What's Going On?

The Golsoncott Foundation is an independent UK charitable trust established in July 1998 from the estate of artist and sculptor Rachel Reckitt (1908–1995). Its core mission is to promote, maintain, improve, and advance public education in the arts—especially fine arts and music—by fostering excellence and the highest standards in performance, exhibition, craft, or scholarly endeavour. Distinctively, it prioritises professional or specialist arts organisations dedicated to perfecting an artistic discipline itself, rather than those using arts for broader social, educational, or therapeutic purposes, embodying a selective philosophy that sustains the UK’s cultural vitality through elite artistic achievement.

It funds UK-wide projects for small to medium professional arts bodies, including music ensembles, ballet, theatre, literature, museums, fine arts, crafts, and circus arts. Supported activities encompass performances, exhibitions, scholarly research, music education programmes, and sustained high-level youth engagement, with recent grantees like the Heritage Crafts Association, Brighton Early Music Festival, and National Centre for Circus Arts illustrating its breadth across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Eligible applicants are UK-based arts organisations (no individuals, schools, or educational trips); unsolicited applications are welcomed via email with digital and hard copy submissions to the administrator, including accounts and web links. Quarterly trustees’ meetings occur in late February, May, August, and November—submit by the month’s start prior, as windows may close early due to demand (check website for status; decisions in 8–12 weeks). Grants range from £250 to £3,000 (mostly £500–£1,000), focusing on non-recurrent revenue support; capital funding only by invitation, excluding core costs or generalist initiatives.