Hearn Foundation

The Hearn Foundation, founded and funded by Peter Hearn—an alumnus of Central Foundation Boys' School—champions equitable access to arts education for underprivileged children and young people, particularly those in London's most deprived communities. Established to counter socioeconomic barriers, its mission harnesses the transformative power of arts to build self-confidence, creativity, teamwork, empathy, and problem-solving skills. Core values emphasize equity, enrichment through creativity, and community impact via high-quality, inclusive programmes, with a distinctive hands-on, partnership-driven approach fostering sustained multi-year commitments alongside institutions like Central Foundation Schools, the Old Vic, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, and Blackheath Halls.

It prioritizes funding arts education, creative enrichment, bursaries for individual tuition and classes, capacity-building projects, and infrastructure like creative hubs—targeting children from the UK's most deprived 10% areas, especially Greenwich, Lewisham, and Islington. Supported activities include drama curricula, Saturday arts schools, public speaking qualifications, and interventions removing cost and postcode barriers, benefiting schools, arts organizations, and cultural institutions delivering long-term, scalable impact for disadvantaged youth.

Eligible applicants are limited to UK-registered charities and academic institutions with proven track records in arts for underserved young people; medium-to-large organizations capable of sustained delivery are favored, with no strict income thresholds or geographic base required, though focus remains London-centric. Unsolicited applications are not accepted—funding is invite-only via trustee outreach, with no deadlines, online forms, or open calls; decisions are adhoc through direct partnerships. Grant sizes range from tens to hundreds of thousands of pounds for multi-year projects, capital, and bursaries. Exclusively arts-focused for underprivileged London youth, it avoids generalist or non-arts causes, differentiating through targeted legacy-building with educational and cultural leaders.