The Denne Gilkes Memorial Fund was established in 1972 to assist students of music and drama living in or near to Stratford-upon-Avon. Although the Fund’s resources are small, relatively modest scholarship grants have been found to make a considerable difference to the recipient’s future often by supplementing help available from other sources.
The Fund also has a selection of instruments available on loan.
Scholarship Grants
The Committee considers the widest variety of proposals and is anxious not to limit initiative by creating categories. Examples of the kinds of activity which might benefit from the Fund include (but are not limited to):
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the purchase of equipment and instruments
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fees for special lessons with eminent teachers
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fees, travel costs and accommodation expenses to attend courses
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the purchase of books and scores for study purposes
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visits to festivals to compete or observe
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sponsorship of recitals for young performers
Instruments
The Fund has a small stock of musical instruments, including violins, violas, a cello and bassoons, which it loans on an annual basis, for a maximum period of three years. This may be of interest to students keen to continue playing after leaving school, but without the necessary funds to purchase a good quality instrument. The Committee meets periodically and will always endeavour to give quick consideration to an urgent request.
The rules of the Fund, as registered with the Charity Commissioners under No. 502269, define its objects as:
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The advancement of the education of young persons in music and drama
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Assistance of such young persons in need
Within the general scope of these objectives, the trustees of the Fund have wide powers of discretion to make grants to those studying and practising music and drama. In general, the trustees aim to supplement help available from other sources. The trustees also favour making a contribution toward the cost of schemes proposed rather than meeting the whole cost.
The Denne Gilkes Memorial Fund is based in Stratford-upon-Avon and preference will be given to applicants within that area of the Midlands.
The Fund gives annual prizes for music and drama to a number of local schools. In 2017, in memory of one of the Fund's founders and former Chairman, it created the Guy Woolfenden Prize for Conducting awarded annually to a student at thee Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. In 2022 this was given to Isaac Boulter.
"The support from the Woolfenden Conducting prize will prove invaluable to me at this early stage in my career. Access to scores is one of the key parts in improving my versatility as a conductor and I cannot give enough thanks to the Denne Gilkes Fund in allowing me to progress in this field. I only hope that we can all go on to support musicians and the arts for years to come." Tom Stoneman
Each year the Michael Tubbs Masterclass is given in Stratford-upon-Avon in memory of another long-standing trustee of the Fund.
In 2018 this was given by violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen, in 2019 by baritone Roderick Williams in 2021 by Annie Tyson, an expert on drama college auditions and in 2022 by the internationally-renowned pianist Peter Donohoe (see right).