The Foundation Foundation

Charity Number: 1180372

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M
Geographic Focus: Norfolk, Camden

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Quick Stats

  • Registered Charity Number: 1180372
  • Annual Giving: £169,846 (year ending January 2025)
  • Total Income: £173,362
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: London (Camden) and Norfolk
  • Application Method: No public application process
  • Accepts Unsolicited Applications: No

Contact Details

Address: 15-23 Vale Royal, London, N7 9AP

Email: admin-work@antonygormley.com

Phone: 020 7697 2180

High House Artists Residency Website: https://highhouseartistresidency.com/

Overview

The Foundation Foundation was registered as a charitable company on 19 October 2018 (Company Number: 08861248). Founded by renowned sculptor Sir Antony Gormley, creator of the Angel of the North, the charity seeks to enhance the public's understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of art through grants to art institutions, residencies for emerging artists, and provision of studio space. With an annual expenditure of approximately £170,000, the Foundation supports art students and recent graduates through institutional grants and artist residencies in Norfolk's countryside. The charity also has provisions to curate the studios, archives, and works of art by Antony Gormley and Vicken Parsons following Gormley's death. The Foundation is governed by 5 trustees, none of whom receive remuneration, and is recognized by HMRC for gift aid purposes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation Foundation operates two primary funding mechanisms:

Institutional Grants: Provides grants to Central Saint Martin's School of Art for supporting art students and professional development of recent graduates.

High House Artists Residency: Offers fully funded residencies to graduates of Norwich University of the Arts at Antony Gormley's West Acre High House estate in Norfolk. The residency program allows artists to develop their practice while immersed in the natural environment of the Norfolk countryside. Artists receive studio space and time to focus on their creative work.

Studio Space Provision: The Foundation provides arts education and workshop facilities, including studio space, to art students at college and university level and to artists who have recently graduated.

Priority Areas

  • Advancement of art and education in the arts
  • Professional development for emerging artists and recent graduates
  • Support for early-career artists' first exhibitions in museums or public galleries
  • Provision of studio and workshop facilities for artistic practice
  • Arts education initiatives

What They Don't Fund

Based on the charity's stated objectives and activities, The Foundation Foundation does not fund:

  • Individual artists outside their established institutional partnerships
  • Organizations beyond their designated beneficiaries (Central Saint Martins and Norwich University of the Arts)
  • Projects unrelated to visual arts
  • Artists who are not recent graduates or current students
  • International projects outside the UK
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Governance and Leadership

The Foundation Foundation is governed by 5 trustees who serve without remuneration. Key trustees include:

Sir Antony Gormley OBE: Renowned British sculptor, creator of iconic works including the Angel of the North, Another Place, and Event Horizon. Gormley was awarded the Turner Prize in 1994 and has exhibited extensively in major museums worldwide. His commitment to supporting emerging artists is reflected in his statement regarding exhibitions in Shanghai, where he acknowledged: “This is a lovely opportunity [for me], but I am hoping this is a catalyst for more work from Chinese artists being given this kind of attention... I should get out of here and it should be filled by people who speak the language of the nation or the location.” This philosophy of making space for emerging artists underpins The Foundation Foundation's mission.

Richard Edward Ion Calvocoressi CBE: Distinguished British museum curator and art historian. Calvocoressi served as assistant keeper of modern art at the Tate Gallery (1979-1987), director of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh (1987-2007), and director of the Henry Moore Foundation. As of 2015, he became a senior curator at Gagosian Gallery. His extensive experience in major arts institutions brings significant expertise to the Foundation's governance.

The charity operates with 4 volunteers and has no trading subsidiaries.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Foundation Foundation does not have a public application process. Grants are awarded through pre-established institutional partnerships rather than open application.

For Institutional Grants: The Foundation makes grants directly to Central Saint Martin's School of Art. Individual students or artists cannot apply directly to the Foundation; support is administered through the institution.

For High House Artists Residency: Residencies are specifically designated for graduates of Norwich University of the Arts. The selection process appears to be managed through the university or by invitation. While the High House Artists Residency has a website (highhouseartistresidency.com), specific application procedures are not publicly detailed.

For Other Support: The Foundation operates primarily through trustee discretion, identifying beneficiaries through existing relationships in the arts sector rather than through open calls for applications.

In 2024-2025, Gormley attempted to expand the Foundation's public-facing activities by proposing to acquire Hexham's old fire station for his charity, which would have included “a gallery for the display of my works, which could also be made available to other artists for one exhibition a year” and specifically support "emerging artists' first exhibitions in a museum or public gallery." However, this proposal was rejected by Northumberland County Council and withdrawn in late 2025.

Getting on Their Radar

While The Foundation Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the following funder-specific intelligence may be relevant:

Institutional Connections: The Foundation has established relationships with specific arts education institutions - Central Saint Martins School of Art and Norwich University of the Arts. Being affiliated with these institutions as a student or recent graduate is currently the primary pathway to accessing Foundation support.

Hexham Studio Connection: Sir Antony Gormley opened a studio on Haugh Lane in Hexham 20 years ago and has maintained connections to the Northumberland arts community. His stated aspiration was for “a new era of public-facing activity” in Hexham, though recent plans for this were withdrawn.

Norfolk Location: The High House estate in West Acre, Norfolk, serves as both Gormley's home and the site of the residency program. Gormley purchased the 100-acre estate (High House, West Acre) with plans to develop it into a permanent sculpture park and educational facility similar to the Henry Moore Foundation.

Board Connections: With trustees including Richard Calvocoressi CBE, who has extensive connections across major UK galleries and the Henry Moore Foundation, relationships within the UK museum and gallery sector may be relevant for future opportunities as the Foundation evolves.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no public application process exists. Grants and residencies are awarded through trustee discretion and institutional partnerships.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to the absence of a public application process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

As The Foundation Foundation does not have a public application process, traditional “success factors” do not apply. However, the following factors are relevant for those hoping to benefit from the Foundation's support:

Institutional Affiliation: Connection to Central Saint Martins School of Art or Norwich University of the Arts as a current student or recent graduate is essential for accessing Foundation support through existing grant programs and residencies.

Early-Career Focus: The Foundation's documented purpose emphasizes supporting “artists who have recently graduated from college or university” and enabling "emerging artists' first exhibitions in a museum or public gallery." The Foundation targets artists at the beginning of their professional practice.

Visual Arts Practice: The Foundation specifically advances visual arts rather than other artistic disciplines. Gormley's own practice as a sculptor suggests particular interest in three-dimensional and installation work, though the Foundation supports diverse visual arts practices.

Commitment to Artistic Development: The High House residency program is designed for “artists who want to develop their practice and immerse themselves in the natural environment,” suggesting value placed on intensive creative development and engagement with the Norfolk landscape.

Future Public-Facing Activities: Gormley's withdrawn proposal for Hexham fire station indicated aspirations to support emerging artists' museum and public gallery exhibitions, suggesting the Foundation's future direction may include more public-facing programs, though these plans are currently on hold.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This is not a funder that accepts unsolicited grant applications. All funding flows through pre-established institutional partnerships.
  • Institutional Pathways Only: Access to Foundation support requires affiliation with Central Saint Martins School of Art or Norwich University of the Arts as a current student or recent graduate.
  • Early-Career Focus: The Foundation specifically targets emerging artists and recent graduates rather than mid-career or established artists.
  • Trustee-Directed Funding: With only 5 trustees and no public application mechanism, all funding decisions are made at trustee discretion through existing relationships.
  • Limited Scope but Committed Support: While the Foundation's reach is narrow (annual giving under £170,000 to specific institutions), it provides meaningful support including fully funded residencies and studio space.
  • Potential for Evolution: Gormley's stated ambitions to create a Henry Moore Foundation-style institution and support first exhibitions suggest the Foundation may expand its public programs in the future, though recent setbacks in Hexham indicate this expansion is not imminent.
  • Geographic Concentration: Activities center on London (Camden) for institutional grants and Norfolk for residencies, with historical connections to Hexham/Northumberland through Gormley's studio.

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