Applications for the RPS Drummond Lockyer Fund for Dance are currently open, and will close at 11am on Wednesday 26 May 2027.

Recognising the challenge and expense of staging dance with live music, we hope the fund will enable practitioners to activate plans that may not otherwise have been possible, making a difference to their progress and profile.

It began life in 2007 as the RPS Drummond Fund in memory of the writer, broadcaster and lifelong dance aficionado Sir John Drummond CBE. In the years since, it has supported a range of collaborations between composers and choreographers, as detailed here. It was set up by John’s long term partner Bob Lockyer OBE, himself a major force in British dance for decades. Sadly Bob died in 2022 and you can read our tribute to him here. In recognition of all Bob himself did, and his relationship with John, the fund now bears a new name: the RPS Drummond Lockyer Fund for Dance.

A generous gift from Bob’s Will has also replenished the fund so that we can continue supporting composers and choreographers for some years to come.

The closing date for applications is 11am on Wednesday 26 May 2027. 

Who can apply?

Applications submitted must have a confirmed composer and choreographer. These grants are for established professional composers based in the UK who have fully launched their career and are no longer in education/training nor applying for development programmes (such as the RPS Composers programme). You may or may not have composed for dance before – and we are enthused to hear from those for whom this would represent exciting new terrain – but you must be able to demonstrate in your application how your music has been positively embraced by significant performers and audiences.

The choreographer should likewise have a strong track record in bringing dance to the stage, and be able to demonstrate that in your application. Within the application, both the composer and choreographer are also asked to submit an account of what the collaboration with each other represents for them. The application itself can be submitted by either of them, or equally by a dance company or producer (including venues and festivals) with proven experience staging dance who will play a central role in the collaboration.

Please note, the RPS Drummond Lockyer Fund is usually for composers and choreographers who have not collaborated before. If the composer and choreographer have worked together before, the application must compellingly express how this project will break major new creative ground for them. Please check with all partners involved before making your application, as multiple applications involving the same composer, choreographer or company may be withdrawn.

As a charity, we are keen to support a wide range of musicians and initiatives. If you have already received any kind of funding from the RPS within three years of the closing date (since May 2024), we ask you not to apply at this time, but if eligible you may do so in a future year once that period has expired.

What can you apply for?

We aim to support a couple of projects in which the composer writes a brand new work, staged by the choreographer, that will feature lives musicians in multiple UK performances. As we only expect to notify applicants of outcomes by August 2027, we recommend that your intended performances do not take place before Autumn 2027. 

Planning may not yet have begun, but is likely already underway to some extent, and we expect the project to reach the UK stage by the end of 2029.

This year we expect to offer around £30,000 in grants. While this could go to one entity outright, we expect it will go to two or three applicants. It is almost certain that such grants will not cover your project costs outright, so in your application you should tell us about other funds secured or that you are hoping to raise to fulfil your aims.

How to apply

Applicants are required to complete our online form, or elect another person to do so on their behalf if needed. In your application you will be asked to provide key information, answer some questions about your initiative (which you can supply in written or simply filmed format), and complete our budget template.

For details on who can apply and how to apply, please read the application guidelines linked here. These provide a step-by-step guide to the process and should address any questions you may have. We encourage you to read them in full before completing our online application form linked below.

Having read the guidelines, if you would like any guidance in making an application, or to establish if your plans are eligible for consideration, please get in touch. In the first instance please contact Emily Porter,
RPS Administrator, by email at  admin@philharmonicsociety.uk or phone on 020 7287 0019.

As noted, the closing date is 11am on Wednesday 26 May 2027.