What is the Genesis Foundation?

"We are about nurturing talent and providing a safe place for people to discover how to fulfil that talent after they have had the opportunity to learn their basic graft.  We are about the process of development.

If, in ten years' time, one artist has produced one successful work with the help of knowledge they gained while being supported by the Genesis Foundation - then we will have succeeded."
John Studzinski, chairman

The Genesis Foundation is a UK-based charity set up by American banker John Studzinski in 2001 to find creative talents of the future.  It aims to nurture emerging artists in the early stages of their professional careers.  Genesis does this by providing supportive environments in which they can develop and grow to their full potential. Mentoring by established professionals is an important part of the process.

Genesis works collaboratively with established institutions who create projects that give essential support and mentoring  to the developing artists for our various programmes. They also identify and select rising talent.

Current collaborative schemes include: OperaGenesis developed with ROH2 for the Royal Opera House; the Genesis Directors Project at the Young Vic; International Playwrights at the Royal Court Theatre and Genesis LAMDA scholarships. The relevant institution provides the infrastructure and the administration for the projects as well as serving as the first port of call for the aspiring artists who wish to join one of the programmes.

Genesis also initiates individual commissions at its discretion when the occasion arises.

The Genesis ethos includes building networks of people working in all the creative and performing art forms so that they can learn from one another and so that cross-fertilization of ideas and experience can be achieved.

Genesis actively supports creativity across a variety of arts forms and it is committed to building on its portfolio of emerging professionals in the arts.

In total, The Genesis Foundation has now awarded scholarships and bursaries to 19 young artists in four different areas of creative excellence: Photography (1), acting (16), ballet (1) and musical performance (1).

For further information please visit:

• OperaGenesis
• Young Vic Directors
• Royal Court Theatre
• Lamda