ANNIVERSARY FUND

With the creation of this fund the DAS is responding to

• The historic underfunding of the decorative arts compared to the fine arts
• The need to sustain and develop curatorial skills and public collections as state and local authority funding is being heavily reduced.

What we will do

The Anniversary Fund will develop the DAS’s recent policy to support scholars, acquisitions and display with

• Bursaries to professionals, researchers and postgraduate students for

  (i) travel connected with research, which might be publicised by the DAS (eg in Journal or newsletter articles)

  (ii) travel related to preparation for an exhibition or reinstallation of collections

• Financial support for museum acquisitions in the decorative arts post 1850.

• Two annual Collection Access Grants awarded to publicly funded or charitable trust museums to improve access to and presentation of existing collections.

• The Trustees will also consider applications for other grants from the Fund that fall within the parameters of the interests of the DAS.

How we will do it

The Anniversary Fund

• Responds to a need that is likely to continue, and so will have an ongoing role
• Makes grants recommended by a committee of members which includes DAS Trustees, academics and curators and reported in the newsletter, on the website and at the AGM
• Will receive funding from the DAS’s own reserves generated by a surplus on events
• Depends on donations for its other main source of finance for its grants.

For details of past awardees from the Anniversary Fund look at Award History in the Grants section of this website.