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28 groups receive funding for broad range of projects celebrating the Windrush generation
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Funding totalling over £480,000 will support community-led arts, educational and sporting events across England
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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:
- Windrush Day was first announced by the government in June 2018 to take place on 22 June each year to encourage communities across England to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants.
