Inspiring generations of future designers

When acclaimed interior designer Garth Barnett passed away in 2015, his close friends established the Garth Barnett Scholarship Trust in his memory. “Garth wanted to do something for the young,” says Sue Quinn, one of Garth’s close friends and a Trustee. “This was his way of giving back to an industry that he truly loved.”

Every year, the Garth Barnett Trust grants six scholarships valued between $15,000 and $24,000 to support UTS design students facing education disadvantage. Additionally, the Garth Barnett Prize for Excellence in Design awards a $20,000 first prize and two $2,500 runner-up prizes for students with an exemplary portfolio of interior design work. In special instances, the runner-up prize money is increased substantially. 

Since 2016, the Garth Barnett Trust has generously given over $475,000 towards UTS scholarships and prizes – changing the lives of over 83 students like Claire and Michael. 

Empowering achievement

Michael Bennett’s path to UTS was also unconventional. Despite already having a Bachelor of Music under his belt, and having finished high school more than a decade earlier, he was determined to follow his dream of becoming an architect by beginning his Bachelor of Design in Architecture. 

He had been balancing work and study for two years when he discovered he and his wife had a baby on the way. “When my son was born, we went from a double income to a single income,” says Michael. “I was working as a musician, but also as an architectural assistant while studying in my third year.”

When Michael was approached to apply for the Garth Barnett Prize for Excellence in Design in 2017, he seized the opportunity. “I had read a lot about Garth Barnett, and felt that I was there for a reason. My son was eight weeks old at the time, and I’d put in so much hard work,” says Michael.

When he found out that he had not only been awarded first runner-up, but that the judges had decided to increase his prize winnings to $10,000, he called his wife to tell her the happy news. “I think we both just cried,” says Michael. “With such significant changes in our lives, everything had been so hard up until then.”

Financially, the prize made an incredible difference to Michael’s life – allowing him to move his family into a bigger home. But it was life-changing in more ways than one. “It was one of the main reasons I decided to continue with my Masters,” he says. “It gave me more than just financial backing, it gave me confidence.”