Topic outline

  • General




     

    Here you will find relevant resources to help you search for funding from external bodies.

    • About Funding Assistance

      Our number one top tip is: don’t leave it too late! You should already be looking for funding for the next academic year towards the end of the first term of the current academic year. Some of the major funding bodies, for example the Countess of Munster Charitable Trust, will open applications in January and close them in February. Be sure to plan well in advance!

      Funding wizards will help you identify which sources of funding you may be eligible for. In addition, you will find useful guides to help you make an application, and which offer advice on how to set out your curriculum vitae and covering letter. If you would like someone to read through and check your application once you have written it, please contact nick.thompson@rncm.ac.uk

      For more information on funding available via the college and the Access to Learning scheme please contact Student Finance.

      Please note: The RNCM receives the kind support of a number of charitable trusts and foundations who donate money to the College to be used for scholarships and bursaries. These organisations have taken the decision to donate directly to the College, rather than to individuals, so they should not be approached by RNCM students. These are:

      • South Square Trust

      • Stanley Picker Trust

      • Ann Driver Trust

      • D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust

      • The Leverhulme Trust (please note this is not the same as the Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust)

      • The Oglesby Charitable Trust

      • The Stoller Charitable Trust

      • The Helen Rachael Mackaness Charitable Trust

      All students who apply for a bursary with the College will automatically be considered for awards from these organisations.


      • Sources of Funding

        Funding Wizards:

        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 also 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.  A fantastic place to start if you are, or are about to be, a postgraduate student!

        Follow the link and click option 2 in the BLUE box to login

        postgraduate-funding.com/gateway 

        Help Musicians

        The Help Musicians website has an extremely useful Funding Wizard tool with which you can search through a number of award schemes, grants and funding available to help musicians. The Funding Wizard is designed to identify what might be available for you - make sure to try here!

        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. Make sure to also check out their Frequently Asked Questions section!

        www.munstertrust.org.uk/funding-guid

        INSTRUMENT PURCHASE

        In addition to Trusts found within the Funding Wizards, the ABBADO EUROPEAN YOUNG MUSICIANS TRUST offers interest-free loans to graduating musicians under the age of 30, for the specific purpose of interest purchase. Please see Linda Begbie in the Development Office for more detail.

        International Students

        We recommend that international students contact either their own education ministry and/or British Council office for details of possible awards for study abroad. However, there may be useful funding information relevant to you on the following sites:

         

        The British Council
        10 Spring Gardens, London, SW1A 2BN. Telephone: 020 7211 6000

         

        Grants to study in the UK: A Guide for Overseas Students, Directory of Grantmaking Trusts
        These are available from the Directory for Social Change, telephone +44 (0)20 7209 5151

        Crowdfunding

        If you are an individual or ensemble looking to raise funds for a particular project, you might want to consider crowdfunding, which you to raise money online to reach a financial target. These websites might be of use:-

        CV Writing Guidelines & CV Bank

        Click on the attachments to view guidelines on writing your CV and to see some useful examples.

        Guidelines for CV Writing File

        CV Bank

        Other Resources:

        Royal Philharmonic Society Young Musicians Programme Awards

        www.philharmonicsociety.uk

        European Funding Guide, including information on scholarships

        www.european-funding-guide.eu

        http://www.european-funding-guide.eu/uploads/scholarship/presentation-scholarship-dream-new.ppt

        http://www.european-funding-guide.eu/uploads/scholarship/circular-mail-template-scholarship-dream-new.docx

        Karl Jenkins Award

        http://www.karljenkins.com/musicaward  

        'The Arts Club - Sir Karl Jenkins Music Award' was recently established to help young instrumentalists in the pursuit of their careers. 

        Karl Jenkins will be joined on the jury panel by Sam Jackson, Managing Editor of Classic FM, music educationalist Carol Barratt and a consultation group consisting of internationally renowned solosts: Alison Balsom, Nicola Benedetti, Catrin Finch, Dame Evelyn Glennie and Emma Johnson. 

        The winner will be awarded the prize of £4,000. In addition, a piece from the winner’s competition repertoire as well as a short work especially composed by me, will be recorded in a London studio and subsequently broadcast on Classic FM. The runner-up will receive a cash prize of £1,000. 

        Uni Grants UK

        Uni Grants UK hosts a number of funding opportunities out there for students about to become, or who are currently, undergraduates. You can search on subject of study or by location. There are many grants out there which will support individuals studying a certain subject who are from a certain area – the Uni Grants UK search tool is great at finding these (although it can be quite time consuming to wade through them all!)

        Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust

        The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust has funds available for undergraduate and postgraduate students in financial need who have been resident in the UK and whose parents are either:

        Commercial Travellers
        Chemists
        Grocers

        *See further definitions here: www.leverhulme-trade.org.uk/gr-definitions.html

        If you and your parents do fit these criteria, you could be eligible for an award of up to £3,000 for undergraduates and up to £5,000 for postgraduates. And the good news – the application form is very straightforward and easy to complete! Because the criteria is so specific, those that are eligible have a relatively high success rate.

        If you do intend to apply, please let us know as this award requires input from the Development Office.


        • Funding for Composers

          Postgraduate British Composers can apply for bursaries from the RVW Trust.

          http://www.rvwtrust.org.uk/html/postgrad.htm

          Composers can also be considered for funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation .

          http://fundingforartists.org.uk/composers/


          • Funding for JRNCM, Pathfinder, and young Undergraduates

            The Christine Brown Trust may consider funding for students from JRNCM, Pathfinder, and Undergraduates up to the age of 19. https://www.christinebrowntrust.org.uk