The International Anthony Burgess Foundation

Registered charity 1102623 · since 2004anthonyburgess.org·England, Wales·Updated 31 October 2026

Key takeaways

The Foundation's stated interests are literature and classical music across all art-forms, and it makes project grants to scholars and artists and works with schools and community groups, so an organisation whose work sits in those areas or in educational activity is the best fit to consider.
The annual report gives no grants figure and no grant range is stated, so it would be sensible to ask the Foundation what size of request suits before shaping a budget.
Its only published process is for travel grants: send an outline of up to 500 words, a full breakdown of estimated costs and the names and contact details of two academic referees, with no formal form required.
Travel grants are not open to applicants who are not normally working at postgraduate level or above, so those applicants should not apply for them.
No deadlines are stated, and how competitive the funding is or whether relationships matter is not known.

Overview

The International Anthony Burgess Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1102623).

The Foundation is an independent educational charity, established by the founder's widow, that encourages and supports public and scholarly interest in all aspects of the life and work of the writer it is named for. It makes educational and project grants to scholars and artists, and it also makes travel grants and bursaries to students pursuing relevant postgraduate research. Its wider work includes publications, research projects, public events, new creative work and the preservation and promotion of the Burgess archive.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Foundation encourages public and scholarly interest in all aspects of Anthony Burgess’s life and work. It supports activities across all art-forms, with particular reference to twentieth- and twenty-first-century literature and classical music. It makes educational and project grants to scholars and artists, as well as travel grants and bursaries for students undertaking relevant postgraduate research. Its creative work includes collaborations with composers, musicians and theatre-makers. It also works with schools, colleges, theatres and community groups in Greater Manchester and elsewhere in the United Kingdom on educational events and activities. Alongside this support, the Foundation presents publications, research projects, public events and new work, and preserves and promotes the Burgess archive.

Themes

Literature
Classical music

What they don't fund

Travel grants only: Applicants who are not normally working at postgraduate level or above

How to apply

For the travel grants, applicants provide an outline of the research, a full breakdown of estimated project costs, and the names and contact details of two academic referees; there is no formal application form.

Who can apply:

Travel grants: Applicants will normally be working at postgraduate level or above.

What to send:

Travel grants
- An outline (up to 500 words) of the research to be undertaken
- A full breakdown of estimated costs for the project
- The name and contact details of two academic referees

Where they fund

Registered area of operation (Charity Commission)

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to The International Anthony Burgess Foundation.

The Graham Kirkham FoundationRollingGave £275k Science Museum FoundationNo public processGave £3.5M Noël Coward FoundationFixed deadlinesGave £295k T. S. Eliot FoundationNo public processGave £642k The De Laszlo FoundationNo public processGave £1.4M Fort FoundationNo public processGave £1.2M The Duncan Wordsworth FoundationNo public processGave £43,257 Stolkin FoundationRollingGave £385k The Opera Awards FoundationInvitation only The Dr Mortimer and Theresa Sackler FoundationRollingGave £305k

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 December 2020	£410,756	£365,232	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2020
year to 31 December 2021	£416,884	£404,330	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2021
year to 31 December 2022	£346,220	£388,358	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2022
year to 31 December 2023	£362,401	£350,022	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2023
year to 31 December 2024	£349,332	£350,899	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2024

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.