the Juliet Gomperts trust

about the trust

The Juliet Gomperts Trust is a small charity which gives financial support to artists who are resident in the UK.

  • We support all forms of contemporary fine art practice through project funding and residencies.
  • We fund a cross section of artists: recent graduates, emerging artists and established artists.
  • We award between six to ten thousand pounds per year.
  • We judge on artistic merit: vision, imagination and skill.

We have been doing this for eighteen years.

Juliet Gomperts

Juliet Gomperts was a lively, interesting, young Londoner who was tragically killed while travelling on the Khyber Pass in Pakistan in October 1989 aged 23. She had completed a foundation course at Chelsea College of Art and was doing further studies in observational drawing at Lahore School of Art with a view to taking a degree in Fine Art.

reclinin man in Lahore

Reclining Figure, Juliet Gomperts, Lahore 1989

The Juliet Gomperts Trust was established and built up by her family and friends. The idea for helping art students to travel came from Juliet's Godfather, the sculptor Nigel Konstam. He offered a two week scholarship to his art school, the Verrocchio Arts Centre in Tuscany where Juliet had started to paint and draw.

Juliet Gomperts View from Casole d'Elsa

View from Casole d'Elsa, Juliet Gomperts, Tuscany

history

The Trust's original aim was to help young students who, like Juliet, had a strong interest in drawing.

1990 The first award was given to Razeea Iqbal, a 19 year old textile student met her future husband whilst in Tuscanny and now a  successful multi-media art practice in Germany.
1995 Janet Konstam awards commence.
1996 The age limit of applicants raised to 45 to attract artists who sustain their practice.
1999 Four week Artist's Residencies replaced two week scholarships.
2002 Project funding introduced in order to support the wider range of artists.
2008 80 awards made to date. Nigel Konstam continues to contribute two weeks' board and lodging at Centro Verrochio as a gift to the trust.