Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust

Charity Number: 1081760

Annual Expenditure: £0.4M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: ~£370,000 (2024: £374,569 expenditure)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: £600 - £27,000+ (artist residency to drawing prize total awards)
  • Geographic Focus: London Borough of Tower Hamlets and surrounding boroughs (East London)

Contact Details

  • Address: Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust, 64 Orchard Place, London E14 0JW
  • Phone: 01onal273846328
  • Website: No dedicated website; information via www.trinitybuoywharf.com
  • Email: Not publicly listed
  • Drawing Prize Enquiries: Parker Harris (Project Manager) - 020 3653 0891

Overview

Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust was established in 1998 by the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) with a 125-year lease to hold the historic Trinity Buoy Wharf site in trust for the people of London. The Trust's charitable objects focus on promoting the arts and public education in the arts within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and surrounding boroughs.

The Trust operates on a unique funding model: it receives 25% of the Wharf's rental income from Urban Space Management, which manages the site under a 124-year lease. This arrangement has generated approximately ten times the amount that might have been raised by a commercial sale of the site in 1997. Annual income has ranged from £266,000 to £372,000 in recent years, with expenditure between £181,000 and £474,000 depending on grant commitments.

The Trust achieves its objectives by grant-aiding individual artists and arts organisations that would be unable to undertake specific activities without financial support, as well as supporting physical projects at Trinity Buoy Wharf.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize (Major annual commitment since 2018)

  • First Prize: £8,000
  • Second Prize: £5,000
  • Student Award: £2,000
  • Working Drawing Award: £2,000
  • Total awards: £27,000 annually (including £10,000 Evelyn Williams Drawing Award supported separately)

Artist in Residence Programme

  • Free ground floor workspace/studio for 6 months
  • £600 materials and insurance budget
  • Exhibition opportunity at end of residency
  • Open call selection process

Multi-Year Institutional Grants

  • Royal Drawing School/Prince's Foundation Foundation Year (3-year funding commitment)
  • Education and events programmes subsidies

Project-Based Grants (examples from Trust records)

  • Weekend invigilation for Longplayer at the Lighthouse
  • Bursaries for Prince's Foundation Diploma Year
  • Sponsorship for The Big Draw arts charity
  • Workshop programmes (e.g., Hussain Manawer's Compulsory Subjects)
  • Sound art commissions (e.g., “Listen To The Line” by Larry Achiampong on Emirates Air Line cable car)

Priority Areas

  • Visual arts, particularly drawing and contemporary art practice
  • Arts education and public engagement
  • Creative industries development in East London
  • Site-specific and installation art
  • Artist development and career support
  • Arts infrastructure at Trinity Buoy Wharf

What They Don't Fund

  • Projects outside Tower Hamlets and surrounding East London boroughs
  • Non-arts related activities
  • Activities that don't serve public benefit in arts education
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Governance and Leadership

Chair

Kenneth Eric Correll Sorensen (appointed 18 July 2013)

  • Also Chair of Royal Docks Trust (London)
  • Chief Executive by occupation

Trustees

| Name | Appointed | Notable Background |

|------|-----------|-------------------|

| Piers Gough CBE RA | 10 March 1998 | Renowned architect |

| Denise Jones | 10 March 1998 | Owner/Director Brick Lane Bookshop; Former Leader of Tower Hamlets Council; Hon. Doctorate UEL; Trustee of Rich Mix, Young V&A |

| Cynthia Jamela Rosemary Grant | 17 November 1997 | Founding trustee |

| Jennifer Catherine Coe | 12 November 2004 | |

| Sara Alexandra O'Reilly | 15 April 2009 | |

| Paul Martin Brickell Dr | 14 January 2014 | |

| David Richards | 9 May 2023 | |

| Phillip Martin Smith | 7 September 2023 | |

Key Relationship

Urban Space Management - managed by Eric Reynolds (founding director) who oversees the Wharf's development. Reynolds was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Regeneration by Regeneration & Renewal in 2012 and is Chair of SAVE Britain's Heritage.

No trustees receive remuneration. The Trust does not employ staff; administration is managed by consultants under trustee direction.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a publicly advertised general grants application process.

Grants appear to be awarded through:

  • Trustee discretion and existing relationships
  • Specific programme partnerships (e.g., Drawing Prize with Drawing Projects UK/Parker Harris)
  • Invitation-based support for organisations connected to Trinity Buoy Wharf
  • Open calls for specific opportunities (Artist in Residence)

For specific programmes:

  • Artist in Residence: Annual open call announced on Trinity Buoy Wharf website
  • Drawing Prize: Submissions through Drawing Projects UK (separate organisation managing the prize)

Getting on Their Radar

The Trust's grants are closely connected to the Trinity Buoy Wharf creative community and East London arts ecosystem. Based on documented funding patterns:

  • Trinity Buoy Wharf Connection: Many funded projects have direct relationships with the Wharf site (tenants include English National Opera, The Big Draw, The King's Foundation)
  • Local Authority Links: Strong connections to Tower Hamlets arts infrastructure; trustee Denise Jones was a councillor for 28 years and former council Leader
  • Drawing Prize Network: Funded recipients often emerge from the Drawing Prize community
  • Site-Specific Proposals: The Trust supports physical projects at Trinity Buoy Wharf itself

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. The Trust meets regularly to manage affairs.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly documented.

Application Success Factors

Based on the Trust's documented funding patterns and priorities:

Geographic Alignment is Essential

  • Projects must benefit Tower Hamlets or surrounding East London boroughs
  • Site-specific work at Trinity Buoy Wharf has strong track record of support

Types of Projects Funded

  • Recent Drawing Prize winners demonstrate preference for innovative approaches to traditional media
  • 2024 First Prize (Max L Adams): Steel wire sculptural drawing exploring British studio pottery
  • 2023 First Prize (Jeanette Barnes): Architectural drawing of urban development
  • 2025 First Prize (Olivia Rowland): “I am Destroy” - contemporary practice

Institutional Partnerships

  • Multi-year commitments to established organisations (Royal Drawing School, Prince's Foundation)
  • Preference for enabling activities that wouldn't happen without support

Public Benefit Focus

  • Education programmes consistently supported
  • Public access and engagement prioritised
  • The Trust subsidises ticket costs for drawing prize education events

Artist Development

  • Career-stage support from student to established practitioners
  • Free workspace and exhibition opportunities for emerging artists

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process - Focus on building relationships with Trinity Buoy Wharf community and East London arts networks
  • Geographic restriction - Tower Hamlets and surrounding boroughs only; projects must demonstrate clear local benefit
  • Drawing and visual arts focus - Primary funding stream supports the Drawing Prize; strong interest in contemporary drawing practice
  • Site connection valuable - Projects connected to Trinity Buoy Wharf site have stronger funding track record
  • Artist in Residence - Most accessible funding route; watch for annual open call announcements
  • Trustee network - Board includes influential East London arts figures; networking within local arts infrastructure may be productive
  • Annual giving ~£370,000 - Modest fund with focused impact; not suited to large-scale applications
  • Long-term partnerships favoured - Multi-year commitments suggest preference for sustainable relationships over one-off grants

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References

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