From supporting the preservation and use of nationally significant collections to encouraging innovative new projects, Esmée Fairbairn has a long history of funding the arts and heritage sectors.

Our arts interests are:

• Sustaining the viability of the arts sector through multi-year funding, which can be for core costs, including salaries, particularly for key sector/regional organisations.
• Smaller grants to support organisations or projects which are testing out new ways of working.
• Providing funds to specialist infrastructure organisations to pass on to organisations which provide a strong match with our interests e.g. the Museums Association's Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund.
• The development of emerging artists, emerging practice and new and more sustainable business models, sometimes through funding organisations to coordinate and channel our funding.
• Arts organisations working with harder to reach groups and/or addressing difficult issues, particularly those that are developing new practice or pioneering new ways of engaging with audiences and supporting their local community.

While the Foundation responds to the needs of applicants, it is particularly interested in the long-term sustainability and renewal of the arts sector. Therefore most of the work we fund is delivered through mid to long-term programmes rather than one-off pieces of work (e.g. one exhibition or theatre production).

The Foundation receives a number of applications from arts festivals, but is only likely to support work which happens outside the festival (i.e. year-round programmes which have a continuing impact in areas with little alternative arts provision) or work which is very high quality and developmental for the sector as a whole. In addition, the Foundation will only fund commissioning or acquisition costs when they are part of larger programme of work which matches our other priorities.

Please also see the Foundation's priorities.

View a list of art related grants HERE.

Find information on how to apply HERE.