Foundation increases funding for Visual Arts and Composers
The Paul Hamlyn Foundation Awards for Visual Arts and Composers are to be increased to £50,000 over three years.
The Foundation has also launched fundingforartists.org.uk, which lists other sources of funding for individual artists and composers. Both developments follow a review of the Awards scheme, which since 1994 has given over £3m to more than 100 individual artists.
The aim of the Awards is to support artists at critical moments in their careers, with no strings attached in terms of what is expected in return. The intention is simply to provide the financial freedom to develop their practice.
Kate Tyndall, an independent arts consultant who carried out the review for PHF, said: “Speaking to many former recipients of these Awards, it is clear that they make a huge difference to artists’ lives and practice. They are unique in the UK – and our research suggested internationally too. Not only do they offer more money than any other prize or award for individual artists here in the UK, but they also leave the artist entirely free to use the money as they decide will best support their work. It’s this combination that means the Awards have such a big impact for those who receive them and make them so highly valued and respected by artists. At a time when it is clearly becoming even harder financially for artists to pursue their work, it is fantastic to see PHF increase their contribution.”
Of the new online funding directory, Régis Cochefert, PHF Head of Arts, said: “Our awards scheme works through a process of peer nomination, but we often receive enquiries from individuals who want to apply. We hope that the mapping we undertook and our new website will be of value to visual artists and composers by pointing them to other sources of funding. We do not know of any other resource available at the moment that covers both the music and visual arts sectors so thoroughly.”
Previous visual art recipients include Angela de la Cruz, Ben Rivers, Melanie Gilligan, Ryan Gander, Gustav Metzger, Tomma Abts and Jeremy Deller. Recipients of the Awards for Composers include Jason Yarde, Emily Howard, Janek Schaefer and Luke Bedford.