Celebrating Talent
Performing Arts Competition Since 1908

2025 COMPETITION: Entries for 2025 Competition will open on 1st October 2024

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Grants and Bursaries

GRANTS TO PERFORMING ARTS STUDENTS

Every year the Hastings Musical Festival, which is a registered charity, distributes substantial sums to aspiring performers to help them to undertake a course of professional study if they have been regular competitors in the Festival. The applicants must meet certain criteria and the amounts awarded are governed by the number of applicants and the income from the Festival and investments.

Applications will be invited for grants for 2025 after the Festival in March 2025.  The grants, for students who have a course of study already arranged, or have applied for a course beginning in September 2025, will be made at the discretion of the Grants Committee. All applicants will be notified of the result of their applications by the end of June.

Click here to download the Grant Application Form

Grant Criteria:

1. Applicants must have taken part in the Festival at least three of the last five years.

2. Evidence is required of a place on a full-time performing arts course.

3.Applicants must be over 16 years of age except for dance grants where they must be over 14 years.

4. All applicants must be willing for details of the awards to be published on the Festival website and for their names and photographs to be used for press and publicity purposes.

5. Please ensure your application is completed electronically by the 30th April.


The Grant Recipients for 2024 are:

Hastings Festival Awards for 2024 were granted to:

Daisy Braybrooke, Eefi Filby, Faith Simon, Nancy Dyer, Holy McConville, Harley Loft, Elodie Cooper, Ellie Valentine. 

Continued support grants were awarded to:

Sophia Hawkins, Bethany Hennessey, Benjamin Hitchcock, Poppy-May Murfin, Salma Salkind.

Daisy Noton,  Mia Smith, Milly-Rose White,  Maya Godlonton-White

The Molly Townson Bursary of £3,000 was awarded to Evie Dawes

We wish them all great success in their chosen careers!

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THE MOLLY TOWNSON BURSARY 

This Bursary will be awarded annually by the Management Committee of Hastings Musical Festival to
support a young person intending to pursue a career in performing arts. Details of how to apply for this
Bursary are in the Festival Programme but you can also get the details by emailing info@hastingsmf.org.uk. This award will be for one person each year and an amount of £3,000 will be awarded. Applications will be considered by the Grants Committee at a meeting in May and the winner will be notified by the end of June.

The Molly Townson Bursary of £3,000 was awarded to Maya Godlonton-White in 2023 and we wish her every success in the future.


THE JOHN AND IRENE FOSTER CHARITABLE TRUST BURSARY

This Bursary will be awarded by the Trustees of the John and Irene Foster Charitable Trust to a student for a course of study in music or the performing arts at a recognised school or academy, or for arts related courses at a university. Bursaries may also be given for other items at the discretion of the Trustees

The Bursary will be up to £3000 payable over three years.

The student must be resident in East Sussex.

The Trustees of the Festival will recommend five of the applicants who have applied to the Festival for grants each year. Their details, as supplied to Hastings Musical Festival, will be forwarded to the Trustees of the John and Irene Foster Charitable Trust who will make their decision based on the information supplied. No further application form is required.

CONDITIONS

  1. Applicants must have taken part in the Hastings Musical Festival in at least three different years of the last five years.
  2. Applicants will be required to provide evidence of their intention to take up their subject (music, speech and drama, or dance) professionally, either as teacher or performer. No grant will be forwarded until proof of attendance at their course at a recognised dance or theatre school or academy is received.
  3. Applicants must be over 16 years of age.
  4. Grants will not be awarded for payment of equipment or class fees paid outside school whilst a student is still studying at sixth form school or college.
  5. All applicants must be willing for details of the awards to be published on the Festival website and for their names and photographs to be used for press and publicity purposes.
  6. Applicants are required to send an annual update on their course and how they are developing as performers.
  7. Decisions regarding grants will be made by The Grants Committee and their decision is final.