A new £1.5 million awards scheme has been launched by the Freelands Foundation to strengthen education programmes at arts and culture organisations across the UK. Founded by media executive Elisabeth Murdoch, the philanthropic foundation will provide £100,000 in unrestricted funding each year to three organisations over the next five years, with the aim of reinforcing galleries and museums as vital centres for public education.
According to the foundation, the initiative is designed to champion progressive approaches to art education that demonstrate clear public impact. Applications will be assessed by a judging panel comprising artist Joy Gregory, broadcaster Gemma Cairney, curator Jenni Lomax and art historian Ben Street, who will evaluate how effectively projects advance inclusive and forward-thinking educational practices.
The launch comes amid growing concern within the cultural sector over long-term declines in investment in creative education, particularly within UK schools and colleges. Recent reports have highlighted the marginalisation of arts subjects through policy decisions such as the English Baccalaureate, while sector-led research has called for new grassroots funding streams and the reversal of cuts to arts education in higher education.
Henry Ward, Director of the Freelands Foundation, noted that despite sustained underinvestment and limited recognition over the past 15 years, many high-quality education programmes continue to operate across the UK. He said the foundation aims to support and amplify this work at a time when demand for accessible cultural learning remains strong.
The announcement follows closely on the heels of a £1.5 billion government funding package for UK cultural organisations, offering additional momentum for the sector. Applications for the first Freelands Award open on 26 January and close on 24 March, with successful recipients set to be announced at an event in November.
The new scheme replaces the foundation’s previous annual award, which ran from 2016 to 2023 and supported exhibitions of new work by mid-career female artists. As a registered charity, the foundation states that it operates independently of government or private-sector funding, allowing it to maintain stability amid changing funding environments.
Alongside the awards, the Freelands Foundation continues to support broader arts education initiatives, including Art UK’s “The Superpower of Looking” programme, which helps primary school children develop visual literacy and deeper engagement with works of art.
