The Fenton Arts Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £148,000 (2023-24)
• Success Rate: 8-10% (60-80 applications considered in detail from 300-400 received; 25-30 grants awarded)
• Decision Time: Minimum 6 months
• Grant Range: £1,500 - £6,000 (average £5,000)
• Geographic Focus: United Kingdom
• Number of Grants: 25-30 per year

Contact Details

• Website: www.fentonartstrust.org.uk
• Email: Available via website contact form
• Phone: 07415 525956
• Address: London (registered charity)
• Charity Number: 294629

Overview

The Fenton Arts Trust was established in 1986 by Shu-Yao Fenton, an architect and town planner, in memory of her husband Colin, a passionate supporter of literature and the arts. Following Shu-Yao's death in 2000, a substantial portion of her estate passed to the Trust. The charity's annual giving of approximately £148,000 supports 25-30 beneficiaries each year through grants averaging £5,000. The Trust's mission is to “give encouragement and financial support to those actively contributing to the creative arts in the U.K.,” with a particular emphasis on artists at the beginning of their professional careers. The Trust has been strengthened by bequests from Alastair Graham-Bryce (2012) and Pat Thompson (2018), reflecting its enduring commitment to nurturing emerging artistic talent across all creative disciplines.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Small Grants Programme: £1,500 - £6,000 (typically under £5,000; occasional higher awards up to £6,000)
• Rolling application process with three annual decision points (Spring, Summer, Autumn)
• Applications received after late June unlikely to be funded in current financial year (April-March)
• Most funds typically committed by the Summer meeting

Priority Areas

Artistic Disciplines Supported:

• Drama and theatre
• Painting and visual arts
• Sculpture
• Dance
• Music
• Poetry and spoken word
• Architecture

Primary Focus:

• Artists at the beginning of their professional careers
• Individual works, activities, performances, or prizes
• Projects that advance the creative arts in the UK
• Support from individuals, groups, companies, or institutions

Key Criterion: Applicants must have already made a professional entry into the arts (no longer in training).

What They Don't Fund

• Academic study or tuition fees
• Individual's education or initial professional training
• Final year or post-graduate scholarships and bursaries via educational institutions
• Educational or community participation projects
• Medical or wellbeing initiatives
• Work outside the UK
• Travel or living expenses
• General production or staging costs
• Ongoing programme support

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

• Sue Davies-Scourfield (Chair)
• Paul Bayley
• Sue Logan
• Fiona Thompson
• Jeremy Whitton Spriggs
• Stephen Wilson

Trustees meet three times annually to consider applications and control the work, management, and administration of the charity. The Trust operates with no paid staff, keeping administration costs minimal to maximize grant-making capacity.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted via an online form on the Trust's website (fentonartstrust.org.uk/application-for-funding/).

Mandatory Application Components:

• CV (for individual applicants)
• Optional supplementary documentation (maximum 4 files, 5MB total)

Critical Application Note: The Trust emphasizes that “your chances of being among those that are considered are greatly increased by checking carefully whether what you propose is actually something that we support.”

Decision Timeline

• Trustee Meetings: Three times per year (Spring, Summer, Autumn)
• Processing Time: Minimum 6 months from submission to decision and fund availability
• Budget Cycle: April-March financial year
• Key Deadline: Applications received after late June are unlikely to be funded within the current financial year
• Notification: Only successful applicants receive formal offer letters; unsuccessful candidates are not automatically notified to minimize administration costs

Success Rates

The Trust's application statistics reveal a highly competitive process:

• 300-400 applications received annually
• 60% immediate rejection due to insufficient information or proposals outside the Trust's scope
• 50% of remaining complete applications also rejected, often because they are “neither well considered nor clearly expressed”
• 60-80 applications (approximately 20%) considered in detail by Trustees
• 25-30 grants awarded annually
• Overall success rate: Approximately 8-10% of all applications

Reapplication Policy

The Trust does not publish a specific reapplication policy. Unsuccessful applicants are not automatically notified of rejection, and there is no stated restriction on reapplying. Applicants should ensure subsequent applications address the reasons for initial rejection (insufficient information, unclear expression, or misalignment with Trust priorities).

Application Success Factors

The Trust provides explicit guidance on what distinguishes successful from unsuccessful applications:

Primary Reasons for Rejection (from Trust guidance):

1. Insufficient Information (60% of applications): “Six out of ten fail immediately because the applicant has not provided sufficient information for the Trustees to make an informed decision”

1. Outside Scope (60% of applications): Proposals that fall outside "the limited scope of the Trust's work"

1. Poor Quality (50% of complete applications): Applications that are “neither well considered nor clearly expressed”

How to Succeed:

1. Alignment Check

The Trust explicitly states: “Your chances of being among those that are considered are greatly increased by checking carefully whether what you propose is actually something that we support.” Review the “What we do” page thoroughly before applying.

2. Complete Information

Provide comprehensive details in all sections of the application. The most common failure point is insufficient information for Trustees to make an informed decision.

3. Clarity and Consideration

Applications must be both “well considered and clearly expressed.” Use the 250-word project description effectively to articulate the project's merit and alignment with the Trust's mission.

4. Early Career Focus

Emphasize how the project supports artists at the beginning of their professional careers. This is a core priority expressed by founder Shu-Yao Fenton.

5. Strategic Timing

Apply early in the financial year (ideally before June) to ensure funds are still available. The Trust commits most of its annual budget by the Summer meeting.

Recent Funded Projects (2023-24 Examples):

• Annelise Bucher (Dance): £1,500 for “Relay”, a dance performance
• Apples & Snakes (Performance/Poetry): £5,000 for “Future Voices”, a development programme for 40 emerging spoken word poets
• Ardent Theatre Company (Theatre): £5,000 for performance fees supporting 8 actors from outside London facing socio-economic barriers
• Art in Perpetuity Trust (Visual Art): £6,000 for mentoring 4 art graduates with free studios and exhibition opportunities
• Arthur Keegan (Music): £2,460 to support an album celebrating Thomas Hardy
• English National Opera: £4,500 for professional playing and singing fellowships for musicians from diverse backgrounds

These examples demonstrate funding for: early career artist support, diversity and access initiatives, professional development opportunities, and specific artistic outputs.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Plan ahead: With a minimum 6-month decision timeline and most funds committed by Summer, apply early (ideally before June for same-year funding)
• Alignment is critical: 60% of applications fail immediately because they're outside scope or lack information. Review eligibility carefully before applying
• Quality over quantity: With only 8-10% success rate, invest time in a “well considered and clearly expressed” application
• Early career focus: Emphasize how the project supports artists at the beginning of their professional careers—this is central to the Trust's mission
• Be comprehensive: Provide complete information in all application sections. Insufficient detail is the primary reason for immediate rejection
• No news is bad news: Only successful applicants are notified, so absence of response within 6 months likely indicates rejection
• Small but strategic: Average grants are £5,000, so request appropriate amounts and demonstrate how this level of funding will make a meaningful difference to an emerging artist's career

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• The Arts Council of England
• National Lottery Heritage Fund
• Garfield Weston Foundation
• The Idlewild Trust
• The Arts Foundation
• JOHN LYON'S CHARITY
• THE ZOCHONIS CHARITABLE TRUST
• Backstage Trust
• THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITY
• THE CHILDHOOD TRUST
• OGLESBY CHARITABLE TRUST
• The Kirby Laing Foundation
• The Wolfson Foundation
• The Aziz Foundation
• The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
• The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation
• Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund
• National Lottery
• THE FOYLE FOUNDATION
• THE BEAVERBROOKS CHARITABLE TRUST

References

• The Fenton Arts Trust official website: www.fentonartstrust.org.uk
• “Applying for a Grant” page
• “What we do” page
• “Application for Funding” page
• “Beneficiaries 2023-2024” page
• “The Foundation of the Trust and its Benefactors” page
• UK Charity Commission Register of Charities, Charity Number 294629
• 360Giving GrantNav database (GB-CHC-294629)
• Various third-party funder databases (Get Grants, Artquest, PAVO) confirming Trust information