Haworth Charitable Trust

The Haworth Charitable Trust has supported Fine Art education at the University of Salford since 2012, and we are extremely proud of our partnership.

Our aim was to provide the future artists of the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology with exceptional and informative experiences that enable them to experiment and perfect their practice.

Thanks to the generosity of the Haworth Trust, we have been able to introduce three new programmes: the Life Drawing Series, the Haworth Trust Undergraduate Scholarship, and the Haworth Figurative Art Graduate Scholarship Programme, to inspire our students to pursue traditional skills and improve their technical proficiency.

The Haworth Life Drawing Series

Drawing not only provides a foundational discipline for students on a range of creative courses at Salford but is a crucial means of communicating, recording, observing, and understanding the world.

The Haworth Life Drawing Series launched in 2014, providing students from the School of Arts, Media & Creative Technology with the opportunity to enhance their skillset and devote more time to drawing, painting and sculpture as they experiment with a variety of mediums, techniques and styles.

Haworth Trust’s generosity has enabled us to develop an annual programme which consists of 20 drawing sessions over two semesters, including two intensive workshops and an exhibition.

Harold Riley with life drawing students at the Haworth Charitable Trust

To deliver this programme effectively, we created a new drawing studio; purchased easels, drawing donkeys, drawing boards and clips; and invested in specialist plaster drawing casts and a new full-size skeleton to support an understanding of anatomy.

Many of our students come from socio-economically deprived backgrounds, so the ability to attend a class with the knowledge that all necessary materials are available is crucial to their development.

Haworth line drawing of seated model

The Haworth Life Drawing Exhibition & Prizes

As part of the Haworth Life Drawing Series, we also offer students the opportunity to gain professional experience by participating in an annual exhibition.

Students not only display a selection of their work but have the chance to win a monetary prize to travel and study excellent pieces of art in major museums and galleries across Europe.

With thanks to the Haworth Trust, over ten students have been awarded one of these life-changing prizes.

The Haworth Trust Undergraduate Scholarship

One of the biggest hurdles for our undergraduate students is finance, and those who come from low-income backgrounds often struggle to buy basic materials such as canvas, stretchers, pigments, and mediums.

The Haworth Trust Undergraduate Scholarship was established in 2020 to support students working in a traditional or figurative discipline to improve the quality of their work. The Scholarship is available to students in Level 5 or 6 and includes a mentoring meeting with BA (Hons) Fine Art Programme Leader and Haworth Trust Life Class Tutor, Chris Clements, and a monetary award to purchase artist quality materials.

For the 2020/2021 academic year, five Salford students were awarded one of these scholarships:

The Haworth Figurative Art Graduate Scholarship Programme

The Haworth Trust also support and fund The Haworth Figurative Art Graduate Scholarship Programme, a 12-month scheme managed by the University of Salford Art Collection.

The programme launched in 2018 and was established to support Salford Graduates in the crucial yet difficult first year after graduation; the scholarship provides artists with the means to rent studio space or purchase the necessary resources to experiment, take risks and produce work of a high standard.

Ovie Kings Iruru painting from the 'Melodies of Life' exhibition in Manchester

Artist Ovie was the inaugural recipient of The Haworth Figurative Art Graduate Scholarship Programme and used the award to rent a studio at Mirabel Studios in Manchester. Ovie benefited greatly from the experience, building up a network of contacts over the year where he gained a true sense of direction as an artist.

Ovie's work often incorporates his African background, integrating contemporary African art and culture into the international art scene. His first solo exhibition, titled “Melodies of Life” was held at Chuck Gallery Manchester in May 2019.

Figurative Art Graduate Scholars

Helena, 2021

Ethan, 2020

Tayiba, 2020

Amy, 2019

We would like to thank the Haworth Trust for providing our students with incredible opportunities - your generosity not only enhances their student experience but inspires them to achieve their dreams.