Omeima Mudawi-Rowlings MBE, Drawn to the Light, textile installation. Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft. © Omeima Mudawi-Rowlings.
Courtesy of Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft. Photo © Tessa Hallmann.
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Jerwood Art Fund Commissions

These grants will support museums and galleries to commission artists to make work of exceptional innovation and quality.

Funding range: Two commissions of £70,000 - £100,000

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Through a new partnership between Art Fund and Jerwood Foundation, these grants will support museums and galleries to commission artists to make work of exceptional innovation and quality – furthering the artist’s development at a pivotal stage in their careers, while enriching public collections through new contemporary art.

In addition to providing support to commission artists and enabling them to pursue their practice in the current challenging economic environment, Jerwood Art Fund Commissions will develop the skills and confidence of UK museums to undertake commissioning projects, whilst engaging audiences in the work of living artists. Through the partnership we aim to support: 

  • Two commissions of £70,000 - £100,000 per year over the coming three years, covering the full costs of delivering and presenting the commissions with each partner museum. 

  • Early to mid-career artists who are either based in or have a connection to the UK, and for whom a commission of this scale and profile would constitute a significant step forward in their artistic and professional development. 

  • Artists working across a full range of artistic media and making practices (e.g. textiles, sculpture, ceramics, glass, painting, mixed-media, film, photography etc). 

  • Commissions that enter a permanent collection with a public UK museum or gallery, including permanent public realm commissions.  

  • Artists that demonstrate the potential for excellence and innovation in the works they produce, furthering the aims of both Art Fund and Jerwood Foundation. 

Who can apply

We will consider applications from public museums, galleries, historic houses, libraries and archives based in the UK or Channel Islands that are: 

  • open for at least half the week for at least six months of the year. 

  • at least provisionally accredited through the Arts Council Accreditation Scheme or other national equivalents 

We also encourage partnerships between museums and other partners or other institutions who want to commission work that will have a permanent legacy for artists, cultural organisations and audiences. 

Art Fund does not accept applications or enquiries directly from artists.

For full eligibility details please see the Guidance for applicants. 

Key deadlines

Friday 1 November, 5pm - applications close

How to apply

Your application

Read the guidance

Download the Guidance for applicants which gives full details of the programme, including eligibility and how to apply.

Download PDF

Get in touch

If you haven’t found what you need in the Guidance for applicants, get in touch with Rob Dingle, Senior Programme Manager, Projects. 

Get in touch

Submit your application

For application forms and to apply, please log in to your My Art Fund account, or create an account. You must be registered as a professional user.

Once logged in, please submit a standard Commission Grant application. 

In advance of submitting your application please use this Word template to keep a saved copy as we may need to request this from you.

Submit your application

After you've applied

Complete paperwork

If your application is successful, we will send you our offer paperwork with more details on how to claim your grant. 

Receive feedback

If your application is unsuccessful, we will explain the decision and offer brief feedback.