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 - a program which would award funding to talented Australians so they could explore and develop their artistic gifts either abroad and/or interstate.

The Scholarships are awarded annually to candidates who show great promise in the arts and literature, with nine scholarship categories available, offered over alternate years:

• Acting
• Architecture
• Ballet
• Instrumental music
• Painting
• Poetry
• Prose
• Sculpture
• Singing.

Scholarship funds can be used to assist with study programs, professional training courses and/or mentor programs.

2012 Scholarships

The categories for 2012 scholarships include architecture, ballet, instrumental music, poetry and prose.

Are you eligible?

To be eligible for this award, you must be a native-born Australian aged 21-35 (17-35 for ballet) at the closing date of entries.

The scholarship’s value

Scholarships each worth $20,000, payable over two years with funds paid in quarterly instalments of $2,500. The total pool of money is $100,000.