Funding For Art in Churches

Funding for art in churches

We are keen to support this country's long tradition of excellent art in churches. Through the Cottam Will Trust we make grants for new art which furthers religion. This can include, but is not limited to statues, murals, paintings, stained glass, altars and altar frontals. Anyone can apply but we encourage applications from Parochial Church Councils (PCCs), or artists themselves with the backing of the PCC.

Cottam Will Trust

We administer the Cottam Will Trust. This offers grants "For the purchase of objects of beauty to be placed in ancient Gothic churches for the furtherance of religion".

Through the Cottam Will Trust we can make grants for items such as: statues/sculpture, murals, paintings, paschal candlesticks, vestments, Commandment Boards, stained glass, altars and altar frontals.

Grants are normally made for new works of art, but we have funded the purchase of salvaged items.

Anyone can apply for a grant but we tend to get applications from Parochial Church Councils (PCC). Sometimes they come from the artist themselves, with the backing of the PCC.

We are proud of what we have achieved so far, and through Father Cottam’s initial generosity, and prudent house-keeping since, the capital base has grown. This means that we can help many more schemes in the future.

Recent grants

Below are a selection of some recent projects, which the Trust has funded:

In 2020, we granted £3,000 towards the decoration of the reredos at St Michael & All Angels, Berwick, East Sussex.
This Grade I listed church with 12th-century origins, but it’s perhaps best known for its connections with the Bloomsbury Set. During World War II, Bishop Bell of Chichester commissioned the Bloomsbury artists Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell to decorate the interior of this ancient rural church.
The reredos was never decorated, so the PCC have commissioned Julian Bell, grandson of Vanessa and Quentin Bell, to design a depiction of the Downland chalk wildflower meadow with an existing bronze cross designed by David Hensel mounted under the central arch. The proposal references earlier phases of work in theme, tone and colour.
In 2019, we granted £15,000 to St Wilfrid's church, Kelham, Nottinghamshire towards the purchase of a Temple Moore designed organ, which was being relocated from the former Lincoln Theological College.
In 2016 we grant aided two major projects. The new Jesse window by Helen Whittaker at St Mary’s Priory, Abergavenny was unveiled by HRH The Prince of Wales in late July. The window is dedicated in memory of the late Dean Jeremy Winston, a former Trustee of the Friends. Through the Cottam we gave the sum of £42,000 towards the window, the largest amount ever awarded to a single project in the Cottam’s history. Read more about the Jesse Window.

What is eligible?

Established under the will of Father Samuel Elsworth Cottam, who died in 1943 and operated by The Friends from 1977, the Trust exists to give grants towards:

"the purchase, for the advancement of religion, of objects of beauty to be placed in ancient Gothic churches either in England or Wales."

So far we have distributed about 80 grants for statues, murals, paintings, paschal candlesticks, vestments, Commandment Boards, stained glass, altars and altar frontals.

Most items have been new but some have been salvaged.

We take the phrase 'ancient Gothic' to rule out the exclusively post-medieval but as long as the building is recognisably medieval, even if restored, we are likely to accept it as a candidate. We tend to be liberal in interpreting 'the advancement of religion' but are nervous about the purely private memorial.

Trustees hope that any purchase assisted under Cottam would be available for public enjoyment through the church in question being made available for visits outside the hours of divine service.

Please note: we do not fund the purchase of bells or repair projects.

How to apply

Applications should be made in writing and include:

A completed application form, please contact the office to request one;
Drawings or photos of the item and its proposed location;
An explanation of how the proposal is considered to meet the criteria of the Cottam Will Trust;
Copies of the last two audited accounts of the PCC;
An indication that the proposal either has a faculty or is likely to earn one;
An idea of how much the applicant expects to contribute.

Decisions are taken four times a year and are never delegated. Every decision has to go through The Friends Executive Committee. We can give 'steers' where there is uncertainty over whether a scheme would or would not find favour. The Director can explain the timetable for meetings and therefore decision-making.

If you wish to apply for a grant or require further information please contact the office.