Arts and music scholarships
Are you a talented musician, writer, performer, filmmaker or artist? Do you want to develop your talents further alongside your studies? Then our Arts and Music Scholarships could be just the thing for you!
What are the Arts and Music Scholarships?
The Arts and Music Scholarships are an extra-curricular award managed by LU Arts. They recognise and reward talent and commitment and provide scholars with bespoke support to further develop their creative practice. They are not linked to academic studies and are not part of the university application process.
What scholarships are available?
We will award up to five scholarships for 2025/26. You can apply for a scholarship in any of the art forms listed below.
|
Art form |
Examples |
|
Creative writing |
The writing or translation of any form of creative writing (including, but not limited to, poetry, fiction and scripts). |
|
Music |
Performance, songwriting, composing and/or production on any instrument (including voice), in any genre. |
|
Performing arts |
Drama, dance, set/prop design, performance art. |
|
Visual arts |
Painting, drawing, ceramics, textiles, crafts, photography, film and animation. |
The examples given are not exhaustive. If you are unsure of whether your skill is suitable, then please email LUArts@lboro.ac.uk to check.
Where we refer to Arts Scholars or Art Scholarships, this includes scholars from any of the art forms listed above. We do not use the term ‘Arts Scholars’ to mean visual arts scholars only.
Find out more about the scholarships under the headings below. Please make sure you read all the information on this page before applying.
What will I get?
For 2025/26, arts scholars will receive a £200 cash prize, split into two payments of £100. The first payment will be before the end of the autumn term 2025. The second payment will follow the Arts Scholars Showcase (May 2026).
The second payment is conditional on meeting the expectations of the scholarship programme. Arts scholars are expected to:
- Attend a scholarship presentation lunch at the Loughborough campus (early December 2025)
- Attend a scholarship catch up lunch at the Loughborough campus (March 2026)
- Take part in the annual Arts Scholars' Showcase at the Loughborough campus (May 2026). Depending on your art form, this may be an exhibition or screening of your work or a performance.
- Help us promote your story and the scholarships via our marketing channels. This will involve working with the LU Arts Digital Marketing Co-ordinator, who will produce suitable content.
Arts scholars will be able to apply for extra funding to help develop your talent – up to £500 each. This could include tuition, mentoring, training and materials. We will send the chosen arts scholars full details of when and how to apply for this funding. The LU Arts team will assess funding applications and funding is not guaranteed.
What is the judging process and criteria?
Your application will be reviewed against the following criteria:
- Your talent
- The commitment you have shown to your chosen artform. This could include making the most of/seeking opportunities, sharing your talents with others, working collaboratively, etc.
- A clear demonstration of how you would benefit from an LU Arts Scholarship.
Please consider these criteria when writing your application.
We want our arts scholars to represent as wide a range of art forms as possible. We also want them to represent the diversity of Loughborough University's student population. We will consider this in our judging.
Applications will be assessed by the LU Arts team, with artform specific guidance sought as necessary. Shortlisted students will be invited to an informal interview (in person or online) to discuss your application further. This may involve a short demonstration of your talent, if appropriate.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in any work that is submitted as part of an arts scholarship application must be declared and its use justified.
Who can apply?
All current Loughborough University students from either campus (Loughborough or London). This includes undergraduate, postgraduate (taught and research) and international students.
LU Arts is committed to inclusivity and representing the student community we serve. We welcome applications from students of all backgrounds.
If you will be on your placement year during 2025/26 then you are not eligible to apply. Previous arts scholarship winners are not eligible to apply again.
If you are due to start at the University in September 2025, you can apply once you have formally accepted your place and met your entry requirements.
If you are a postgraduate student, your studies and/or research should be expected to continue until the end of April 2026.
Relationship to Course
The scholarships are an extra-curricular award and should not be directly linked to the subject(s) you are studying. For example, Fine Art students cannot apply for a visual arts scholarship. Students on the English with Creative Writing BA and Creative Writing and the Writing Industries MA courses cannot apply for a creative writing scholarship, except as a translator.
If you are unsure of your eligibility or have any other questions, then please email LUArts@lboro.ac.uk.
Accessibility
We want our scholarships to be accessible to all students. Application is via a Microsoft online form. However, we welcome applications in different formats e.g. audio, if this is more appropriate for you.
If you would like to discuss any accessibility issues in advance of applying or to discuss how the opportunity can be made inclusive for you, then please email LUArts@lboro.ac.uk or call 01509 222948.
When is the deadline?
Arts Scholarships 2025/26 application deadline: Wednesday 22 October 2025 at 5pm.
We expect to carry out any shortlisting interviews during w/c 10 November 2025.
If you have not heard from us by 17 November, then your application has been unsuccessful. We are unable to provide individual feedback to all applicants. Shortlisted applicants who are not successful will be given individual feedback.
Other key dates:
- Arts scholars presentation lunch*: December 2025 (exact date tbc)
- Deadline for additional funding requests: January 2026
- Arts scholars catch up lunch*: March 2025
- Arts Scholars’ Showcase*: May 2025
We expect all arts scholars to be available for all the events detailed above. Further details and confirmation of dates will be sent out with the offer of a scholarship.
* These events will take place on the Loughborough campus. London students will have their travel costs covered for these events.
How do I apply?
You will need to complete the online application form. Please make sure you have read all the information on this page before completing the form.
Arts and Music Scholarship Q&A (online)
Wednesday 15 October, 12.30-2pm
Drop-in to our online session to ask any questions you might have about our scholarships. This could include questions on eligibility and what to include in your application. Login details for the Teams meeting will be added to this page at the start of the autumn term and booking is not required. You can join and leave this session at any time, you do not need to stay for the whole event.
Testimonials
Hear from some of our 2022/2023 winners below on how the LU Arts Scholarship helped them throughout the year.
Debosmita Paul Choudhury
(Performing arts – Kathak dance)
"The LU Arts Scholarship has been instrumental in my development as a Kathak dancer. It provided me with opportunities to take classes, invest in costumes, and connect with fellow creatives at our university. I had the privilege of performing Kathak outside India for the first time - in Loughborough and London, which boosted my confidence and allowed me to make a significant impact with my art form. It's been a remarkable adventure that has kept me on my toes, both literally and figuratively, and I can't wait to see where it takes me next!"
Theo Dormer
(Music – Accordion/English traditional)
"Despite not following a typical route into music, the LU Arts Scholarship gave me the opportunity to work on music that felt very individual to me and share that with the wider University community. Being part of the scholarship program allowed me to take more time towards developing my music, exploring both new possibilities and traditions which are particularly important to folk music. It also introduced me to a fantastic group of musicians and creatives within the University community and opened up opportunities after the scholarship I would otherwise not have found. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to dedicate more time to furthering their creative practice whilst at university. As a result of collaborating with other musicians through the scholarship, I am delighted that LSU Classical decided to establish a folk ensemble; I look forward to creating more music with them in the future."
Jess Moody
(Creative writing)
"Receiving the LU Arts Scholarship for Creative Writing was a really welcome validation for what’s often quite a solitary craft; particularly as an older writer without experience of a formal writing programme or a peer writing group. This academic year I’ve continued to work on some longer short stories, sharing some of my new work at the Scholars Showcase event. That was the first time I’d ever read my work in public before, and it was wonderful to perform alongside such a talented range of artists.
The Scholarship funding has allowed me to access training, resources and experiences I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to. I now take a regular writing class, where I can work on new material and receive feedback. I’ve attended readings by acclaimed short story writers Wendy Erskine, Ben Okri, and Tessa Hadley at the London Library. I’ll be taking some ‘deep dive’ craft courses on dialogue and plotting. I’m now also equipped with a range of textbooks and essays to inform and inspire my ongoing development as a writer. The Scholarship is going to have a lasting impact on my work, and I’m very grateful to LU Arts for such support. "
