28 groups receive funding for broad range of projects celebrating
the Windrush generation
Funding totalling over £480,000 will support community-led arts,
educational and sporting events across England
With £3.25 million awarded over the last six years, the Windrush
Day Grant Scheme continues to honour and highlight the legacy of
the Windrush generation
Twenty-eight groups have been awarded funding through the
Windrush Day Grant Scheme to support a range of arts, educational
and sporting projects to commemorate the Windrush generation, the
Government has announced today.
The government is supporting communities to mark Windrush Day on
22 June by providing over £480,000 in funding for projects across
England.
An array of events and activities hosted by community-led
organisations will take place between 8 June and 21 August -
including Sudden Productions which will provide a platform for
the Windrush Generation and their descendants to share their
true-life experiences through a stage production, a podcast
series and drama workshops, and the Island Movements ballet show
which will tell the story of a Caribbean family whose parents
came over on the Windrush.
More than 108 Windrush Day projects have received a share of
the £3.25 million of funding over the last six years in
celebration of the contributions of the Windrush generation and
their families.
Baroness Swinburne, Minister for Communities,
said:
The arrival of Windrush symbolises resilience, diversity, and the
invaluable contributions of Caribbean communities to British
society.
I'm proud to announce a further £480,000 for a variety of
projects that honour this legacy, preserve our history, educate
future generations, and foster greater cultural
understanding.”
Carole Le Foll, Manager at Sudden Productions,
said:
We are delighted to receive funding to kickstart our project here
at Sudden Productions and celebrate Windrush Day 2024.
The hugely diverse range of projects supported by this scheme
underpin this national celebration - and ensure the preservation
of our heritage and the enduring significance of this historic
event.
Last year marked the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the MV
Empire Windrush, a seminal moment in our shared
History.
And in 2022, the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at
London Waterloo station took place which now stands as a
permanent tribute to the contribution of Caribbean pioneers in
communities across the United Kingdom.
Funded projects for 2024 include:
-
The Brixton Project: a community-led celebration with the
support of local artists that cements the histories,
experiences and voices of the Windrush generation, promoting
community cohesion through a carnival of art, theatre and
music as well as local landmark visits integral to the
Windrush story.
-
Innovai Events: a project that will simulate the journey HMT
Empire Windrush by using a 700 seat Windrush Restaurant Ship
for a weekend in the east of England, including Windrush
Family and Friends Celebration games and competitions with
teams representing the Caribbean islands where Windrush
nationals migrated from.
-
Voyage: a collaboration with local organisations, to
bring young people and community elders together to produce
an intergenerational project leading to a book and
exhibition. The project will uncover the histories and
experiences of Windrush generation communities capturing
stories, photo, film and ephemera of Hackney's first
generation of Caribbean settlers.
-
Island Movements: a 30 minute ballet show telling the story
of a Caribbean family whose parents came over on the
Windrush. The show is coupled with a separate workshop for
young children based on the children's book, Onisere and the
Ballet Queen.
-
The Jamaica Society Leeds and partners: showcasing and
honouring the experiences and health activism of the
Caribbean nurses who settled in Leeds with a public
conversation and exhibition event, cultural celebration and
education sessions in schools.
The full list of projects being awarded funding can be
found here: 2024 Windrush Day Grant
Scheme: Projects to be funded - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Notes to editors:
