The RL Belitsos Charitable Arts Endowment

Initial Program Proposals

Brief introduction

About

The RL Belitsos Charitable Arts Endowment is a privately funded 501 c(3) supporting the creation, exhibition, and study of the visual and performing arts through targeted grants and collaborative initiatives.

Brief introduction

By identifying and partnering with community organizations and educational institutions, the Endowment fosters creativity, broadens artistic access, and promotes innovative cultural development for current and future generations.

Advanced Study Programs

Dedicated to supporting established, non-degree training opportunities in the arts. These craft training programs, while not formally accredited, are widely recognized for their excellence and provide specialized, advanced instruction in disciplines such as ballet, painting, and other fine arts. By championing these rigorous and highly selective programs, the charity seeks to foster artistic mastery beyond traditional academic pathways. This initiative ensures that exceptional artists have access to world-class training regardless of institutional affiliation.

Emerging Program Grants

The Emerging Program Grants initiative is dedicated to supporting the development of new and innovative programs in the arts and architecture. These grants provide critical funding and resources to help emerging initiatives establish themselves, refine their curricula, and gain broader recognition. By investing in forward-thinking educational models, the charity fosters groundbreaking approaches that expand access to artistic and architectural training. This initiative ensures that promising programs receive the support needed to thrive and make a lasting impact.

Formal Educational Scholarship

The Formal Educational Scholarships initiative within the RL Belitsos Charity provides financial assistance to students pursuing degrees in the arts and architecture at accredited institutions. These scholarships are designed to remove financial barriers, ensuring that talented individuals have access to high-quality education and the opportunity to refine their craft. By investing in the next generation of artists and architects, the charity aims to cultivate excellence and innovation within these fields. This initiative supports emerging talent, enabling scholars to develop their skills and contribute meaningfully to the artistic and architectural landscape.

Supporting Excellence in Ballet Education and Training
The RLB Fund is committed to nurturing the next generation of ballet artists by providing scholarships and grants to students attending world-renowned programs and institutions, including:

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School - American Ballet Theatre

A prestigious institution offering rigorous pre-professional training for young ballet dancers.
Focuses on developing technical and artistic excellence in students aged 12–17.

American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive

A comprehensive program for mature ballet artists to refine their skills through master classes and specialized coaching.

Well Ranked Ballet Conservatories and Academies

Examples include:

The Royal Ballet School (UK)

The Paris Opera Ballet School (France)

Local and Emerging Ballet Training Programs

Supporting regional academies and community-based ballet initiatives to foster talent across diverse backgrounds.
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Architecture Support Focus Area
Goal: Fostering Innovation and Excellence in Architectural Education

The RLB Fund is looks at many potential programs to tailor support programs around, those listed below are leading contenders supporting the education and growth of aspiring architects, renowned for their contributions to architectural thought and practice. They include:

Illinois Institute of Technology – College of Architecture

Founded during the modernist movement and originally led by Mies van der Rohe, IIT continues to challenge traditional design paradigms and emphasizes cutting-edge practices.

Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)

A forward-thinking and experimental program located in Los Angeles, SCI-Arc focuses on redefining architecture through innovation.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – School of Architecture and Planning

Renowned for interdisciplinary research and groundbreaking contributions to architecture and urbanism.
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In 2026, the foundation plans to broaden its focus to include visual arts, digital arts, and other creative disciplines. These new focus areas will aim to support:

Visual Arts: Scholarships and grants for students in fields such as painting, sculpture, and mixed media, emphasizing innovation and creative expression.

Digital Arts: Funding for artists working in digital installations, animation, or other technology-driven mediums.

Community Arts Programs: Expanding partnerships with local arts initiatives to foster creativity at the community level.

By building on our foundation in ballet and architecture, we aim to have a lasting impact across a broader spectrum of the arts.

Purpose and Impact:

Broaden the scope of disciplines supported by the foundation.

Encourage innovation and cross-disciplinary creativity.

Forecasting where the most impact can be made now and in the future, with the goal to ultimately broaden the scope of disciplines supported, while encouraging cross disciplinary creativity and innovation.

Immediate Impact & Target Goals

Focus Area: Architecture

Local Community centric goals for 2025

Contribute to existing advanced education & professional development programs in Chicago and surrounding areas.
Provide partial scholarships to Chicago based programs like IIT and SAIC to offset tuition and living expenses for master’s and doctoral candidates.

Focus Area: Architecture

Broader Goals & Impact Targets for 2026/2027

Preserve Modernist Legacy: Support institutions like IIT that honor architectural history while fostering innovation.
Encourage Experimental Design: Back programs like SCI-Arc to redefine the future of architecture.
Promote Diversity in Architecture: Focus on creating opportunities for underrepresented communities.

Focus Area: Performing Arts

Local Community centric goals for 2025

Analyze educational paths around the performing arts and become familiar with the programs available to artists including the hurdles facing under-represented applicants.

Focus Area: Performing Arts

Broader Goals & Impact Targets for 2026/2027

Support Advanced Education: Provide partial scholarships for tuition and training at elite ballet programs.
Promote Diversity in Ballet: Focus on ensuring equitable access to advanced ballet education.
Encourage Professional Development: Support mature artists attending summer intensives to refine their craft.

Ignited by the goal of democratizing access to higher education and training programs in the arts, the Foundation will launch as a nimble and targeted supplemental scholarship and grant resources to those engaged in Masters level degree or training programs, again, particularly those in the performance art and Architecture fields of study.

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Ballet Initiatives

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Ballet Initiatives

Supporting Excellence in Ballet Education and Training The RLB Fund is committed to nurturing the next generation of ballet artists by providing scholarships and grants to students attending world-renowned programs and institutions, including: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School - American Ballet Theatre A prestigious institution offering rigorous pre-professional training for young ballet dancers. Focuses on developing technical and artistic excellence in students aged 12–17. American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive A comprehensive program for mature ballet artists to refine their skills through master classes and specialized coaching. Well Ranked Ballet Conservatories and Academies Examples include: The Royal Ballet School (UK) The Paris Opera Ballet School (France) Local and Emerging Ballet Training Programs Supporting regional academies and community-based ballet initiatives to foster talent across diverse backgrounds.

Emerging Program Grants

The Emerging Program Grants initiative is dedicated to supporting the development of new and innovative programs in the arts and architecture. These grants provide critical funding and resources to help emerging initiatives establish themselves, refine their curricula, and gain broader recognition. By investing in forward-thinking educational models, the charity fosters groundbreaking approaches that expand access to artistic and architectural training. This initiative ensures that promising programs receive the support needed to thrive and make a lasting impact.

Emerging Program Grants

Dedicated to supporting established, non-degree training opportunities in the arts. These craft training programs, while not formally accredited, are widely recognized for their excellence and provide specialized, advanced instruction in disciplines such as ballet, painting, and other fine arts. By championing these rigorous and highly selective programs, the charity seeks to foster artistic mastery beyond traditional academic pathways. This initiative ensures that exceptional artists have access to world-class training regardless of institutional affiliation.

Formal Scholarship

The Formal Educational Scholarships initiative within the RL Belitsos Charity provides financial assistance to students pursuing degrees in the arts and architecture at accredited institutions. These scholarships are designed to remove financial barriers, ensuring that talented individuals have access to high-quality education and the opportunity to refine their craft. By investing in the next generation of artists and architects, the charity aims to cultivate excellence and innovation within these fields. This initiative supports emerging talent, enabling scholars to develop their skills and contribute meaningfully to the artistic and architectural landscape.

Get in Touch

Supporting Excellence in Ballet Education and Training
The Fund is committed to nurturing the next generation of ballet artists by providing scholarships and grants to students attending world-renowned programs and institutions, including:

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School - American Ballet Theatre

A prestigious institution offering rigorous pre-professional training for young ballet dancers.
Focuses on developing technical and artistic excellence in students aged 12–17.

American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive

A comprehensive program for mature ballet artists to refine their skills through master classes and specialized coaching.

Other Well Ranked Ballet Conservatories and Academies

The Royal Ballet School (UK)
The Paris Opera Ballet School (France)

Local and Emerging Ballet Training Programs

Supporting regional academies and community-based ballet initiatives to foster talent across diverse backgrounds.

BALLET INITIATIVES

Currrently Evaluating several potential programs to tailor support around, those listed below are leading contenders supporting the education and growth of aspiring architects, renowned for their contributions to architectural thought and practice. They include:

Illinois Institute of Technology – College of Architecture

Founded during the modernist movement and originally led by Mies van der Rohe, IIT continues to challenge traditional design paradigms and emphasizes cutting-edge practices.

Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)

A forward-thinking and experimental program located in Los Angeles, SCI-Arc focuses on redefining architecture through innovation.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – School of Architecture and Planning

Renowned for interdisciplinary research and groundbreaking contributions to architecture and urbanism.

architecture INITIATIVES

In 2026, the foundation plans to broaden its focus to include visual arts, digital arts, and other creative disciplines. These new focus areas will aim to support:

Visual Arts: Scholarships and grants for students in fields such as painting, sculpture, and mixed media, emphasizing innovation and creative expression.
Digital Arts: Funding for artists working in digital installations, animation, or other technology-driven mediums.
Community Arts Programs: Expanding partnerships with local arts initiatives to foster creativity at the community level.

By building on our foundation in ballet and architecture, we aim to have a lasting impact across a broader spectrum of the arts.

Purpose and Impact:
- Broaden the scope of disciplines supported by the foundation.
- Encourage innovation and cross-disciplinary creativity.