Skip to content
  • Menu
  • About PHF
    • Overview
    • COVID-19 Support
    • Paul Hamlyn
    • Strategy
    • People
    • Job & Consultancy Opportunities
  • Our work in the UK
    • Overview
    • Nurturing ideas and people
    • Arts access and participation
    • Education & learning through the arts
    • Investing in young people
    • Migration and integration
    • Evidence and learning
    • Playing our part
  • Our work in India
    • Overview
  • Publications
  • News
  • Apply for funding

Paul Hamlyn Foundation

https://www.phf.org.uk/programmes/breakthrough-fund/

Apply for funding
  • About PHF
    • Overview
    • COVID-19 Support
    • Paul Hamlyn
    • Strategy
    • People
    • Job & Consultancy Opportunities
  • Our work in the UK
    • Overview
    • Nurturing ideas and people
    • Arts access and participation
    • Education & learning through the arts
    • Investing in young people
    • Migration and integration
    • Evidence and learning
    • Playing our part
  • Our work in India
    • Overview
  • Publications
  • News
Breakthrough Fund
  • Home
  • Programmes
  • Breakthrough Fund
  • About the initiative

  • Process

  • 2018 awards

  • Evaluation

About the initiative

The Breakthrough Fund recognises that a vibrant arts ecology requires not only great artists, but also talented and visionary people with the drive and skills to make change happen. For over ten years the fund has supported exceptional individuals with a compelling and powerful vision to develop their thinking and ideas.

Taking a distinctive, deliberately responsive approach, we aim to offer transformational support that has the potential for game-changing developments – for the individual, their organisation, and the wider arts and cultural offer. Tailored support of this kind is increasingly scarce and it is our belief that it is much needed if individuals are to be given the opportunity to realise their full potential and make the most of their personal talent.

We identify individual grantees at a clear moment of potential breakthrough, through confidential nomination leading to a competitive application process, and then offer engaged and flexible multi-year backing. Support is paid to the organisation or company through which they pursue their Breakthrough plans.

In March 2018, the Breakthrough Fund announced its fifth cycle of awards since it launched in 2008, offering five new awards totalling £1,596,000, awarded to the most pressing and compelling amongst a field of 39 applications from across many areas of the arts. Prior to this, a total of 21 Breakthrough grants over the previous four cycles have totalled £5,562,252.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Related case studies

Natalie Abrahami and Carrie Cracknell

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £254,000

Find out more

David Agnew

A multi-year grant totalling £201,000

Find out more

Jimmy Akingbola and Fraser Ayres

A multi-year grant totalling £250,000 (London)

Find out more

Felix Barrett and Colin Marsh

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £320,000

Find out more

Maria Balshaw

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £260,000

Find out more

Stuart Bailie

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £284,795

Find out more

Tony Butler

Total Breakthrough support: £196,000

Find out more

Tom Chivers, Sam Hawkins and Marie McPartlin

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £141,000

Find out more

Helen Cole

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £278,000.

Find out more

Claire Doherty

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £320,000

Find out more

Gareth Evans

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £300,000

Find out more

Emma Jordan

A multi-year grant totalling £295,000 (Belfast)

Find out more

David Jubb

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £300,000

Find out more

Stewart Laing

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £308,000

Find out more

Matt Peacock

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £83,157

Find out more

Liz O’Neill

A multi-year grant totalling £255,000 (Manchester)

Find out more

Simon Pearce

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £295,000

Find out more

John Rostron

A multi-year grant totalling £300,000 (Cardiff)

Find out more

Nii Sackey

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £298,000

Find out more

Magdalena Schamberger

A multi-year grant totalling £282,000 (Edinburgh)

Find out more

Gavin Wade

Total Breakthrough Fund support: £360,000

Find out more
Work we've funded
Browse the database

Quick links

  • How to apply for funding
  • Information for grantees
  • Access Support
  • Publications
  • Latest news
  • Privacy Notice
  • Legal Notices

Links to other sites

  • ArtWorks
  • PHF Awards for Artists
  • Funding for Artists
  • Learning Away
  • Our Museum
  • Musical Futures
  • Right Here

Contact us

Paul Hamlyn Foundation
5–11 Leeke Street
London
WC1X 9HY

View on Google Maps

020 7812 3300

information@phf.org.uk

Connect

Sign up to our newsletter

© 2021 Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Design and development by Soapbox