The Continuo Foundation has opened a new round of project grants (it's sixth) amounting to £100,000

13 recently formed ensembles supported by the Continuo Foundation

The Continuo Foundation has opened a new round of project grants (it's sixth) amounting to £100,000. This will bring the support provided to UK period instrument ensembles since 2021 to a total of £660,000. The funds have been raised from private individuals, and trusts and foundations, wishing to support the UK’s world-renowned early music sector.

UK ensembles are invited to submit proposals for creative projects scheduled to take place between October 2023 and March 2024. Continuo’s grants offer the opportunity to undertake artistically ambitious projects that would not be feasible without this support. Continuo grants also encourage musicians to tour programmes to communities that lack access to live classical music.

The latest round of grants will once again offer a separate eligibility category for recently formed ensembles. So far, thirteen emerging groups have received grants for projects which they have used to further their careers. For example, one of Continuo’s first grant recipients, Ensemble Augelletti, who received funding to record their debut CD in 2021, were recently selected as the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Baroque Ensemble. 

Continuo’s online presence has been scaled up with the recent launch of Continuo Connect, a digital hub for the UK early music sector. Continuo Connect is an online platform connecting music lovers with musicians, to help the whole early music ecosystem to flourish. Over 100 UK ensembles have created a public profile and are now able to list their upcoming concerts in a centralised online location.

Full details of the Continuo Foundation's latest round of grants from their website.