Trusts & Foundations

NCW helps families, young people and schools to create, engage and learn about creative writing. Our programmes include workshops, touring activities in schools, a youth creative festival, and free learning resources. In 2024/25:

• 4,174 children and young people took part in NCW activities, double 2023/24.
• 82 learning institutions and all 47 Norfolk libraries engaged.
• 16 school visits, 18 out of school workshops and 22 free family drop-in days.

The Stephen Spender Trust is a long-standing supporter for our translators in schools activity. The Trust shares NCW’s commitment to using creative writing and translation to enrich the education of young people. We use a place-based approach, reaching 21 West Norfolk schools, has been kindly supported by King’s Lynn Guildhall Trust, West Norfolk Lives Trust and Audrey Muriel Stratford Charitable Trust:

• “Incredibly inspiring, cannot wait to put everything into practice in the classroom”.
• “Amazing project to deliver since 50% of pupils are English as an Additional Language”.

The Hawthornden Foundation underpins NCW’s international artistic programming. This programme encompasses residencies; commissions; international collaboration; in-person and
online events seasons working with writers and translators; and our talent development
programme supporting emerging literary translators.

• World leading Emerging Translator Mentorship programme (mentees pictured at London Book Fair 2025) helps emerging translators hone their craft and navigate the publishing industry.
• A residency programme onsite and virtually offers 30+ writing and tranlsations residencies per year for UK and international artists.
• We nurture exchange and conversation via The Global Page events and commissions and the International Literature Exchange: an industry-adjacent programme which showcases UK talent globally and connects international literary professionals to meet common challenges and find modes to collaborate.

At the heart of our community programmes are connection and story sharing. Working with partners such as New Routes Integration and Age UK Norwich, we empower marginalised communities through creative workshops – giving people newfound confidence, social connection and skills, whilst also celebrating our shared heritage in Norwich, UNESCO City of Literature.

‘It has been brilliant to watch our young people grow in confidence in sharing their writing and using their own creative ideas’ – New Routes Integration.

Through its support of Stories from the Quarter and Stepping Into Dragon Hall, the National Lottery Heritage Fund helped enabled NCW to work with local communities to document and reimagine stories of Norwich’s Bengali and Shyleti speaking communities.

Activities with and for communities have been further supported by D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, Linbury Trust and Norfolk Community Foundation.

Every year, we commission hundreds of writers to produce new work and enjoy bespoke talent development opportunities for emerging literary artists.

By supporting Escalator New Writing Fellowships, the Amazon Literary Partnership helps us to support new and emerging writers. Through bespoke mentoring over an extended period, underrepresented writers develop bold new stories that may otherwise go unheard. By directly connecting authors to publishing sector contacts and showcasing them to agents and publishers, Escalator is a proven catalyst for publication and critical recognition.

‘My mentor quickly cut to the core of what I’m trying to do and is giving me the best chance of success with expert insight and enthusiastic support. I’m working on my novel with real confidence that I’m going in the right direction.’ – Escalator Writer.

Escalator is further supported by Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society, Garrick Charitable Trust, Golsoncott Foundation, the Reeves Award, Laura Kinsella Foundation and public donors.