! Siobhan will give a special welcome address before we announce the five recipients of the £20,000 Fellowships.⁠

Siobhan Davies 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. 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 often alongside other artistic disciplines.

In 2020 she retired from the studios. 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.

We are so delighted and honoured to welcome Siobhan!

The Awards Ceremony will take place on Monday 17 February in London. Watch the welcome address and follow all the award announcements via Instagram Live on the night from 7 pm!⁠

Join us for a special screening and Q&A with the extraordinary shortlisted filmmakers of The Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 for Film!

Book your tickets today via the ICA

Wednesday 22 January 2025

6.30 pm at the ICA, London

These powerful new contemporary filmmakers will present and discuss their compelling work in conversation with a special guest.

Selected by industry figures and independent award jury members: Claudia Yusef, Commissioning Executive, BBC Film; Peter Suschitzky, Cinematographer and Photographer; and Joanna Hogg, Director and Screenwriter who said:

“What excites me as a creative is an artist that has places to go, and wants to delve into themselves through their art. This is what makes the Arts Foundation Futures Awards so special, it facilitates space for young independent practitioners to experiment and take risks. All the work of the shortlisted filmmakers, Luna Carmoon, Naqqash Khalid, Tina Pasotra and Fridtjof Ryder have a palpable and infectious energy. I am hugely excited to follow their respective journeys in film and see what they do next.” 

Featuring 

Shagbands by Luna Carmoon
In the 2006 summer heatwave, a gang of teenage girls in South London face strange sexual awakenings and a discovery of violence.

In Camera by Naqqash Khalid
An extract from In Camera follows Aden – played by Nabhaan Rizwan – a young actor who is in a cycle of nightmarish auditions. After he receives multiple rejections, Aden takes it upon himself to find a new part to play.

I Choose by Tina Pasotra
A young woman battling inner conflict and cultural heritage sacrifices all that she has ever known to start a new life in Wales with her two young daughters. 

INLAND by Fridtjof Ryder
Starring Mark Rylance, an extract from INLAND depicts a modern fairy tale exploring the fractured identity of a young man after the mysterious disappearance of his mother.

Presented in partnership with the London Short Film Festival. Don’t miss it!

The Arts Foundation announce the four Shortlisted Artists of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 for Visual Art. 

The Visual Art Award includes artists working in any area of the visual arts including installation, sculpture, photography, sound, painting and cross art-form practice. Meet the Shortlist: 

Exodus Crooks 

Exodus Crooks is a British-Jamaican multidisciplinary artist and educator, interested in self-determination and how it is steered by religion and spirituality.

Mani Kambo 

Mani Kambo is a multidisciplinary artist primarily working in textile, print and moving image, based in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Raheel Khan

Raheel Khan is an artist and musician exploring the interstices of sound, installation and performance. 

Leo Robinson  

Leo Robinson lives and works in Glasgow. In his work, Leo constructs speculative systems of knowledge and ritual through the lenses of religion, psychoanalysis, and diasporic experience.

With thanks to our independent Jury members: Associate Curator of Modern & Contemporary Projects, The National Gallery Priyesh Mistry; Artist Sinta Tantra; and Curator of Liverpool Biennial, Marie-Anne McQuay said:

“The Arts Foundation Futures Awards are an affirmative and confidence-boosting platform for artists, that comes with much-needed financial resources. It’s been an honour to participate with my fellow jurors, Sinta Tantra and Priyesh Mistry and wonderful to encounter practitioners from across the whole breadth of the UK. It’s a huge privilege to immerse in the timely and often poignant work of the four shortlisted artists: Exodus Crooks, Mani Kambo, Raheel Khan and Leo Robinson, all of whom have been recognised for their distinctive contributions to Visual Art. Each is outstanding in their own right; Crooks whose multidisciplinary practice tenderly centres Black disaporic experience, relationships with self and spirituality; Kambo’s textiles, fabric dyeing and printmaking which draws on personal symbolism connected to religious and familial rituals & beliefs; Khan’s interlocking sound, text, installation and performance projects interrogate notions of heritage, society and collective consciousness; Robinson’s world building with mixed media and performance creates & narrates origin stories and  fictional systems of belief and knowledge.”

Priyesh Mistry added:

“It’s been such a pleasure to join the jury of this year’s Arts Foundation Futures Awards for Visual Art. All the shortlisted artists are at such exciting points in their careers. Exodus Crooks has a wonderfully unique and generous way of holding and creating space for audiences while reflecting on themes of received knowledges through the matriarchal lineage. Mani Kambo’s fascinating practice explores and reassesses the layered history of symbols and what they come to represent within our interconnected world. I was also taken by Raheel Khan’s experimentation and how he uses sound and sampling techniques to explore different personal and societal histories. Leo Robinson’s installations are unique in his questioning of heritage, combining disparate cultural traditions and philosophies to create hybrid surreal worlds that are both mythological and magical.”

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

“The four shortlisted artists’ are a testament to the strength and calibre of visual arts practice in the UK. Each artist is pursuing highly personal and original ways of thinking and making work that resonates deeply with a wider public. We are delighted to be supporting their artistic development at a critical moment in the early stages of their respective careers.”

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

Read more about this year’s awards.

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 2025 for  Theatre. 

The Theatre Award champions theatre designers developing innovative sets or production designs for theatrical presentation.Meet the Shortlist: 

Peter Butler 

Peter Butler specialises in set and costume design, devised theatre making, site-specific performance and theatre design for new writing and classic stories.

Ethan Cheek  

Ethan Cheek is a performance designer working across theatre, film, and music. Their collaborative practice is rooted in the concept of total theatre.

TK Hay

TK is a technically inclined theatre designer producing work that simultaneously comforts and disturbs, and the primary impetus for his design work is sociopolitical. 

Khadija Raza

Khadija Raza is a theatre designer based in London. Khadija’s practice is rooted in collaboration and a love for stories, for characters, connecting the forms of art, installations, and sculpture together.

With thanks to our independent Jury members: Anna Fleischle, Production Set and Costume Designer; Production & Technical Director, The National Theatre, Paul Handley; and CEO of Shakespeare’s Globe, Stella Kanu who said:

“It was a joy to be part of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 for Theatre. As a jury, we are acutely aware of the many challenges creatives face at this time. Awards like this are vital, not only to sustain promising practitioners – but enable them to flourish within the arts and cultural sector. Each of the shortlisted creatives has a unique and thoughtful approach to their work and crucially, a clear sense of their own trajectory. We are incredibly excited to see how all of their stunning work develops and respective careers progress.”

Paul Handley added: 

“This year’s shortlist for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards for Theatre is exemplary. Each of the creatives’ practices holds a robust combination of the personal and political. I was taken by Peter Butler’s ability to convey astute social commentary with intellect without sacrificing art and Ethan Cheek’s extremely mature approach and body of work. TK Hay’s ambitious portfolio is both rigorous and generous, and Khadija Raza has navigated the industry with resilience, determination and artistic precision. All of the designers are generating inventive work under enormously difficult constraints, both from an industry and cost of living perspective. As a jury, we were all enormously impressed by their ingenuity and commitment to the art form.”

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

“With many theatre workers encountering barriers to career progression in the current climate, we are so pleased to support the four shortlisted artists whose work demonstrates such energetic originality. Each of the designers has pursued unique, sensitive and diverse approaches to set and production design, from conception through to production.”

The Theatre Award is generously supported in partnership with The David Collins Foundation, with development support from The Maria Björnson Memorial Fund. 

Read more about this year’s awards.

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 2025 for Film. 

The Film Award supports film directors working in any genre of fiction filmmaking, focusing on independent and inventive storytellers. Meet the Shortlist: 

Luna Carmoon

Luna Carmoon is a self-taught writer and director from South East London. Luna’s debut feature film, Hoard was met with critical acclaim, premiering at Venice in 2023.

Naqqash Khalid

Naqqash Khalid is a writer and director from Manchester. His debut feature film, IN CAMERA, was released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland in 2024.

Tina Pasotra

Tina Pasotra is a filmmaker, director and artist based in Cardiff, Wales. Tina’s debut narrative short film, ‘I Choose’ in 2020 was nominated for Best Short Film BAFTA Cymru 2021.

Fridtjof Ryder

Fridtfjof Ryder is a writer and director. His debut feature film, INLAND, premiered at the BFI London Film Festival and was long-listed for 10 BIFA awards.

With thank to our independent Jury members: Claudia Yusef, Commissioning Executive at BBC Film; Peter Suschitzky, Cinematographer and Photographer; and Joanna Hogg, Director and Screenwriter who said: 

“What excites me as a creative is an artist that has places to go, and wants to delve into themselves through their art. This is what makes the Arts Foundation Futures Awards so special, it facilitates space for young independent practitioners to experiment and take risks. All the work of the shortlisted filmmakers, Luna Carmoon, Naqqash Khalid, Tina Pasotra and Fridtjof Ryder have a palpable and infectious energy. I am hugely excited to follow their respective journeys in film and see what they do next.” 

Claudia Yusef added: 

“The legacy of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards is impressive with filmmakers such as Asif Kapadia and Carol Morley among the alumni, so it has been a pleasure to participate in this year’s Film Award jury. From Luna Carmoon’s raw and visceral cinematic work to Naqqash Khalid’s brave experimentalism, Fridtjof Ryder’s radical accomplishments at such a young age, and Tina Pasotra’s eloquent visual language and storytelling – each of the artists already brings a vibrancy and something unique to the wider film industry. As a jury, we are delighted to support their work in this way.”

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

“We are delighted to be supporting this important award, while the UK is fortunate to host many brilliant film festivals, financing and production support for emerging experimental filmmakers remains critically low. We were really moved by the depth of storytelling of the four shortlisted filmmakers, and are thrilled to support their development.”

Read more about this year’s awards.

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 2025 for Design. 

The Design Award champions contemporary designers with a focus on sustainability working across a broad range of disciplines, from product, material or industrial design to architectural practices. Meet the Shortlist: 

Ellie Birkhead 

Ellie Birkhead is a designer, maker and facilitator who uses the power of craft and creativity to bring about social change, with a particular focus on communities and material and ecological transition of the built environment.

Jacob Marks

Jacob Marks is a designer and maker. His work focuses on reimagining natural materials, often using those that are overlooked or disregarded to produce defined and distinctive contemporary works.

Lawrence Parent 

Lawrence Parent is a designer whose varied practice is a blend of art, design, and environmental activism. His work seeks to inspire a cultural shift towards sustainable living.

Kaye Song 

Kaye Song is an architectural designer and co-director of Flimsy Works. Her projects explore both the physical and emotional complexities of human landscapes.

With thanks to our independent Jury members: Sarah Douglas, Design Agent, Consultant & Advisor; Prof. Adrian Lahoud, Dean, School of Architecture and Fellow at the Royal College of Art; and Satoshi Isono, Creative Director, Universal Design Studio who said:

“It has been brilliant to discover such strong and varied creative designers through the Arts Foundation Futures Awards. Each of the shortlisted practitioners, Eleanor Birkhead, Jacob Marks, Lawrence Parent and Kaye Song has developed intricate approaches, methodologies, and a distinct design sensibility. I am excited to see where their careers take them.”

The Arts Foundation has a long history of supporting progressive and imaginative design practices having launched an award for Material Innovation a decade ago in 2014. Mary Jane Edwards, Director of The Arts Foundation says:

“We are thrilled to continue our support of forward-looking designers and creative practitioners. We are always greatly encouraged by the collaborative practices of all four designers working with materials and people and nature-centred design approaches. As the global climate crisis deepens, we are proud to have been an early advocate of innovation in material and social design, and to have supported a formidable body of thinking and work in this space.”

Read more about this year’s awards.

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 2025 for Dance.

The Dance Award supports choreographers who are expanding the medium of choreography and developing original works. Meet the Shortlist: 

Charlotte Edmonds

Charlotte Edmonds is a choreographer, dancer and filmmaker. Her work uses classical and contemporary dance to tell stories through movement.

Shannelle ‘Tali’ Fergus

Shannelle ‘Tali’ Fergus is a London-based creative working across choreography and performance. Her movement style is a blend of her training in street styles and contemporary.

Anthony Matsena

Anthony is a Zimbabwean-born and Welsh-raised choreographer, performer and director working between the mediums of dance, theatre, music and poetry.

Charlotte Mclean

Charlotte Mclean is a choreographer whose practice draws from tradition having competed in Scottish Highland Dance throughout her childhood. 

With thanks to our independent Jury members: Choreographer & Director, Holly Blakey; Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor and Choreographer (and Arts Foundation Fellow and Ambassador), Sir Wayne McGregor CBE; and Artistic Director and co-CEO at Dance Umbrella, Freddie Opoku-Addaie who said: 

“It’s been a real pleasure to join the jury of the Arts Foundation Futures Award for Dance. It was clear from reading about the artists’ respective work that creatives across the country are simply trying to survive, not thrive, in the present climate. Awards like this are vital to support artists to reach a basic standard of living and should be more widespread. From Shannelle ‘Tali’ Fergus’ punchy short-form work in hip hop to Charlotte Edmonds’ refined contemporary portfolio, and Charlotte Mclean’s inventive and traditional forms to Antony Matsena’s boundary-blurring productions – I was really impressed with the quality and innovative contemporary choreographic practice present on the shortlist.”

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

“The four choreographers’ work demonstrates the great range and breadth of contemporary dance practice. Each of the shortlisted artists has pursued highly individual and unique ways of thinking and approaching the medium, and we are thrilled to be supporting their artistic development.”

Read more about this year’s awards.

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 twenty artists shortlisted for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 have been announced across five award categories: Dance, Design, Film, 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 provide 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 Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 are supported in partnership with The David Collins Foundation, The Yoma Sasburg Estate, and with development support from The Maria Björnson Memorial Fund. 

The five winning Fellows receiving £20,000, will be revealed at an Award Ceremony on 17 February 2025 in London at Kings Place. Mary Jane Edwards, Director of the Arts Foundation said:

“The creative ingenuity and breadth of contemporary art practice showcased by the artists shortlisted for the 2025 Arts Foundation Futures Awards is both energetic and inspiring. We are so pleased to be able to increase our support for independent artists this year amidst the growing financial pressures faced across the cultural sector in the UK. No-strings-attached funding of this nature is vital to strengthen creative practice, but also affirm our belief in 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.

As 2024 comes to a close, we look back on another wonderful year supporting and championing independent artists and creatives!⁠

In January we announced the incredible Shortlisted Artists for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2024, across the fields of Regenerative Design, Jazz Composition, Short Documentary Film, Theatre Writing and Visual Art.

In February, the winning Fellows receiving £10,000 were announced at a live Award Ceremony at the Southbank Centre in London, with all shortlisted artists awarded £1,000. ⁠

We were thrilled to host jury members Vicky Featherstone, Soweto Kinch, Clare Sillery, Adelaide Bannerman, and Roy Williams as our guest of honour. Roy’s rousing welcome address and the ceremony are archived on our website and YouTube channel. ⁠

In May the first artists arrived for their week-long residency in the stunning setting of Hawkwood Centre for Future Thinking

In June we continued to grow a new community of Friends and Patrons to support our work, hosting our annual Patrons dinner, an inspiring gathering of like-minded individuals and conversation about the importance of art and creative practice.⁠

⁠The summer also saw us celebrate fellows’ work with gatherings at the Jazz Cafe to see Daniel Casimir play to a sellout crowd, and De La Warr to hear Rebecca Bellantoni in conversation as part of her first institutional solo show. 

⁠In September, we announced that we are increasing the Fellowship award amount to £20,000 to ensure our work continues to have the same life-changing impact and responds to inflation, the ongoing cost of living crisis and low artist income precarity experienced across the contemporary arts in the UK.

We also shared the award categories for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025: Dance, Design, Film, Theatre and Visual Art, and partnership collaborations with the brilliant The David Collins Foundation, and the Maria Björnson Memorial Fund. 

⁠In October we announced the phenomenal jury members for the awards,  take a look back at our news feed, or on Instagram.

⁠The beginnings of 2025 are looking bright, with the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 Shortlist Artist Announcement in the New Year, a film screening with London Short Film Festival at ICA London on 22 January, and our Awards Ceremony in February! ⁠

Enormous thanks to everyone who has supported The Arts Foundation this year, we are hugely grateful for your time, generosity and care.

Wishing you all a restorative festive period!⁠

Join us for a special screening and Q&A with the extraordinary shortlisted filmmakers of The Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 for Film!

Book your tickets today via the ICA

Wednesday 22 January 2025

6.30 pm at the ICA, London

Four powerful contemporary filmmakers will present a series of compelling films, and discuss their work in conversation with a special guest. Selected by industry figures: Joanna Hogg, Director and Screenwriter; Peter Suschitzky, Cinematographer and Photographer; and Claudia Yusef, Commissioning Executive, BBC Film.

Joanna Hogg said:

“What excites me as a creative is an artist that has places to go, and wants to delve into themselves through their art. This is what makes the Arts Foundation Futures Awards so special, it facilitates space for young independent practitioners to experiment and take risks. All the work of the shortlisted filmmakers has a palpable and infectious energy. I am hugely excited to follow their respective journeys in film and see what they do next.”

Artists to be announced in January 2025.

Presented in partnership with the London Short Film Festival. Don’t miss it!

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 2025 for Visual Art Jury Members are:

Marie-Anne McQuay 

Marie-Anne McQuay is the guest Curator for Liverpool Biennial 2025. She is currently on secondment from Arts&Heritage as Director of Projects and was previously Head of Programme at the Bluecoat, Liverpool (2015 – June 2022) and Curator at Spike Island, Bristol (2007-2013). She was also Curator of Wales in Venice 2019 with artist Sean Edwards and Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham. Marie-Anne is currently part of the Arts Council Collection Acquisitions Committee 2022-25, on the Advisory Board of At The Library, Sefton and External Examiner for Art Museum and Gallery Studies MA, University of Leicester 2023-26.

Priyesh Mistry

Priyesh Mistry is Associate Curator of Modern & Contemporary Projects at the National Gallery, London where he manages an ambitious programme to connect contemporary art with its historic collections through artists residencies and contemporary commissions, most recently with Céline Condorelli, Nalini Malani and Ali Cherri. Previously, he was Assistant Curator, International Art at Tate Modern where he specialised on art from South Asia for the collection and numerous exhibitions and commissions. He is a Trustee of Studio Voltaire, a member of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the British School at Rome and the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group led by the Mayor of London’s office.

Sinta Tantra

Sinta Tantra is interested in the interplay between colour, light, geometric and organic forms. Her paintings and installations are created in response to time and space, and are designed to subtly transform throughout the day, offering shifting moods and perspectives. Whether produced on a monumental scale or precisely rendered on canvas, her compositions employ a universal visual language that shifts the focus away from meaning to the emotional and physical experience of the artwork. Tantra’s work has been exhibited at numerous international biennials, art fairs and in group exhibitions such as A New Paradise at the Saatchi Gallery in London (2022), Light in Retrospective at ISA Art and Design, Jakarta (2022), Small is Beautiful (2022) at the Flowers Gallery, London, Framer Framed (2020) in Amsterdam, the Karachi Biennale (2019), the Folkestone Triennial UK (2017) and the Liverpool Biennial UK (2012). Tantra’s work is part of the Government Art Collection, the Benetton Foundation collection, Museum MACAN, the Louis Vuitton collection and other private international collections.

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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 2025, and the recipient of the £20,000 Fellowship will be announced at a live Award Ceremony in February 2025, with all Shortlisted Artists awarded £1,000.

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

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram, Twitter 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 and 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 2025 for Theatre Jury Members are:

Anna Fleischle

Anna Fleischle is an Olivier award-winning and Tony-nominated production set and costume designer. Anna’s theatre credits include: A Child of Science (Bristol Old Vic); Punch (Nottingham Playhouse/ Young Vic 2025) Nachtland (Young Vic); The Time Travellers Wife (West End); The Pillowman (West End); The Collaboration (Broadway/Young Vic); Death Of A Salesman (Broadway/Young Vic/West End); 2:22 A Ghost Story (West End/LA/Tour/Melbourne); Hangmen (Broadway/West End/Royal Court), for this production Anna received a Tony Award nomination 2022, Olivier Award For Best Set Design, Critics Circle Award for ‘Best Designer’ and the Evening Standard Award for ‘Best Design’. Anna’s fellowships include: Founding Member of Scene/Change, Associate Artist Young Vic, and Trustee Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

Paul Handley 

Paul has worked in theatre production for the last 35 years. For many years he was Head of Production at the Royal Court Theatre focused on delivering new plays by both new and established writers including Harold Pinter, Caryl Churchill, Tom Stoppard, Jez Butterworth, Conor McPherson, Martin McDonagh and Sarah Kane. For the last decade he has worked at the National Theatre where he is Production and Technical Director. He sits on the Linbury Prize Committee and chairs the Genesis Theatre Design Programme.

Stella Kanu 

Stella Kanu is CEO at Shakespeare’s Globe and was previously Executive Director at LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre). At LIFT she led the strategic strands of the business as well as presenting and executive producing international work like 2019 Venice Biennale Golden Lion winner Climate-Opera from Lithuania Sun & Sea (2022) and Australia’s The Second Woman (2023) starring two-time Olivier Award winner Ruth Wilson in an internationally acclaimed feat of endurance theatre and live cinema. 

Stella has worked in the theatre, festival, and cultural sector for 30 years and sat on several strategic and governing bodies including All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Theatre, and is Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s representative to Arts Council London Area. Stella is an Honorary Fellow at Rose Bruford College (2021), was named one of the Alfred Fagon Award 25 Black Theatre Champions (2022) was recently named one of the 100 Black Women to Have Make a Mark (2023) and alongside Globe Artistic Director Michelle Terry is listed in The Stage 100 power list (2024).

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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 is generously supported in partnership with The David Collins Foundation, with development support from The Maria Björnson Memorial Fund.

The Theatre Award Shortlist will be revealed in January 2025, and the recipient of the £20,000 Fellowship will be announced at a live Award Ceremony in February 2025, with all Shortlisted Artists awarded £1,000.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram, Twitter 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 and 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 2025 for Film Jury Members are:

Joanna Hogg 

Joanna Hogg is a British director and screenwriter. She started her career as a photographer and then after fifteen years directing television drama, wrote and directed her first feature film Unrelated (2008). She followed this with six more feature films; Archipelago (2010), Exhibition (2013), The Souvenir (2019), The Souvenir Part II (2021) and The Eternal Daughter (2022). She is currently preparing her next film to be shot in Los Angeles in 2025.

Peter Suschitzky

Peter Suschitzky is a film cinematographer and photographer. Peter was born in London and attended film school in Paris at IDHEC, now La Fémis (FEMIS). Peter started his career as a cinematographer, aged 21 by shooting documentaries during a year in Latin America. He shot his first movie in London, called ‘It Happened Here’ which imagined a Britain occupied by the Germans during WW2. 

Peter continued to shoot movies, such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Empire Strikes Back and eleven films with David Cronenberg as well as Mars Attacks with Tim Burton and Tale of Tales with Mateo Garrone. In parallel with his work as a cinematographer, Peter has always followed his passion for classical music and for making photographs. Peter is currently preparing a book, showing the work of the four photographers in his family – his aunt, Edith Tudor Hart, his father, Wolfgang Suschitzky, and his own photographs and those of his son, Adam, spanning one hundred years of photography!

Claudia Yusef

Claudia Yusef is Commissioning Executive at BBC Film. She has Executive Produced a number of features and shorts for BBC Film including Clio Barnard’s ALI & AVA; PRAY, novelist Caleb Azumah Nelson’s debut short as a director; THE END WE START FROM, the debut feature of Mahalia Belo, written by Alice Birch and starring Jodie Comer; and THE OUTRUN directed by Nora Fingscheidt, based on the best-selling memoir by Amy Liptrot (which Fingscheidt adapted in collaboration with Liptrot) and starring Saoirse Ronan.

Prior to BBC Film, Claudia was Head of Development at Number 9Films where she oversaw the film and television slate. Claudia was previously Talent Development Executive at the Scottish Film Network, part of BFI NETWORK, where she established several new short film programmes and first feature talent development initiatives, and commissioned a series of shorts and first feature developments, working with emerging filmmakers including Ruth Paxton, Cara Connolly, Morayo Akande, and Ben Sharrock. She has an MFA in film from Columbia University, where she received the Hollywood Foreign Press Association scholarship.

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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 2025, and the recipient of the £20,000 Fellowship will be announced at a live Award Ceremony in February 2025, with all shortlisted artists awarded £1,000.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram, Twitter 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 Designers and Fellow.

We are thrilled to share that the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 for Design Jury Members are:

Sarah Douglas 

Sarah Douglas is a consultant at the Steve Jobs Archive, an agent for Martino Gamper, and an advisor to brands and cultural institutions. She was previously at Wallpaper* for 16 years as Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director, and prior to that Art Editor at The Architects’ Journal. Sarah is committed to supporting the next generation of creative talent, has hosted talks and panel discussions around the world, and judged numerous international design competitions including the London Design Medal. 

Satoshi Isono

Satoshi is Creative Director of Universal Design Studio, an architecture and interior design studio based in London and New York.  Satoshi heads up Universal Design Studio’s New York studio and has overseen award-winning projects in the retail, innovation and cultural realm. Satoshi has over a decade of teaching experience, and was most recently shaping the next generation  of the Architecture Masters Programme at the Royal College of Art.

Prof. Adrian Lahoud

Prof. Adrian Lahoud is Dean, School of Architecture and Fellow at the Royal College of Art. He sits on the board of the Architecture Foundation, Design Museum Future Observatory, New Architecture Writers, the Arabic cultural platform Ma3azef, and was Convenor and Co-Chair of the Rights of Future Generation Working Group. Prior to his role at RCA, he was director of the MA programme at the Centre for Research Architecture, Goldsmiths and Studio Master in the Projective Cities MPhil in Architecture and Urban Design at the Architectural Association. In 2019 he curated the inaugural Sharjah Architecture Triennial, the first major international platform for architecture and urbanism in the global south. His research work is focused on architecture and urbanism in the global south.

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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 Design Award Shortlist will be revealed in January 2025, and the recipient of the £20,000 Fellowship will be announced at a live Award Ceremony in February 2025, with all Shortlisted Artists awarded £1,000.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram, Twitter 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 2025 for Dance Jury Members are:

Holly Blakey

Holly Blakey is a Choreographer / Director whose work straddles the worlds of live performance and film. Interweaving live and commercial contexts, much of her practice often plays on the relationship between these distinct but not wholly separable worlds. Blakey’s work as a Director and Choreographer has featured collaborations with music artists and fashion houses such as Burberry, Dior, Gucci, Rosalia, Harry Styles and Florence and the Machine. 

Blakey presented ‘Cowpuncher My Ass’ (2020), a sequel to the previous world premiere (2018), costumed by Vivienne Westwood and scored by Mica Levi. The show and its sequels ran for five years, closing to a sold out Royal Festival Hall with accompaniment from a twenty piece string orchestra from London Contemporary Orchestra. Holly is currently developing a new live work, A Wound With Teeth to be premiered in 2026.

Sir Wayne McGregor CBE

Sir Wayne McGregor CBE is a British choreographer and director. He is Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor, a creative nexus that pushes the frontiers of physical intelligence through dance, design and technology. Wayne’s work is rooted in dance, yet encompasses a variety of genres including technology, visual art, film, opera and education, as well as Company Wayne McGregor, his own touring company of dancers. Wayne is Resident Choreographer at The Royal Ballet, the first and only choreographer from a contemporary dance background to be invited into the role, as well as Professor of Choreography at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. McGregor’s work has earned him a multitude of awards including two Time Out Awards, two Olivier Awards, a Prix Benois de la Danse and two Golden Mask awards. 

Wayne is also an Ambassador of the Arts Foundation and a past Fellow in Choreography, 1994.

Freddie Opoku-Addaie

Freddie Opoku-Addaie is an International award-winning Dance Artist/Curator/Lecturer. Freddie was Guest Programmer for Dance Umbrella during a three-year initiative from 2016-2019. His Out Of The System programme presented exhilarating work by dance practitioners from the UK and abroad. Freddie is founder, director and CEO of ‘SystemsLAB’ (2016), a platform that offers slack-time for multi-faceted, mid-career artists, invaluable in raising important questions about contemporary dance within and beyond the western cannon, its framing and voices within the industry. Freddie Opoku-Addaie is Artistic Director and co-CEO at Dance Umbrella – London’s International annual dance Festival.

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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 Dance Award Shortlist will be revealed in January 2025, and the recipient of the £20,000 Fellowship will be announced at a live Award Ceremony in February 2025, with all Shortlisted Artists awarded £1,000.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram, Twitter 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.

The Arts Foundation is delighted to announce the fifth award category of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 is Visual Art!

The award supports artists working across a broad range of visual art and interdisciplinary art form practices, including, painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture and artist moving image. 

The recipient of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 for Visual Art will receive an unconditional £20,000 Fellowship, with all three Shortlisted Artists awarded £1,000. 

In the coming weeks, we look forward to announcing this year’s independent Jury of artists and industry professionals! Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn for all the latest awards news and updates.

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

If you’d like to discuss press and media opportunities for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk

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

The Arts Foundation is so pleased to announce the fourth award category of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 is Theatre!

The award champions theatre designers developing extraordinary sets or production designs for theatrical presentation.

The recipient of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 for Theatre will receive an unconditional £20,000 Fellowship, with all three Shortlisted Creatives awarded £1,000. 

In the coming weeks, we look forward to announcing this year’s independent Jury of artists and industry professionals! 

The award is generously supported in partnership with The David Collins Foundation, with development support from The Maria Björnson Memorial Fund.

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram, Twitter, 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 2025, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk

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

The Arts Foundation is happy to announce the third award category of the next edition of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 is Film!

This Film Award supports film directors working in any genre of fiction filmmaking, focusing on independent and inventive storytellers.

The recipient of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 for Film will receive an unconditional £20,000 Fellowship, with all three Shortlisted Filmmakers awarded £1,000. 

In the coming weeks, we look forward to announcing this year’s independent Jury of creatives and industry professionals. 

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram, Twitter, 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 2025, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk

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

The Arts Foundation is thrilled to announce the second award category of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 is Design!

The Design Award champions contemporary designers with a focus on sustainability working across a broad range of disciplines, from product, material or industrial design to architectural practices.

Building on our historic support for material innovation and regenerative design practices, the award supports designers pushing the boundaries of possibility and design’s capacity for transformative change in the context of the climate crisis. 

The recipient of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 for Design will receive an unconditional £20,000 Fellowship, with all three Shortlisted Designers awarded £1,000. 

In the coming weeks, we look forward to announcing this year’s independent Jury of industry professionals. 

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram, Twitter, 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 2025, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk

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

The Arts Foundation is excited to announce the first award category of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 is Dance.

The Dance Award supports choreographers who are expanding the medium of choreography and developing original works.

The recipient of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 for Dance will receive an unconditional £20,000 Fellowship, with all three Shortlisted Artists awarded £1,000. 

In the coming weeks, we look forward to announcing this year’s independent Jury of artists and industry professionals. 

Follow the Arts Foundation on Instagram, Twitter 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 2025, please contact us: press@artsfoundation.co.uk

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

The Arts Foundation is thrilled to announce a significant increase to our Fellowship Award – Doubling the amount from £10,000 to £20,000 – with Total Annual Grants of £115,000 – to Support Independent Artists in response to the Cost of Living Crisis.

The decision to raise the fellowship award amount underscores the foundation’s ongoing commitment to nurturing and supporting independent artists and creatives across the UK, providing them with the financial freedom to pursue their creative development and realise their artistic potential at a pivotal moment in their careers.

We have taken this important step to ensure our work continues to have the same life-changing impact and responds to inflation, the ongoing cost of living crisis and low artist income precarity experienced across the contemporary arts in the UK.

Our Director, Mary Jane Edwards said: 

“We are delighted to announce this critical development to double the Fellowship Award, as we recognise the growing financial pressures facing independent artists today. This increase is not only about providing more funding; it’s about affirming our belief in the transformative power of the arts and the critical role that artists and creatives play in society. The legacy of the foundation’s work is clear, with past fellows often going on to establish genre-defining practices that resonate for years to come – but as with all extraordinary artistic endeavours, this can only be achieved with tangible financial investment and the time and space to take risks, today.” 

Since its inception in 1993, the charity has offered financial support to a diverse range of artistic practitioners through its fellowship programme, the Arts Foundation Futures Awards, including those in disciplines that often lack support from traditional funding avenues. The increase in the fellowship award will see the foundation become one of the UK’s largest unconditional funders of individual artists, unique in its support across art forms – from Dance, Design, Film, Literature, Music, and Theatre to Visual Art.

Filmmaker Asif Kapadia who is an Ambassador and past Film Directing Fellow (2001) of the Arts Foundation said:

“I was fortunate enough to be awarded the Fellowship for Film Directing way back in 2001 when I had just directed my first feature film. The award had a real, profound impact on me. It gave me both security and confidence, but more critically, it gave me the opportunity to think, I wasn’t forced to find another project, I could take my time and work out what I truly wanted to do next, which I feel helped me form a career over the long term. This type of patient, no-strings-attached funding is so scarce in the UK, it’s really a miracle.  I particularly love the diverse range of creatives the Arts Foundation supports each year, this is what makes the Arts Foundation unique and special.  I feel this award is needed more than ever as the arts and artists are under attack, they need support. I’m really proud to be a past Fellow, and I think it’s fantastic to see the Art Foundation increase its award of independent artists in this vital way.”

Read the full Press Release online here.

For Media Enquiries: Dennis Chang, Bolton & Quinn: dennis@boltonquinn.com

For General Enquiries, Partnerships and Award Sponsorship opportunities please contact, Mary Jane Edwards: info@artsfoundation.co.uk

Bassist and composer Daniel Casimir (Jazz Composition Fellow, 2024) launches his third studio album, ‘Balance’, this July.

The album pays homage to the traditions of big band composition and historical significance whilst illustrating contemporary sensibilities, with Daniel’s signature combination of Classical, Jazz and cinematic sounds. Find out more about the album and order from Friday over on Bandcamp.

If you can’t wait, you can listen to BBC Radio 3’s ‘Daniel Casimir’s 4/4’, which features tracks from his upcoming album as well as Daniel discussing his inspirational tracks with Nubya Garcia.