Elizabeth and Daniel Peltz OBE fund new scholarships in the School of Arts
A £75,000 gift will enable multiple students to undertake a postgraduate course at Birkbeck over the coming years, thanks to the generosity of Elizabeth and Daniel Peltz.
A generous £75,000 gift from Elizabeth and Daniel Peltz OBE will provide funding for several scholarships in the School of Arts. The Peltz Scholarships will be open to prospective students applying to study for a Master’s Degree in the School of Arts, and will be awarded based on the strength of the applications received, with the School looking for students with outstanding academic achievements and excellent promise.
Elizabeth and Daniel Peltz are strong advocates of the value of arts education, with Daniel having studied for his own MA in Renaissance Studies at Birkbeck in 2009.
Daniel, who was made a Fellow of the College in 2015, said: “I know from experience how enriching studying the arts at Birkbeck can be, so I’m thrilled to be able to help a new cohort to begin their own studies here. I hope that these scholarships provide valuable support as the students pursue their ambitions in the arts, and that they get as much out of their courses as I did.”
The couple’s generosity has extended across the College’s research, students and facilities. Alongside funding scholarships in the School of Arts, they also provided funds for the creation of the Peltz Gallery in 2013 and more recently, towards the Wohl Wolfson ToddlerLab, which will open in 2019 to investigate the cognitive processes of young children.
Professor Anthony Bale, Dean of the School of Arts, said: “It is vital that people of different backgrounds are represented across the arts and the creative industries, but this diversity is currently limited by the scarcity of funding across the arts sector, which is unfortunately particularly pronounced in postgraduate courses throughout the UK. Scholarships ensure that the merits of arts subjects are valued and that the most talented students are able to research and practise across their many disciplines, regardless of their financial background. We’re hugely grateful to Elizabeth and Daniel for their support and we look forward to welcoming the first of these new scholars to Birkbeck next year.”
Anna Cottle, one of 11 students who have previously received a Peltz Scholarship, said: “Friends and colleagues highly recommended Birkbeck’s MA History of Art and its lecturers, and as a full-time worker with another part-time job, the flexibility of Birkbeck’s timetable was an important factor in my choice to study here. When I finish my studies at Birkbeck, I hope to go on to do a PhD.
“I am extremely grateful for my scholarship; without it, I would not have been able to do this course. The funding has paid the majority of my fees which I would never have been able to cover on my salary. I would like to thank Elizabeth and Daniel Peltz for helping people like me to experience something like this when it would otherwise be impossible.”
Further Information
- Find out more and apply. The scholarships are open to applicants for any postgraduate course in the School of Arts, with preference being given to students studying in the areas of Literature, History of Art, Renaissance Studies and Victorian Studies.
- Daniel Peltz OBE