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22 September 2022
Continuo Foundation Awards Further £100,000 in Grants to Support the Flourishing of Early Music Across the UK
"There is so much creativity out there waiting to be unleashed. With increasing living costs and downward pressure on artists’ fees due to the slow return of audiences, the precarious livelihoods of freelance musicians remain under threat."
– Rachel Podger, Violinist and Patron of Continuo Foundation
Continuo Foundation announces the results of its fourth grant round, in which £100,000 was awarded to 24 period-instrument ensembles. In response to the continuing demand for funding, these projects were selected from 55 applications requesting a total of £300,000 in support.
Continuo is supporting 14 new groups, thereby extending its community of
grant recipients to 65 period-instrument ensembles. Since its founding in September 2020, the total funding provided by Continuo to the UK early music sector is now £460,000.
The 24 grantee ensembles will undertake 67 performances and recordings over the next six months. In terms of geographical reach, the projects supported in this round will take place in 45 locations across the UK, bringing the total number of communities benefiting from Continuo-supported live music performances to more than one hundred.
Continuo Foundation’s endorsement and assistance in achieving financially viable projects are sought after by both established and emerging ensembles. We are delighted that for applicants in the ‘Recently Formed Ensembles’ category, a grant from Continuo has come to be a mark of quality which has helped emerging artists gain visibility, engage successfully with promoters and secure access to additional funding. The recently formed ensembles in this grant round include the Cedar Consort, who will tour a Telemann programme featuring recorder soloist Tabea Debus; Figure Ensemble, who will juxtapose Carpentier’s Messe pour les trépassées with the Fauré Requiem; and The Vauxhall Band, who will bring the atmosphere of 18th century Pleasure Gardens and theatre to life in a dramatised concert. Another ensemble new to Continuo’s grants, Solomon’s Knot, will tour a large-scale project marking the 300th anniversary of Johann Kuhnau. Bass-baritone Jonathan Sells comments: “It’s not just the money – it is so valuable to be part of the Continuo Foundation community. Continuo is a great ambassador for the whole early music sector, approaching support holistically, giving musicians tools to be more successful and providing a voice for the sector in the UK.” Looking forward Continuo is already working to raise the funds needed to launch the next grant round in January 2023 and has begun to create a much-needed digital hub for the UK early music scene. With the hub, Continuo aims to leverage technology to benefit musicians and the public alike, by helping ensembles bring more live music to more people in more places. This digital hub will shine a light on the UK’s outstanding period-instrument ensembles and musicians, among the best in the world. For more information about the grantee ensembles and their projects, please click here. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR GRANTEES AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE!