Charlotte Aitken Trust

The Trust supports literary prizes, including the Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Trust Young Writer of the Year and the Forward Poetry Prize, as well as literary festivals, creative writing schemes in schools, playwrights and theatre productions, and infrastructure for cultural institutions such as the Brontë Parsonage Museum. Funding covers project costs, core costs, capacity-building, residencies, and workshops. Beneficiaries include writers, emerging talent, young people, theatre companies, literary charities, and arts organisations across the UK, with a particular emphasis on nurturing literary talent and strengthening cultural infrastructure. The Trust also funds collaborations with established partners to deliver high-impact initiatives in literature and the creative arts.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities based in the UK, with no income thresholds or regional restrictions. The Trust prioritises organisations that enhance literary talent and cultural infrastructure, including theatre companies, literary charities, and arts organisations. It also supports emerging talent and young people through creative writing schemes and residencies. The Trust welcomes unsolicited applications from aligned organisations that share its focus on literature and the creative arts.

The Trust’s focus is exclusively on literature and the creative arts; it does not fund other charitable causes, emergency relief, or unrestricted grants. It also does not support individuals, non-UK organisations, or projects outside the United Kingdom. Applications that fall outside its core mission of advancing public education in literature and promoting the creative arts are not considered.

The Trust provides project funding, core costs, and capacity-building support, often through multi-year partnerships. It values collaborative, high-impact initiatives and works closely with established partners such as literary festivals, theatre companies, and cultural institutions. Support includes residencies and workshops to nurture literary talent. The Trust welcomes unsolicited applications and assesses proposals for alignment with its mission and values.