The Henry Moore Foundation has awarded £100,000 in unrestricted grants to fifty sculptors across the UK, each receiving £2,000 through its Artist Award Scheme. The funding, announced amid the cost-of-living crisis and cultural sector cuts, can be used for materials, studio rent, or bridging gaps. Recipients were nominated by a panel of 25 arts professionals from UK regions and Northern Ireland, including Viviana Checchia of Void in Derry and Nicole Yip of Spike Island in Bristol. Notable past recipients include 2024 Turner Prize winner Jasleen Kaur and Manon Awst, who will represent Wales at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
The grants matter because unrestricted funding is rare but critical for artists, allowing them to sustain and develop their practice without constraints. The initiative honors Henry Moore’s legacy—Moore himself benefited from a grant after World War I—and directly supports sculptors in a challenging economic climate. By empowering experimentation and covering essential costs, the awards help artists create work that challenges and inspires, reinforcing the foundation’s role in sustaining the UK’s sculpture community.