Culture& announces Sotheby’s scholarship programme 

A new scholarship programme is set to offer full-tuition scholarships and living expenses support for students from diverse backgrounds studying at Sotheby’s Institute of Art.

The Culture Leaders Programme, a joint initiative from arts and culture charity Culture& and Sotheby’s Institute, is the first of its kind in the contemporary art world in the UK.

It will be available to three students from under-represented communities per year from 2023/24 to 2025/26, with the first recipients set to benefit from September.

The scholars must be enrolled on one of the institute’s one-year, full-time Master’s programmes in either contemporary art, art business or fine and decorative art and design.

Each student will also receive a bursary to cover the cost of living in London.

The initiative builds on one of the key recommendations from a 2022 report co-authored by Culture& on ethnic diversity in curatorial roles, which called for specific initiatives that lead to curatorial employment.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Sotheby’s Institute of Art on this ground breaking initiative to nurture the next generation of diverse talent,” Culture& CEO and Artistic Director Dr Errol Francis said.

“Extending the backgrounds of the students who study at this centre of excellence will bring fresh perspectives and creativity into the commercial art sector.”

Sotheby’s Director Dr Jonathan Woolfson added: “We greatly look forward to welcoming a new generation of diverse students into our community. I am confident that in so doing we will be preparing the ground for a new art world of tomorrow.”