ART SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

The Black Heart Foundation is pleased to support future artists with their new Art Scholarship Programme

https://blackheartfoundation.org/art-scholarship-programme/

The Black Heart Art programme aims to provide financial scholarships to underrepresented and under-resourced young people for arts education, empowering the next generation of diverse arts talent.

The art sector remains one of the UK’s most overwhelmingly underrepresented industries, with only 18.2% of the music, performing and visual arts workforce coming from working class backgrounds and just 2.7% of the UK’s art sector come from Black, Asian and other ethnically diverse backgrounds. The UK government has also recently announced that its moving ahead with plans to cut funding for art and design courses by 50% across higher education institutions in England, further widening the gap to participation for many young people.

By providing diverse young talent with funding to pursue their artistic talent, we hope to ensure more equitable opportunities for all to create and experience the arts, no matter their background. Education is key to growth, and as money is the primary barrier to entry in the arts, by removing this barrier, it starts to chip away at the exclusionary way things have always been done in the art world and change the narrative to create greater inclusion.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply to the Black Heart Foundation Art Scholarship Programme, please visit our application portal.  As part of the application we request a personal summary of no more than 1200 words providing a brief outline of the educational activity for which you seek a scholarship, outlining how the scholarship would align with the aims of The Black Heart Foundation and presenting a clear case of financial need. Take care to complete all of the sections in the application before submitting. You are able to save drafts and come back to your application. For further information on completing the application, or alternate forms of submission, please refer to our frequently asked questions (FAQ’s).

Join for a day of talks, workshops, portfolio reviews, and networking. Be inspired by incredible practitioners, build your community, and gain an insight into the multiple ways to develop your creative career. 

Talks

Explore how and where to show your work, and ways to carve your own creative path.  Through these talks we hope to expand your understanding of the practice through talks with: Ashleigh Kane (Dazed), Zaineb Abelque, Aisha Seriki, Simon Wheatley, and Maia Ardalla (BFI). 

Workshops

Experiment in analogue practices with Kimiā Collective. Learn new Adobe Photoshop skills with Kladi Vergine. Set yourself creative briefs with Adobe Creative Resident Michael Akuagwu. Immerse yourself in photojournalism with KC NWakalor. Learn how to embark on your freelance career with Creative Access. 

Screenings 

Watch celebrated new short film by artist Elizabeth Gabrielle Lee and have a chance to ask the artist about their process. 

Advice and Networking

Explore inspiring spaces at the V&A: the National Art Library and Photography Centre. Get the chance to have your portfolio reviewed by practitioners in the field and meet people from a variety of areas in the film and photography industry to inspire and guide you. And much more!

Free food served by En Root

Full programme to be announced soon 

Additional Information:

All events are free

Some workshops are bookable on the day (from 10.30) 

Places for events will be designated on a first come first served basis. 

V&A East                                                              Young V&A

For students and parents

Interested in a career in the creative industries? Find out about the range of roles, the prospect of work and where to go for further information.

What are the creative industries? 

Roles in the creative industries range from weaving and acting to data analysis and network programming. Find out more.

Where can I find out more? 

Detailed information on the creative industries can be found in the careers sections of industry websites.

Online career insight events

Aimed at learners aged 11-18, our online insights feature industry professionals talking about their jobs – what they involve, what it’s like working in their sector, how they got into it and also some advice and tips for young people looking to enter a similar field. 

The insight events are designed for a class to engage with together, but individual students can also register.

Explore our on-demand recorded insights and upcoming events:

Creative Opps Mentorship Programme

https://creativeopps.org/mentoring/

Interested in being mentored? If you’re aged 16-25, have big aspirations and need some advice and guidance to get where you want to go then please fill out this form and we’ll be in touch. Currently full but do check out for opportunities next year or email below for more info.

Apply for mentoring

A 2023 study showed that less than 25% of young people had been given any guidance from school, college, or university about how to get into the creative sector (Ravensbourne University London). At Creative Opps, our core belief is that progress comes through collaboration at all stages in professional lives. Sharing our experiences and successes can inspire and, crucially, sharing difficulties we’ve faced helps us pre-empt challenges and strengthen our collective futures. Access to creative industries is largely based on contacts and networks, leading to many young people being dramatically underrepresented in these industries. 64% of respondents in the Class Ceiling Report (Creative Access and Fleishman Hillard, 2024) agreed that people from working-class backgrounds are under-represented in their creative industries. 

One of our values is addressing structural barriers that people face. It might be that you come from a difficult economic background or you’re part of an under-represented group. This is where our flagship Mentorship programme comes into play. Over the last few years we’ve recruited dozens of mentees who have expressed interest in a career in the creative industries and paired them with relevant industry professionals.  

Pairing mentors and mentees is a thoughtful and considerate process. We take great care to ensure that each match is tailored to align with the specific interests, goals, and expertise of both the mentor and mentee, using the information shared with us in the expression of interest form. For young people, mentorship helps to demystify the industry and create inroads and pathways to it.  For mentors, it provides an opportunity to reflect on their careers, keep tabs on the ever-changing world of the industry and most importantly give back by supporting young and inquisitive minds.   

Building on the success of our previous mentoring programmes, we are excited to announce the launch of recruitment for the latest round of our mentoring programme. Pairs will meet for 1-2 hours a month, either remotely or in person, and begin to forge professional relationships. Mentors act as a guide and sounding board for young people, helping them anchor their aspirations. This six-month programme offers a supportive environment, with funding available to cover travel and refreshment costs for any in-person meetings. 

The mentors in our 2024 programme come from diverse creative backgrounds and represent all stages of their careers, ranging from freelancers and emerging talent to seasoned industry veterans and professionals working within major organisations. Our current mentors work in organisations including leading entertainment communications agency inside/out, Greenacre Films, Bella Figura Music, BBC, Netflix, TIME Magazine, The Guardian as well as freelancers in acting, sports, podcast, radio and much more.

Michelle Kambasha is the Creative Opps Mentorship Co-ordinator and has facilitated and overseen dozens of mentor/mentee relationships. Her background in the creative industries includes publicity, marketing, public speaking and journalism, particularly in the music world. She has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion within creative spaces and for her efforts was named as Music Week’s Women in Music Roll of Honour (2017), She Said So Alternative Power List (2018) and Keychange Innovator (2023). Come and say hi to Michelle at michelle@creativeopps.org. 

This mentoring program is made possible through funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. 

Disability Access

• Leonard Cheshire https://www.leonardcheshire.org/support-and-information/life-and-work-skills/employment-programmes/change100

• BBC Extend http://www.bbc.co.uk/careers/trainee-schemes-and-apprenticeships/extend/extend

Costume Check out the Facebook pages Costume Networking group and Costume Guild anybody?

• Art Department: British Film Designers guild  http://www.filmdesigners.co.uk/

• Post UK Screen Association is a trade body for companies, but a great resource to be aware of to hear about what's going on in the industry http://ukscreenassociation.co.uk/