The Hinrichsen Foundation

Overview

Their Values

The Hinrichsen Foundation was established in 1976 to support new, contemporary, and experimental music. They believe that quality and diversity are inextricably connected both to the music created and its being made public. Musical quality is conditioned by the diversity of audiences – in experience as well as identity. And the quality of audiences – their openness to encountering the new and unfamiliar – is conditioned by musical diversity, the variety of music as well as the composers and musicians presented. In this spirit, they aim to balance the distribution of their funds both in and beyond London, including supporting work in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The Foundation recognises that such care for both the music and the conditions of its experience can be challenging. They therefore rely on robust discussion amongst their diverse Trustees to reach collective judgement in prioritising work that they fund. They aim continually to inform themselves by attending events and keeping their ears to the ground, and to share good examples of practice through their public-facing and community-oriented activities.

What they fund

They give grants for the performance, commissioning and recording of contemporary and experimental music in the UK.

Grant Types:

• One-off project grants (applications accepted at September, December, and March rounds):
• Generally range from £500 to £3,000.
• Multi-year partnerships (applications accepted at May round only):
• Application guidance will be released approximately 3 months before the deadline, but this strand of funding is designed to support partnerships to develop longer-term and strategic goals. 

Eligibility:

• Applicants must be based in the United Kingdom. Priority will be given to projects involving composers and activity based in the UK, though activity does not have to solely take place in the UK. 
• Applications may come from individuals, organisations, or charities.
• Projects must focus on the performance, commissioning (with confirmed performance) and/or recording of contemporary music.
• Links to the requested supporting information must be active and accessible to Trustees. Broken or password-protected links may disadvantage your application or result in it being rendered ineligible. 
• The Hinrichsen Foundation rarely supports applications where it is the sole funder of the work. Applicants are expected to indicate another source of income (either secured or projected e.g. ticket sales). 
• Applications for research or composer competition funding will not be considered.
• Applications from undergraduates will not be accepted.
• The Trustees do not reconsider applications that have previously been unsuccessful.

Aims and Criteria for Multi-Year Partnerships

Applications for Multi-Year Partnerships (only accepted in May 2025 round) should:

• Align with The Hinrichsen Foundation’s values and objectives for contemporary and experimental music.
• Establish stable and valuable contributions to the UK’s new music ecology.
• Provide or create shared resources that benefit the wider new music community.
• Demonstrate and promote effective practices that balance quality and diversity in production and reception.
• Outline clear potential impact on the contemporary music scene in the United Kingdom. Partnerships should aim to achieve at least regional, if not national, impact.
• Express a clear programme of activity and project timeline, parameters, and outputs. Incomplete or unclear applications may be declined.

The Foundation regards this part of its funding as strategic and would therefore welcome an active dialogue with successful applicants over the course of their programme of work. They aim to conduct a light touch review of funded partnerships at the end of each year of support.

Applicants can request up to £10K per annum for up to 3 years.

See webpage for further Guidance.

Aims and Criteria for Project Grants:

Applications for Project Grants should:

• Align with The Hinrichsen Foundation’s values and objectives for contemporary and experimental music.  
• Express a clear programme of activity and project timeline, parameters, and outputs. Incomplete or unclear applications may be declined.
• Deliver high-quality projects for diverse audiences, prioritising cultivation of less familiar and experimental music appreciation.
• Embrace artistic risks and diversity.
• Encourage thoughtful collaboration among composers, musicians, and project leads.
• Ensure fair payment for composers and musicians, particularly in larger organisations. The foundation recognises grassroots initiatives may have a model closer to a profit or deficit share.
• Demonstrate the financial need and feasibility of the proposed project. The Foundation encourages the formation of partnerships and in-kind support for project success.

Trustee decisions are final. Re-applications for the same project will not be considered. The track record of the applicant in organising and executing similar projects may be taken into consideration (if applicable).

Additional Considerations

• They welcome applications that take artistic risks, promote diversity, and consider how this work can be sustained. Work that involves collaboration across artforms and disciplines is welcomed.
• Projects should involve thoughtful collaboration between composers, musicians, and those responsible for making this public. Projects that are composer- or artist-led are encouraged.
• Projects should pay composers and musicians responsibly, especially where projects are led by larger organisations (with turnover of £150K or more). 
• The Foundation encourages applicants to seek additional sources of funding and disclose them in the application. Projects without proper budget planning and consideration of ticket income, recording revenue, or other external income are unlikely to succeed.
• They want their contribution to projects to make a difference. Applications for small grants from large organisations may not be prioritised. 
• Applications for projects that focus on music education and music in healthcare must demonstrate their artistic focus.
• All projects – including recordings – should have a clear plan for promotion and for cultivating listeners.
• Trustees may request additional information or revisions to the application before making a final decision.