The Tertis Foundation
Charity 1099084
Overview
Summary
The Tertis Foundation appears to be a specialist grantmaking charity centred on the viola, while retaining a deliberately broad charitable remit. Its role may be to strengthen a relatively specific artistic field through education and financial support, potentially linking individual musicians with organisations that serve wider cultural or welfare needs. The combination of global ambitions, arts education and relief of hardship suggests a foundation designed to support both artistic development and the conditions that enable musicians to sustain their work.
Operational geography
Coverage: National
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- The Charity Commission currently lists Birmingham City among the places where the foundation operates, but does not identify a Birmingham ward, neighbourhood, venue, grant recipient or service location. This supports Birmingham-level operational reach through grant-making, but cannot be mapped reliably to any supplied ward.
- The available direct evidence does not establish a current physical operating site in Birmingham. The registered office is in London and should not be treated as a Birmingham service site.
- A Royal Birmingham Conservatoire source confirms that the foundation was a partner in the Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition in 2020, but this is historical evidence and is insufficient to confirm an ongoing Birmingham partnership in 2026.
- The foundation's charitable objects permit worldwide activity, but this is not evidence that it currently operates internationally. Its current Charity Commission return identifies Birmingham City, Gateshead, Lancashire and throughout London; this dispersed English footprint supports a national rather than neighbourhood, district or citywide classification.
Additional evidence needed
- The trustees' report and grant schedule for the financial year ended 31 March 2025, or a later annual report, identifying current grant recipients and the locations of funded activity.
- Confirmation from The Tertis Foundation or current Birmingham-based partners of any active grants, programmes, events or institutional relationships in Birmingham.
- Confirmation of any current Birmingham venue or delivery partner and the recognised geographic area in which activity takes place, sufficient to map activity to a supplied ward or recognised place.
Areas of work
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Education/training
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
Who they help
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Makes Grants To Individuals
- Makes Grants To Organisations
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A specialist focus within a broad mandate
The Foundation appears to use the viola as a distinctive centre of gravity, rather than operating as a general arts funder. At the same time, its objects allow it to pursue a much wider range of charitable purposes.
Why it matters
This helps distinguish a potentially field-building organisation from a conventional general-purpose arts charity: it may hold unusually relevant knowledge, networks or credibility within viola education and performance.
Show evidence
“The principal objects of the Charity are to promote education in the Arts anywhere in the world for the public benefit, including without limitation by promoting education in the music for and playing of the Viola.”
Source:Organisation“Education/training, The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty, Arts/culture/heritage/science.”
Source:Charity Commission
Artistic support and welfare support are intentionally connected
The Foundation may understand musicians' development and musicians' financial or health-related vulnerability as connected rather than separate concerns.
Why it matters
This suggests it could occupy a bridging role between cultural development and welfare provision, especially where artistic opportunity is constrained by sickness, poverty or distress.
Show evidence
“Alleviate sickness, poverty and distress anywhere in the world, including without limitation the alleviation of the sickness, poverty and distress of musicians.”
Source:Charity Commission“Makes Grants To Individuals, Makes Grants To Organisations.”
Source:Charity Commission
Potentially positioned as a connector, not only a funder
By funding both individuals and organisations, the Foundation may be able to support immediate personal need alongside the institutions, training routes or voluntary bodies that sustain artistic communities.
Why it matters
This dual grantmaking model could enable complementary interventions and make the Foundation a useful prospective partner for music education, musician-support and arts-sector organisations.
Show evidence
“Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies, The General Public/mankind.”
Source:Charity Commission“Makes Grants To Individuals, Makes Grants To Organisations.”
Source:Charity Commission
- Whether grants are primarily directed to viola-related activity, wider music, or other charitable purposes.
- Which countries, communities, organisations or individual musicians currently benefit.
- Whether hardship grants are a substantial operational programme or a reserve power within the objects.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent grant lists showing recipients, amounts, locations and purposes.
- Annual reports or strategy documents describing priorities, selection criteria and partnerships.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
The principal objects of the Charity are to promote education in the Arts anywhere in the world for the public benefit, including without limitation by promoting education in the music for and playing of the Viola
Charity objects
A) PROMOTE EDUCATION IN THE ARTS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION BY PROMOTING EDUCATION IN THE MUSIC FOR AND PLAYING OF THE VIOLA B) ALLEVIATE SICKNESS, POVERTY AND DISTRESS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE ALLEVIATION OF THE SICKNESS, POVERTY AND DISTRESS OF MUSICIANS C) FURTHER ANY PURPOSES WHICH MAY BE CHARITABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AND WALES FROM TIME TO TIME AS THE COMPANY MAY DECIDE