Funded Travelling Fellowships seek people in the field of Arts & Older People
In 2015 The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust will be investing £1.2million in British citizens, by awarding a record number of 150 Travelling Fellowships, in order to mark its 50th anniversary.
This will directly support British citizens who want to travel overseas to gain knowledge, experience and best practice to benefit others in their UK professions and communities, and society as a whole.
As part of this, we will be awarding another 10 Travelling Fellowships in the Arts and Older People / Creative Ageing category, and the application process is now open.
Those working in health services, for local authorities or in care homes; and those in arts or cultural organisations, are encouraged to apply.
We are interested in people who are providing community activities and opportunities for older people, covering creativity and person-centred care in all aspects of music, dance, drama and fine arts. We are also interested in projects that are aimed at the training of care staff.
This is the fourth and final year of a joint ‘Arts and Older People / Creative Ageing’ partnership with The Baring Foundation, a funding body supporting organisations who work in this field. The collaboration highlights the belief that the arts can play a unique role in older people’s lives, including those with dementia, and the contribution that the arts make to improve society.
It is well known that the UK has an ageing population. There are now more people of a pensionable age than are under 16. Life expectancy figures for people in the UK now stand at 82.6 years for women, and 78.7 years for men.
Amongst those awarded and travelling this year, in this category, is Nicky Taylor - a community development officer from Otley, West Yorkshire, travelling to Australasia and North America to investigate the role of theatre in connecting families and communities affected by dementia.
Successful applicants must demonstrate the commitment, the character and the tenacity to travel globally in pursuit of new and better ways of tackling a wide range of current challenges facing the UK, and upon their return work to transform and improve aspects of today’s society.
A travelling sabbatical for people with the drive, determination and desire to help others, can further their leadership and role model abilities.
Employers often also see great benefits with employees returning with new knowledge, skills and ideas to share with others within the organisation.
Applications are judged purely on project merit, and these opportunities are available to UK residents over the age of 18, of any ethnicity, religion, or gender.
Successful applicants will receive an average Fellowship grant of over £6000, covering return airfare, daily living costs, insurance and travel within the countries being visited, for approximately 6 weeks overseas.
Notes to Editors:
The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust
The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust was established shortly after Sir Winston’s death in 1965, as his national memorial and living legacy. Since then it has awarded over 4820 Travelling Fellowships.
The application process for travel in 2015 is now open, and there are 11 varied categories in which people can apply.
Churchill’s beliefs and passions are still living on through our Fellows – who are remarkable yet ordinary individuals, representing a wide range of backgrounds, qualifications, interests and professions, but sharing the desire to do something for the improvement of British life and their fellow man.
The deadline for the 2015 applications is 5pm on 23rd September 2014.
In total 137 Fellowships were awarded in the UK in 2014, with grant awards totalling £876,540. The Fellows are currently travelling to 52 countries between them, across 6 continents, carrying out a wide range of projects.
To maximise the impact of our Fellowships we have developed partnerships with other organisations, focused on specific areas of concern and relevance for the UK today. Lessons learnt from overseas travel are effectively coordinated and disseminated, and incorporated into best practice in the UK for the benefit of others in similar communities and professions.
The Baring Foundation
The Baring Foundation is an independent grant maker which has supported the arts since its inception.
The purpose of all the Foundation’s funding is to strengthen voluntary sector organisations which try to improve the quality of life of people experiencing disadvantage or discrimination. Since 2010, the theme chosen by the Foundation is older people. The starting point for the Foundation’s arts programme is that people continue to be creative as they age but that in some circumstances may need specific support from arts organisations to unlock and develop these talents.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust: 020 7799 1660