John Jerwood & Alan Grieve
John Jerwood had started working in the family jewellery business in Hatton Garden, London but after serving in the Second World War, in which he won the M.C., moved to Tokyo, where he married and settled to establish what was to become one of the largest dealerships of cultured pearls in the world. He was domiciled for the rest of his life in Japan, until his death in 1991.
During John Jerwood's lifetime, the Foundation made benefactions principally in the fields of education and music. Since John Jerwood's death, Alan Grieve, who had been on the Council of the Foundation since 1977, has been its Chairman and Director. Since 1991 he has created and shaped the vision for the Jerwood Foundation and established its operations based in central London.
The Jerwood Foundation is dedicated to imaginative and responsible funding and sponsorship of the arts, education and other areas of human endeavour and excellence, particularly supporting artists and young professionals based in the United Kingdom. It has supported a range of activities across the visual and performing arts, as well as film, literature, medicine and some international work in Nepal.
The Jerwood Foundation since 1991
Funding of capital projects bearing the Jerwood name
The Jerwood Foundation has made a number of high profile strategic capital grants reflecting its range of interests in the arts and education. Major grants include those towards the Jerwood Theatres at the Royal Court, the Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre and Jerwood Vanbrugh Rehearsal Space at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the Jerwood Centre for the Prevention and Treatment of Dance Injuries for Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Jerwood Rehearsal Stage at Glyndebourne Opera. The Jerwood Foundation has recently submitted the planning application for the Jerwood Gallery at Hastings, which will be Jerwood's largest and most significant Capital Project to date.
Creation and development of The Jerwood Space
(1997/1998, extended 2006/2007)
In 1997/1998 the Jerwood Foundation established the highly successful Jerwood Space, now the largest dedicated rehearsal space in London, run by its Director, Richard Lee. Its operating principles reflect the aims of the Foundation. The rehearsal spaces are hired on a 'Robin Hood' basis, with major well-financed productions paying full commercial rates, thus enabling the Space to subsidise the work of mid-size and nascent performing arts organisations and individuals. The Space also includes an Art Gallery which shows a rotating series of exhibitions, mainly suppported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation with its Jerwood Visual Arts programme. The Gallery and cafe spaces are hired for conferences, events and exhibitions.
Establishment of the Jerwood Charitable Foundation to undertake revenue grants
(1999) £25,000,000 capital endowment
In 1999 the Jerwood Foundation established the UK based charity, the Jerwood Charitable Foundation, to undertake its revenue grant activity, initially under the Directorship of Roanne Dods, and since 2009 under its new Director Shonagh Manson. Like the Foundation, its aims and goals are to find responsible and imaginative initiatives to support talented professionals in the early years of their careers. Initiatives include: the Jerwood New Playwrights scheme at the Royal Court and the Jerwood Young Director's scheme at the Young Vic, working with the theatres' Artistic Directors; the Jerwood Visual Arts programme of prizes for painting, drawing, sculpture, applied arts, photography and the moving image; as well as support for young designers, composers, singers, choreographers and poetry and non fiction writers.
Creation of the Jerwood art collections
(Jerwood Painting Collection 1993 onwards, Jerwood Sculpture 1999 onwards)
Beyond the capital and revenue grants of the Jerwood Foundation and the Charity, the Foundation has created and installed a collection of 20th and 21st Century sculpture open to the public in the grounds of Ragley Hall, the Warwickshire home of the Marquess and Marchioness of Hertford. Within easy reach of Birmingham, Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon, a large audience is now able to enjoy the collection. The 20th Century and contemporary British picture collections are continuing to grow in size and quality. There is a current policy of lending larger works to Royal Colleges and academic institutions. The majority of the picture collection will go on view to the public in the Jerwood Gallery at Hastings with its planned opening of summer 2011.
Governance and Board Structures
The Jerwood Foundation, Jerwood Charitable Foundation and Jerwood Space operate through separate board structures, but with some of the same personnel involved on the board of each to ensure continuity and consistency of the values, mission and ethos of the Foundation.
Since 1991 the Jerwood Foundation, together with the Jerwood Charitable Foundation, has dispensed over £79.5 million towards their various capital, revenue and endowment projects.