The Incorporated Edwin Austin Abbey Memorial Scholarships

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £104,988
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: 4-5 months
• Grant Range: £4,500 - £11,250
• Geographic Focus: UK and US citizens/long-term residents

Contact Details

Website: www.abbey.org.uk

Email: apply@abbey.org.uk

Address: 7 St. Peter's Close, London

Overview

The Incorporated Edwin Austin Abbey Memorial Scholarships, established in 1926 by Gertrude Abbey in memory of her husband Edwin Austin Abbey RA, provides all-expenses-paid residencies for painters at the British School at Rome. With annual expenditure of approximately £105,000, the charity awards four prestigious residencies each year: three Abbey Fellowships (3-month residencies for mid-career artists) and one Abbey Scholarship (9-month residency for emerging artists). The awards honor Edwin Austin Abbey's interest in “the relationship between mural decoration and architecture” and have supported artists continuously since 1926. Notable recipients include Stephen Farthing, Chantal Joffe, and Spartacus Chetwynd. The organization emphasizes equality, diversity, and inclusion, particularly welcoming applications from underrepresented groups in the arts.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Abbey Scholarship (1 award annually)

• Duration: 9 months
• Stipend: £1,250 per month (£11,250 total)
• Target: Emerging artists
• Additional support: Jules de Goede Fund (£300 for materials/travel) + Rosa Lee Scholarship Fund (£100 travel grant)
• Application method: Annual deadline in mid-January

Abbey Fellowships (3 awards annually)

• Duration: 3 months
• Stipend: £1,500 per month (£4,500 total)
• Target: Mid-career artists
• Additional support: Jules de Goede Fund (£300 for materials/travel)
• Application method: Annual deadline in mid-January

All Awards Include:

• Spacious, live-in studio at the British School at Rome
• Shared communal meals
• Accommodation and utilities
• Access to BSR's vibrant interdisciplinary community

Priority Areas

• Painting and expanded field practices (including sculpture, performance, textiles)
• Artists seeking focused creative development
• Interdisciplinary engagement with BSR's intellectual community
• UK and US artistic talent engaging with Rome's visual richness

What They Don't Fund

• Artists who are not UK or US citizens or long-term residents
• Artists whose primary practice is outside painting and related expanded field practices
• Projects that do not benefit from a Rome-based residency
• Commercial or purely academic research projects

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Governance and Leadership

Chair: Danny Rolph (appointed June 2023)

Vice-Chair: Bernice Donszelmann (also Abbey Fellow 2004)

Administrator: Megan Watkins

Abbey Council Members: Peter Brades RIBA, Sacha Craddock, Catrin Huber, Susannah Hyman, Paul Huxley RA, Vanessa Jackson RA, Eddie Peake, Anne Ryan, Martin Westwood

The charity operates with 11 trustees, none receiving remuneration, as a charitable company limited by guarantee.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications open each October through abbey.org.uk/abbey-awards

Required Materials:

• 8 images of recent work
• Completed Application Form
• Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
• Application fee: £25 (waivers available for those on means-tested benefits)

Submission: Via WeTransfer to apply@abbey.org.uk

Decision Timeline

• Applications Open: October
• Deadline: Mid-January (12pm GMT)
• Winners Announced: May
• Residencies Begin: Autumn following announcement

Success Rates

With only 4 awards given annually, the competition is highly selective. Specific application numbers are not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

No restrictions on reapplication are published. Unsuccessful applicants may reapply in subsequent years.

Application Success Factors

Key Selection Criteria:

• Potential impact on creative development
• Compatibility with BSR facilities
• Evidence of community contribution and interdisciplinary engagement
• Post-education status receives credit

What Makes Applications Stand Out:

• Clear articulation of how Rome specifically will benefit the artist's practice
• Strong portfolio of 8 recent works
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for interdisciplinary exchange
• Evidence of readiness to engage with BSR's intellectual community
• For expanded field artists: clear connection to painting practice

Organization Priorities:

• “Credit will be given to those who are no longer in full- or part-time education”
• “Particularly welcomes applications from underrepresented groups”
• Seeks artists who will "actively contribute to the BSR's vibrant intellectual community"

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Highly competitive: With only 4 awards annually, ensure your application clearly demonstrates why this residency is essential for your practice at this moment
• Rome-specific benefit required: Articulate specifically how Rome's “visual richness and layered history” will benefit your work
• Community engagement crucial: Selection considers artistic merit alongside enthusiasm for interdisciplinary exchange
• Expanded field welcomed: Sculpture, performance, textiles, and other approaches are explicitly welcomed within painting practice
• Choose correct career stage: Apply for Fellowship (mid-career) or Scholarship (emerging) appropriately
• Financial accessibility: Fee waivers available for those on means-tested benefits
• Prestigious award: Alumni include major figures like Chantal Joffe and Spartacus Chetwynd

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• SARABANDE
• Artists Futures Fund
• The Elephant Trust
• The Fenton Arts Trust
• The South Square Trust
• The Freelands Foundation Limited
• The Arts Foundation
• The British Society of Aesthetics
• The Bridget Riley Art Foundation
• The De Laszlo Foundation

References

• Abbey Awards page: https://abbey.org.uk/abbey-awards
• Abbey Council page: https://abbey.org.uk/abbey-council
• Award Holders page: https://abbey.org.uk/the-british-school-at-rome

• https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/about-the-register-of-charities/-/charity-details/269697

• https://bsr.ac.uk/awards-residencies-fine-arts/abbey-awards/

1. Companies House, “INCORPORATED EDWIN AUSTIN ABBEY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS LIMITED - Company Number 00212824”

• https://anne.art/opportunities/abbey-awards-2025-2026/