GRANT ROUND NINE IS NOW OPEN! - CLICK HERE TO APPLY

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Eligible ensembles are UK-based professional groups of at least three musicians playing period instruments, or faithful replicas, with a consistent membership of instrumentalists, year-round activity and an identity as a period-instrument ensemble.

Proposed projects may include vocalists, or be collaborations with vocal ensembles, as long as the grant applicant is an instrumental ensemble meeting the description above. Projects may also include new works commissioned for period instruments or combine early and contemporary repertoires in their programmes.

NB Previous Continuo Foundation grantees are eligible to apply provided they complied with the terms of their grant(s), including acknowledging Continuo Foundation's support on all publicity related to the project, helping to spread the word about Continuo Connect to their audiences, and submitting their post-project report(s) on time. 

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The main objective of our grants is to mobilise projects of outstanding artistic merit which create meaningful work for freelance period musicians, and which bring period-instrument music to audiences across the UK, engaging and inspiring people and enriching communities. The key criteria for assessing applications are:

• the artistic quality, creativity and originality of the proposed project; 

• the number of instrumentalists engaged and the proportion of the grant funds dedicated to artists’ fees;

• the extent to which new live or virtual audiences will be engaged; and

• for recently formed ensembles, the extent to which the project proposed is realistic and will contribute to establishing the group's credentials and visibility, and support their future success.  

In choosing which projects to support, in addition to the considerations above, the Advisory Panel and Trustees will consider other factors in their decision-making. For the avoidance of doubt, ensembles do not need to meet all of the criteria below, the list is intended to give a sense of areas of interest. These include: 

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• public performances since 2022

• critically acclaimed recordings (including CDs, broadcasts, videos, etc.) since 2022

• support of early-career instrumentalists and vocalists 

• innovative programming, including works by diverse composers 

• diversity of performers and administrators 

• involvement in outreach and education projects 

• whether the ensemble is a UK registered charity 

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The Trustees also consider the quality of the application itself, as we believe this is a reflection of the ensemble's ability to carry out the project to a high standard.

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RECENTLY FORMED ENSEMBLES - EVALUATION CRITERIA

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For ensembles formed between ca. June 2020 and October 2024, assessors will consider the areas set out below:

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• evidence of public performances 

• background information on the musicians comprising the ensemble

• the rationale for the formation of the group 

• repertoire being explored, aspirations, etc.

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The applicants in this category are asked to submit a 10-minute, unedited video of the ensemble performing together. This could be an extract from a live-streamed concert, or part of a performance filmed on a smart phone. If there is no film footage from performances, we would consider a video from a rehearsal. The video does not need to be professionally filmed - we look for the quality of the playing, not the video. 

NB - In order to be eligible, an ensemble must have had at least one public performance before 30 November 2024. The ensemble should demonstrate the intention to have a lasting presence, rather than gathering for a one-off project.