Chineke! Foundation to receive £150,000 from Culture Recovery Fund

London’s Chineke! Foundation has been awarded a grant of £150,000 by Arts Council England from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, founder, artistic & executive director, expressed her gratitude for the grant, saying: ‘We, and the wider culture sector, are still feeling the effects of the pandemic. Recovery is slow, but this award is a lifeline that will ensure we can continue our mission over the coming months and make classical music as diverse, inclusive and accessible to as many people as possible.’

Created by Nwanoku in 2015, the Chineke! Foundation advocates for greater diversity and inclusion in classical music by offering opportunities to established and up-and-coming musicians, conductors, and composers of Black and ethnically diverse heritage. The foundation’s flagship ensemble, the Chineke! Orchestra is Europe’s first majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra.

Over £1.2 billion has already been distributed by Arts Council England as part of the government’s Recovery Fund, supporting organisations and sites across the country including museums, theatres, music venues and festivals. Darren Henley, Arts Council England’s chief executive, commented that the government's investment in the fund constitutes ‘a massive vote of confidence in the role our cultural organisations play in helping us all to lead happier lives’.

The funding allocated to the Chineke! Foundation will be used to facilitate an upcoming concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in November 2021 as well as supporting the organisation’s infrastructure up to the end of January 2022.