The Hugo Burge Foundation
Creative grants of up to £15,000 for community organisations and schools, and grants of up to £5,000 for individuals for activities that promote creativity through Creative Education, Creative Communities and Creative Individuals.
Hugo Burge (1972-2023) was a British entrepreneur, philanthropist and art lover who spent the last ten years of his life turning his home in the Scottish Borders into a haven for makers and creators.
Hugo hosted events and concerts, built workshops and studios, established artists' and writers' residencies, supported local community groups, and became an important local patron of the arts. In just a few short years, Hugo transformed the cultural life of the Scottish Borders. The Hugo Burge Foundation has been founded to continue what Hugo started.
The Foundation is dedicated to supporting the arts, crafts and creative industries across the United Kingdom. The Foundation aims to work with schools, charities and other educational institutions to increase young people’s access to creative learning, and support apprenticeships in traditional crafts.
Grants are available to individual artists and makers, community events and local and national festivals.
The Foundation also provides free and affordable studios and workspaces in the Scottish Borders. Further, it offers funded and self-funded residencies throughout the year.
The Foundation’s funding will support projects, people, and organisations that align with three key areas:
Creative Education - supporting projects that provide young people (ages 0-29) with opportunities to engage in creative activities. This includes funding for workshops in schools, field trips to cultural sites, and the purchase of materials for student engagement. Schools, local authorities, community groups, charities, museum/gallery spaces, educational institutions and arts organisations can apply for a grant of up to £15,000.
Creative Communities - aiding organisations, festivals, fairs and community groups that develop and deliver cultural and creative arts initiatives within their local areas. Charities, community groups, arts organisations and festivals can apply for a grant of up to £15,000.
Creative Individuals - providing individual artists, including those in visual and expressive arts, writers and craftspeople, with funding to support their artistic projects. Artists and practitioners aged over 18 in all creative disciplines can apply for a grant of up to £5,000.
The Foundation also has a £7,000 access support fund designed to fund support workers up to £300 for a day's worth of services for applicants that might face barriers applying without assistance, including being deaf, disabled or neurodivergent.
The fund opened to applications on Monday 1 June 2026 with a deadline of Friday 31 July 2026.
Further information, guidance and details about how to apply is available on the Foundation’s website.