The Frederick Ashton Foundation

Registered charity 1143433 · since 2011frederickashton.org.uk·International, United Kingdom·Updated 29 October 2026

Key takeaways

If your work centres on ballet or its allied arts, the foundation's stated aims fit, and it names vocational schools and universities wishing to stage Ashton's ballets as the recipients it considers for discretionary grants.
Neither its annual giving nor its grant range is stated, so do not assume a size for your request and base any ask on a specific staging or choreography project.
No application process is published in its annual report, register entry or website, so use the contact shown there to ask how to apply before you write a proposal.
Timing and how competitive its grants are are not stated, so ask about its decision cycle when you make contact.

Overview

The Frederick Ashton Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1143433).

The Frederick Ashton Foundation is a charity registered in England and Wales that exists to enrich the legacy of its namesake and his ballets, and to ensure his work continues to be performed around the world to a high standard. It was established as a new charitable organisation after The Ashton Trust was set up to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth. Its programmes include an international festival, work to rediscover rarely performed and lost works, masterclasses and events, collaborations with educational institutions, and new productions. Its grants have gone to vocational schools to support staging Ashton ballets, and to two schools for their choreographic programmes.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The foundation exists to enrich and preserve Frederick Ashton’s legacy and ensure his work continues to be performed around the world to a high standard. Its grants include support for vocational schools staging Ashton ballets and for ballet schools’ choreographic programmes, encouraging the next generation of choreographers. More broadly, it develops Ashton stagers, works with educational institutions to increase awareness of and access to Ashton’s ballets, and runs masterclasses and events. Its programmes also revive rarely performed or lost works, commission productions, and expand Ashton’s visibility in global ballet repertory. Its work centres on ballet and its allied arts, combining professional staging and training with public education and appreciation.

Themes

Ashton ballet staging
Choreographic programmes

Geographic Focus

United Kingdom; throughout the world.

How to apply

No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

The foundation identifies vocational schools and universities wishing to stage Ashton as recipients for discretionary grants.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

United Kingdom
International

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to The Frederick Ashton Foundation.

The Mackintosh FoundationNo public processGave £769k Genesis FoundationInvitation onlyGave £1.7M The Dow Clewer FoundationNo public processGave £297k Amant FoundationRollingGave £759k Maria Björnson Memorial FundRollingGave £598k The Dorfman FoundationRollingGave £401k Backstage TrustRollingGave £4.6M The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks FoundationInvitation onlyGave £638k The Material World FoundationNo public processGave £564k Gumball 3000 FoundationInvitation only

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 March 2021	£34,897	£16,000	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2021
year to 31 March 2022	£76,212	£104,151	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2022
year to 31 March 2023	£232,011	£87,470	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2023
year to 31 March 2024	£316,275	£149,792	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2024
year to 31 March 2025	£535,234	£349,469	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2025

— No grants figure for that year.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.