The Fenton Arts Trust was founded in 1986 by Shu-Yao Fenton in memory of her husband Colin, a collector of antiques and pictures and a dedicated supporter of the arts. Following Shu-Yao's death in 2000 the substantial part of her estate passed to the Trust. Further significant bequests were received from Alastair Graham-Bryce in 2012 and Patricia Thompson in 2019. The Trust's overall aim is to give encouragement and financial support to those actively contributing to the creative arts in the U.K., particularly for artists at the beginning of their careers, at the expressed desire of the Trust’s founder.
The principal objectives of the charity are:
o The advancement of public education more particularly in the Arts, and
o The provision of grants, scholarships and bursaries to charitable bodies and to individuals or organisations which will support work or performance by those early in their careers.
The Trust's aim is to give encouragement and financial support to those actively contributing to the advancement of the creative arts in the United Kingdom. Grants made by the charity assist individuals and organisations making a contribution to the artistic and cultural life of the UK, especially at the start of their professional careers.
Grants are available to support individual works, activities, performances or prizes in the fields of (but not confined to):
o Architecture.
o Dance.
o Drama.
o Music.
o Painting.
o Poetry, and
o Sculpture.
Trustees meet three times a year to consider applications, in Spring, Summer and Autumn. There is a deadline for the receipt of applications approximately three weeks before each meeting, although this is never advertised in order to encourage applicants to forward plan.
Under normal circumstances a minimum of 6 months can elapse before the Trust makes a decision and has sufficient funds in its budget. In most financial years (1st April - 31st March), almost all current year funds are committed by the Summer meeting. Applicants are therefore advised to think at least 6 months ahead when applying. In general, applications received after the end of June are unlikely to be funded within the Trust’s current financial year.
Further information, guidance and an online application form can be found on the Trust’s website.
