Financial Assistance - Development Team

During your studies and beyond, you may consider applying for funding at some point - whether for study costs, or to help start a new project or artistic endeavour.  Below are some useful places to start your search for suitable trusts, foundations, prizes and other sources of funding to apply to.

1. FUNDING WIZARDS – these are searchable databases into which you can enter the criteria that apply to you and see what funding opportunities might be available to help you:

The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding - this funding database contains over 800 charities, each one with a short description and contact details. The database is searchable by age, nationality, subject, and has a free text search to enable you to make customised searches. You can also find videos and guidance here, which will take you through each stage of the funding process.  The RNCM is a subscribing university to the site so you should be able to access the database for free via this this link: https://postgraduate-funding.com/gateway

The Countess of Munster Musical Trust - as well as being a major source of funding for musicians, the Countess of Munster Musical Trust website also contains useful information about other funding sources – trusts, awards and competitions. Their Frequently Asked Questions section is also very informative: www.munstertrust.org.uk/funding-guide

International Scholarships Search provides a comprehensive listing of funding available to assist college and university students around the world in their pursuit to study abroad: https://www.internationalscholarships.com/

2. OTHER POTENTIAL FUNDERS – there are a number of trusts, foundations and other bodies that accept applications for support from music students wishing to study in the UK. A list of such prospective funders follows below.

(Please note: this list is not exhaustive, and we would strongly encourage applicants to conduct their own research into funding your studies. Please note we are not affiliated with any of these organisations, and as such have no control over their responses. Each organisation will have its own eligibility criteria and application procedures, and we strongly recommend you look over these thoroughly.)

The Black Heart Foundation aims to provide financial scholarships to underrepresented and under-resourced young people for arts education, empowering the next generation of diverse arts talent. The programme is open to all individuals aged 16-25 with a UK residence who consider themselves under-financed to take up their desired course: https://blackheartfoundation.org/

The Christine Brown Trust for Young Musicians offers financial support to exceptionally talented young musicians under 19 years of age, who are UK residents and who are experiencing financial hardship: www.christinebrowntrust.org.uk

The Elizabeth Eagle-Bott Memorial Fund provides financial support of up to £2,000 for visually impaired musicians and grants of up to £5000 for organisations and other third parties whose work supports the activities of visually impaired musicians:  
https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/education-and-learning/music-education/music-awards-and-funding/

The Fidelio Charitable Trust welcomes applications for grants to enable individuals over the age of 21 or groups of exceptional ability to receive special tuition or coaching (e.g. attend Master Classes), participate in external competitions, be supported for a specially arranged performance, or receive support for a musical composition. Applications must be submitted by Higher Education Institutions; approaches will not be considered from those seeking support for themselves: www.fideliocharitabletrust.org.uk

The Kathleen Trust - a small charity which concentrates on making grants to outstanding students at the major British music colleges. If you wish to apply for a grant, please send a hard copy letter with a full explanation of your musical career to date, together with a brief educational history and an indication of your probable shortfall in funding. References are helpful, but not essential.  Applications should be sent to: The Kathleen Trust, 33 Queen Anne St, London W1G 9HY – and can also be emailed to charitiesccllp@gmail.com

Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust has funds available for undergraduate and postgraduate students in financial need who are UK residents with a household income of less than £90,000 and work as (or their parents work as) community pharmacists, grocers (includes working in supermarkets) and commercial travellers: www.leverhulme-trade.org.uk

The Rushworth Trust is based in Liverpool, and it aims to support the furtherance of music education. It is a small charity which makes grants to individual applicants of up to £500. Awards are restricted to individuals living within 60 miles of Liverpool Town Hall: https://www.lcvs.org.uk/grants/rushworth-trust/ 

The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust supports the work of students of proven academic achievement, and in financial need, who are pursuing postgraduate or further degrees at an educational institution in the UK: https://www.stapleytrust.org/

The Vaughan Williams Foundation offers postgraduate scholarships to exceptionally talented PhD and Masters students of composition at British universities or conservatoires who anticipate a career as a professional composer. Entry is open to British or Irish composers, or those who have been resident in the UK for a minimum of three years: https://vaughanwilliamsfoundation.org/funding/postgraduate-funding/

The Wavendon Foundation supports a wide range of music performance and education genres, concentrating particularly on individuals who are suffering hardship in pursuance of their ambitions, but anyone engaged in other branches of the performing arts, professionally or not, is welcome to apply: https://www.wavendonfoundation.uk/

The Wayne Sleep Foundation offers medium to large sized grants to individuals who have obtained a place at a higher education arts institution, and are specifically to be put toward accommodation and living costs: www.waynesleepfoundation.org/funding-and-awards

1. 3.      AWARDS AND PRIZES – competitions run by external organisations and institutions which RNCM students may be eligible to enter.

London Symphony Orchestra - the LSO Conservatoire Scholarships programme is a ground-breaking initiative that aims to ensure that musicians from all backgrounds have access to conservatoire training and reduce barriers to entering the profession, including tuition and maintenance costs. These Scholarships allow recipients to focus fully on their studies during a critical time in their education, whilst benefiting from additional support and mentoring from the LSO’s own renowned musicians. The programme is open to postgraduate instrumentalists of any age or nationality who are facing financial barriers, with an overall family income of less than £58,500 per annum, have been awarded a scholarship place for a postgraduate course at one of the leading 10 conservatoires in the world, focused on classical study of an orchestral instrument, and have previously studied at undergraduate level at a UK conservatoire or university: www.lso.co.uk/learn-and-discover/support-for-emerging-artists/lso-conservatoire-scholarships/

Royal Philharmonic Society - RPS Instrumental Prizes – the RPS Emily Anderson Violin Prize, RPS Philip Jones Brass Prize, and RPS Henderson Chamber Ensemble Award – support the development of outstanding young musicians establishing their careers.  Applicants are asked applicants to submit recent footage of their playing and answer some brief questions (usually around September / October), then shortlisted candidates are invited to a friendly audition towards the end of November: https://royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/performers/rps-instrumental-prizes