The Arts Foundation

The highlights from the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2024 💫⁠ Last week's ceremony was a wonderful celebration of truly inspiring artistic and creative practices. Thank you to everyone who joined us in person and online. Watch the moment the five £10,000 Fellowships are announced with all shortlisted artists receiving £1,000 towards their practice. Regenerative Design Fellow⁠: Rhea Thomas Jazz Composition Fellow⁠: Daniel Casimir Theatre Writing Fellow⁠: Tatenda Shamiso Short Documentary Film Fellow⁠: Cherish Oteka ⁠ Visual Art Fellow⁠: Rebecca Bellantoni We’ll also soon be releasing the incredible welcome address given by esteemed playwright, and our Guest of Honour, Roy Williams. Do look back at our feed to watch the extraordinary and wide-ranging work of all the shortlisted artists: Regenerative Design: William Eliot, Aurélie Fontan and Emma Money. Jazz Composition: Romarna Campbell, Jas Kayser and Luca Manning. Theatre Writing: Saffa Benson-Effiom, Laurie Motherwell and Yomi Ṣode. Short Documentary Film: Jessica Bishopp, Rosie Morris and Kateryna Pavlyuk. Visual Art: Dan Guthrie, Alexi Marshall and Rafał Zajko. A heartfelt thank you once again to all the artists, our award Jury members and Nominators for their insights, care and attention; and our Arts Foundation Friends, and Award Supporters for their partnership and belief in the importance of artists: The David Collins Foundation, PRS Foundation and the Yoma Sasburg Estate.⁠ The Awards Ceremony took place on 28 February in London, hosted by our Director, Mary Jane Edwards and featured the premiere performance of a new composition by John Barber (Choral Composition Fellow, 2021) with Echo Vocal Ensemble conducted by Sarah Latto. Filming: Paul Bates (Realm Video)  Editing: Gabrielle Milanese #ArtsFoundationFuturesAwards

As 2024 comes to a close we look back on another wonderful year supporting and championing independent artists and creatives!⁠ 💫 In January we announced the incredible Shortlisted Artists for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2024, across the fields of Regenerative Design, Jazz Composition, Short Documentary Film, Theatre Writing and Visual Art. 🫶 In February, the winning Fellows receiving £10,000 were announced at a live Award Ceremony at the Southbank Centre in London, with all shortlisted artists awarded £1,000. ⁠ 🙌We were thrilled to host jury members Vicky Featherstone, Soweto Kinch, Clare Sillery, Adelaide Bannerman, and Roy Williams as our guest of honour. Roy’s rousing welcome address and the ceremony are archived on our website and YouTube channel. ⁠ ☀️ In May the first artists arrived for their week-long residency in the stunning setting of Hawkwood Centre for Future Thinking 😀In June we continued to grow a new community of Friends and Patrons to support our work, hosting our annual Patrons dinner, an inspiring gathering of like-minded individuals and conversation about the importance of art and creative practice.⁠ 🌼 The summer also saw us celebrate fellows’ work with gatherings at the Jazz Cafe to see Daniel Casimir play to a sellout crowd, and De La Warr to hear Rebecca Bellantoni in conversation as part of her first institutional solo show.  ✨ In September, our Director Mary Jane Edwards announced that we are increasing the Fellowship award amount to £20,000 to ensure our work continues to have the same life-changing impact and responds to inflation, the ongoing cost of living crisis and low artist income precarity experienced across the contemporary arts in the UK. 👏 We also shared the award categories for the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025: Dance, Design, Film, Theatre and Visual Art, and partnership collaborations with the brilliant The David Collins Foundation, and the Maria Björnson Memorial Fund.  ⚡In October we announced the phenomenal jury members for the awards, take a look back at our feed! ⭐ The beginnings of 2025 are looking bright, with the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 Shortlist Artist Announcement in the New Year, a film screening with London Short Film Festival at ICA London on 22 January, and our Awards Ceremony in February! ⁠ 💛 Enormous thanks to everyone who has supported The Arts Foundation this year, we are hugely grateful for your time, generosity and care. Wishing you all a restorative festive period!⁠ Video credit: Gabrielle Milanese Alt text: A video celebrating a year of The Arts Foundation, featuring experts from the Arts Foundation Futures Award Ceremony and other highlights.

We’re excited to share our first event of 2025! Join us for a special screening featuring the extraordinary shortlisted filmmakers of The Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2025 for Film.⁠ ⁠ Wednesday 22 January 2025 6.30 pm ⁠ ICA ⁠ 🎟️ Book your tickets on the ICA website: https://lnkd.in/eMzUWW9r ⁠ These powerful new contemporary filmmakers will present four films and discuss their work in conversation with a special guest. Artists to be announced in January 2025! ⁠ Presented as part of London Short Film Festival 🎥⁠

As the year draws to a close we’re celebrating the achievements of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2024 Fellows 💫⁠ ⁠ Rebecca Bellantoni (Visual Art Fellow 2024) is making waves in the contemporary art world with her evocative works exploring themes of identity, spirituality, and everyday experiences through a unique, multidisciplinary lens. Her art spans moving image, installation, textiles, and performance. This year Rebecca presented her first institutional solo exhibition “Day and heavy, Judah leaves” debuted at the De La Warr Pavilion, which offered a profound exploration of personal and collective histories through immersive storytelling. With an artistic voice that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, Rebecca Bellantoni continues to challenge perceptions and inspire audiences globally. We cannot wait to see what Rebecca does in 2025. Alt Text: Rebecca Bellatoni’s work Condition the Roses, Accept the Vision at Tate Britain Photo: Katarzyna Perlak

As the year draws to a close we’re celebrating the achievements of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2024 Fellows 💫⁠ ⁠ Tatenda Shamiso (Theatre Writing Fellow 2024) has once again proven themselves as a formidable force in the arts, bringing their extraordinary talents as a writer, director, performer, dramaturg, and musician to the forefront of the cultural landscape. Over the past few years they have played an essential role in some of the most exciting and impactful productions, including their work as Associate Director on For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Choir Boy, and A Streetcar Named Desire. Alongside their work in theatre, Tatenda was celebrated in an interview with ES Magazine. Their year has been marked by a commitment to artistic excellence, innovative storytelling, and social impact. As 2024 concludes, we eagerly look forward to the continued evolution of their work and the lasting impact they will undoubtedly have on the industry. Alt Text: Tatenda Shamiso performing on stage with a guitar. Photo: @marcsbrenner

As the year draws to a close we’re celebrating the achievements of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2024 Fellows 💫⁠ ⁠ Cherish Oteka (Short Documentary Film Fellow, 2024) a trailblazing documentary filmmaker, continues to rise in the world of cinema. After winning a BAFTA for Best British Short Film in 2022 for The Black Cop, Cherish gained critical acclaim for their compelling storytelling focused on often-overlooked narratives. This year Cherish secured the prestigious IDA Logan Elevate Grant Recipient grant, receiving support of their journalistic feature-length documentary projects. This recognition celebrates their powerful storytelling, amplifying underrepresented voices in film production. Looking ahead, Cherish is set to make waves with their first feature-length documentary, Gay Games. The film will explore the athletes and organizers behind this global LGBTQ+ sporting event, celebrating identity, competition, and community while confronting the complexities of creating inclusive sports environments. 🎬 Alt Text: Cherish Oteka at the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2024 Photo: Anne Tetzlaff

As 2024 draws to a close we’re celebrating the achievements of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2024 Fellows 💫⁠ ⁠ Rhea Thomas’ Rhea Thomas (Regenerative Design Fellow 2024) work has been covered by The Times of India, Wallpaper Magazine and The Independent. Rhea also joined the other shortlisted designers for Regenerative Design, Will Elliot and Emma Money on the BBC One Sunday Morning Live. ⁠ Rhea has since been busy developing her product Sea Sprout, a bio-material innovation that utilises powdered shrimp shell waste from the frozen seafood industry to make bio-degradable products for the horticulture and agriculture industry. Rhea is also part of the World Design Organisations Young Designers Circle and will contribute to the World Design Congress in London in 2025 🌱 Photo: Anne Tetzlaff

As 2024 draws to a close we want to look back and celebrate the achievements of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2024 Fellows 💫⁠ ⁠ We begin with Daniel Casimir (Jazz Composition Fellow 2024). ⁠ ⁠ It’s been a big year for Daniel as he has launched his third studio album, titled "Balance," which was released in June. The album was met with critical acclaim and featured on BBCRadio 3, Spotify’s Jazz playlists and on numerous other music platforms. Daniel is currently touring his album internationally and nationally. ⁠ Alt text: An image of Daniel Casimir playing a double bass. Image: courtesy of artist. ⁠ .

Yomi Sode (Theatre Writing Shortlist 2024) award-winning poet who is renowned for his collection “Manorism,” is moving into fiction with his debut novel, “The Interpreter”. Yomi is already a decorated writer, his debut collection of story and poetry, Manorism, was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2023 and the T S Eliot Prize 2022. Manorism was adapted for the stage and presented at the Southbank Centre in 2022. His works for performance also include his 2017 show, COAT, and the 2020 libretto Remnants, written in collaboration with James B. Wilson and Chineke! Orchestra. In 2021 Yomi presented, and breathe… a powerful tale of death, mourning and young masculinity and the Almedia theatre in London. This exciting new work, merging supernatural elements with West African traditions, has been acquired Viking Books / Penguin. Huge congratulations to Yomi, we cannot wait to read it!! Image credit: courtesy of artist.

Alexi Marshall (Visual Art Shortlist, 2024) has been awarded the prestigious RE Membership Prize at the International Original Print exhibition for her linocut 'Release'. As part of this award Alexi will be invited to exhibit with the The Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers. Well done Alexi! Image credit: 'Release', 2024, Alexi Marshall (handprinted linocut, ink on kozuke paper)