The Arts Foundation have announced the five recipients of The Arts Foundation Futures Awards £10,000 Fellowships as: Jazz Composition: Daniel Casimir, Regenerative Design: Rhea Thomas, Short Documentary Film: Cherish Oteka, Theatre Writing: Tatenda Shamiso, Visual Art: Rebecca Bellantoni
The five winning Fellows were revealed at an Award Ceremony on 28th February 2024 at the Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, featuring a special welcome address from British playwright, Roy Williams and the premiere performance of John Barber’s new choral composition, F*ck/Dystopian Loneliness.
The annual Arts Foundation Futures Awards support the UK’s most promising artists and creatives at a pivotal moment in their career, providing £65,000 in unconditional grant funding, awarding five transformative £10,000 Fellowships, with all Shortlisted Artists receiving £1,000 towards the development of their practice.
Jazz Composition Fellow: Daniel Casimir
Daniel Casimir is a composer, producer and bassist. He released his debut album “Boxed In” in 2021. The album merges the sound of ‘New UK Jazz’ with classical orchestration and was named ‘Top Albums for 2021’ by Vinyl Factory. The album also saw Daniel being named “Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year” by Jazz FM. Daniel’s latest project, “Balance” will be released by Jazz re:freshed in June 2024.
The Jazz Composition Award jury member Soweto Kinch, Saxophonist, composer, poet, MC, and producer, who presented the award said: “Daniel Casimir is an extraordinary musician and bandleader – not only envisaging new grand work but who has already created an impressive body of material. As someone on the cusp of developing new pathways to both jazz and classical music, I’m certain Daniel’s unique compositional approach and the time to develop his orchestral writing will yield some groundbreaking results.”
Regenerative Design Fellow: Rhea Thomas
Rhea Thomas is a transdisciplinary designer and climate innovator. Rhea’s extensive work in biomaterials includes Seasprout, a material utilising prawn waste from the seafood industry to make fertilising seed trays; and Shrimpak, an alternative to single-use food packaging made from Chitosan – a sugar derived from the outer skeleton of shellfish. Rhea has been selected to be a part of the World Design Organization, Young Designers Circle for 2023-25 with the World Design Congress being hosted in London in 2025 on the theme, Design for Planet. She is also set to take part and showcase her work at the Surface Design Show 2024 and Milan Design Week 2024.
The Regenerative Design Award jury member Professor Mirella Di Lorenzo, Professor of Biochemical Engineering and Associate Dean International for the Faculty of Engineering and Design, Bath University, who presented the award said: “Rhea Thomas’ work is most compelling, both the rigour and presentation of her work are outstanding. Rhea has a really strong understanding and was able to articulate very clearly the environmental and social benefits of her design interventions.”
Short Documentary Film Fellow: Cherish Oteka
Cherish Oteka is a documentary filmmaker who is passionate about telling universal stories through the lens of often erased communities. In 2022 Cherish won a BAFTA for Best Short Film in the 2022 BAFTA Film Awards and was recently named a Breakthrough Creator by Vimeo. Cherish has recently finished shooting her first feature-length documentary about the Gay Games, exploring the athletes and the organisers as they attend and celebrate a much-needed space for LGBTQ+ affirming competition.
The Short Documentary Film Award jury member Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning BBC, Documentaries, who presented the award said: “In Cherish Oteka I think we have found, a compelling and visionary documentary filmmaker. As a self-starter who already produces and directs their own work, we are thrilled to fuel Cherish’s focus and fire as an outstanding creative practitioner.”
Theatre Writing Fellow: Tatenda Shamiso
Tatenda Shamiso is a London-based writer, director, theatre-maker and musician with origins from Zimbabwe, Belgium, the United States and Switzerland. He recently won the Emerging Talent Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2023 for his performance in NO ID. Tatenda is currently working on two new plays and developing a television adaptation of his solo show. He also recently joined the For Black Boys company as Associate Director at The Garrick Theatre. The play, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy, runs until 4 May 2024.
The Theatre Writing Award jury member Vicky Featherstone, previously Artistic Director of the Royal Court, who presented the award said, “Tatenda’s work and belief stood out among a really talented group of artists. What struck me was the careful balance of accomplishment, joy and hard won experiences and I am so excited to see where he will go next. This award hopefully gives him some time to choose those next steps.”
Visual Art Fellow: Rebecca Bellantoni
Rebecca Bellantoni is an artist who draws from everyday occurrences and abstracts them. She works across moving image, installation, performance, photography, textiles, printmaking, sculpture, sound-text, and ceramics. Bellantoni’s recent projects include Condition the roses, accept the vision. C.R.Y (REVISED), Tate Britain, London (2023); La Position de l’Amour, CNAC Magasin, Grenoble (2023); In the house of my love, Brent Biennial, London (2022); Frieze Live London (2021). Rebecca’s debut institutional solo exhibition will open at the De La Warr Pavillion in Bexhill on Sea on 22 June 2024.
The Visual Art Award jury member Adelaide Bannerman, Curatorial Director of Tiwani Contemporary, who presented the award said, “Rebecca Bellantoni’s movements and gestures in public and private space have intrigued me for some time now. I find her meditations raw, complex and compelling which belies her works’ outward ordinariness.”
The awards mark over 30 years of the Arts Foundation’s support for independent artists in the UK since it was founded in 1993, and whose alumni include eminent artistic practitioners, such as Wayne McGregor, Ali Smith, Asif Kapadia, Rufus Norris, Carol Morley and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.
Mary Jane Edwards, Director of The Arts Foundation said:
“From blending jazz with classical music, making regenerative seed trays, to telling important stories about identity and place – the creative ingenuity, determination and focus of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards Fellows never ceases to amaze us. The UK is host to so many extraordinary artistic practitioners, but as a result of over a decade of austerity measures, I think the arts and cultural sector is starting to ask itself important questions about how to best support independent artists and freelancers. We’re really proud to have been championing this area of work and supporting the livelihoods of creatives for over 30 years. We have no doubt all the artists and fellows will have a significant impact on our shared cultural life.”
The Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2024 Shortlisted Artists included:
Jazz Composition: Romarna Campbell, Jas Kayser and Luca Manning, Regenerative Design: William Eliot, Aurélie Fontan and Emma Money, Short Documentary Film: Jessica Bishopp, Rosie Morris and Kateryna Pavlyuk, Theatre Writing: Safaa Benson-Effiom, Laurie Motherwell and Yomi ?ode, Visual Art: Dan Guthrie, Alexi Marshall and Rafa? Zajko.
You can explore the work of all the Fellows and the Shortlisted Artists on The Arts Foundation here: artsfoundation.co.uk
