The Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship 2023-2024 | Applications are Available Now

Interested and qualified individuals are invited to apply for The Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship. Check the scholarship eligibility, requirement, and how to apply.

The Marten Bequest Traveling Scholarship is open to native-born Australians aged 21-35 (17-35 ballet) who are of outstanding ability and promise in one or more categories of the Arts.

The Marten Bequest is an Australian charitable trust, from which scholarships are awarded by the Australia Council for the Arts on behalf of the trustee, Perpetual Limited. The scholarships are known as the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship or just Marten Bequest Scholarship. The trust was formed from the estate of John Chisholm Marten (1908–1966). The first scholarships were awarded in 1975, when three scholarships were awarded, for ballet, singing and instrumental music.

In 2013, the scholarships were worth A$20,000 each, awarded in nine categories, bring the total prize pool to A$220,000. In 2017, there were 12 scholarships across six categories on offer, worth a total of A$600,000. Perpetual Limited has been the trustee since 2014.

John Marten

John Chisholm Marten (1908–1966), who used Jon Marten as his stage and pen name, was born in the county of Kent, England, migrating to Australia at a young age and living in Sydney for most of his adult life. He trained in Spanish dancing in Spain, before returning to Britain to serve in the merchant navy during World War II. He took up dancing again with Californian dancer Doris Nile, and appeared in a royal gala performance at the Tivoli Theatre, Sydney, in 1954. when Queen Elizabeth II visited Australia. His career was as a performing artist.

Martn co-wrote The Bali Ballet Murders with Cornelius Conyn, which was published in Australia, London and also translated into Dutch and published in the Netherlands. He was also known for his philanthropy and support of the arts. Marten established the trust in order to help young creative artists in several disciplines to pay for their training and study programs.

About The Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship

‘The Martens’, six risings stars of Australia’s arts industry have each won $18,000 to assist them in developing their outstanding artistic talent. Available in nine alternating categories, the two-year Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarships have supported the country’s next generation of leading artists further their work and career,through training and education in Australia or overseas for over thirty years.

The sought-after scholarships (for artists aged 21 – 35 years of age) were available in the categories of acting, painting, sculpture and singing.

The Marten Bequest is one of the most important scholarships in Australia in that it actively supports the development of young Australian artists. The three recipients of this year’s acting scholarships are all exceptional young artists who have demonstrated a high level of excellence and potential to make a positive and exciting contribution to the Australian performing and visual arts.

John Chisholm Marten (1908 – 1966) was born in Kent, England and moved to Australia at a young age, residing in Sydney for his adult life. John Marten was a theatrical artist and well known for his appreciation and support of the arts community.
A strong advocate for the artistic capabilities of young Australians, he understood the costs involved in study and training programs. In light of this, Marten established through a charitable trust, The Marten Bequest.

Travelling scholarships from The Marten Bequest offer talented young artists the chance to explore, study and develop their artistic gifts through travelling either overseas or interstate. The 2007 Award was jointly awarded between Anthony White and Craig Waddell in the category of Painting.

Award Givers: The Australia Council for the Arts

The  Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country’s official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Australian Council for the Arts, with the first members appointed the following year. It was made a statutory corporation by the passage of the Australia Council Act 1975.

The organisation has included several boards within its structure over the years, including more than one incarnation of a Visual Arts Board (VAB), in the 1970s–80s and in the early 2000s.

If you have any questions or would like more information about The Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship, please visit The Australia Council for the Arts page.

Other Important Scholarships for 2023

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• National Chiao Tung University Scholarships 2023 Application Guide
• Eastern Mediterranean University Scholarships 2023 Application Guide

Check and apply for other Scholarships on our website.

Conclusions
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