The STARTS Award is a creative talent development programme for the UK Armed Forces Community. Anyone within this community (serving & ex-service personnel & their families 18+) can apply.

Our mission is to foster fairer access to and greater representation within the Arts industry for emerging visual artists and writer/performers from the UK military community.

We provide professional training & knowledge as well as the opportunity to gain professional performance/exhibition experience in your chose specialty.

"Usually, my life centres around medical problems & trauma, but to get a positive message that something that I had done had sparked an interest in my art & voice felt like a door to a brighter future had opened"

- Award Winner 2023
"The STARTS Award has been life changing for me. I have not just made friends, I have made family."

- Award Winner 2023
"Making art can enable people to take greater Responsibility for their own health & well-being … & improve the quality of life by bringing greater joy"

- artsandwellbeing.org

"Usually, my life centres around medical problems & trauma, but to get a positive message that something that I had done had sparked an interest in my art & voice felt like a door to a brighter future had opened"

"The STARTS Award has been life changing for me. I have not just made friends, I have made family."

"Making art can enable people to take greater Responsibility for their own health & well-being … & improve the quality of life by bringing greater joy"