CHRISTMAS BIG GIVE CAMPAIGN: NOW LIVE!

It’s not an anniversary we’d choose to remember - but this month marks three years since Arts Council England (ACE) withdrew its regular support for Britten Sinfonia via its National Portfolio Organisation programme, blowing a £1 million hole in our budget over ACE’s three-year funding period.

This was an existential moment for us, but thanks to generous individuals and organisations we’ve not only survived this period but have actually increased the ambition and impact of our work. This has been the case not only in the concert hall, but also in our programmes in schools, hospitals and communities across the East of England, which are now reaching more people and achieving a greater impact than at any point in our 33-year history.

But the challenge has become greater still… A three-year funding gap has now become five, as ACE has announced a two-year extension to the current funding round - meaning that we can’t apply to re-enter the National Portfolio until 2028. In addition to the original £1 million gap, we now face an additional £800,000 shortfall.

We need to raise a lot of money over the next two years. As part of this, we aim to raise £40,000 in The Big Give Christmas campaign to support expanding our Surround Sound Playlist programme. The campaign runs for a week: midday 2 – 9 December. During this time any donation you make will automatically be doubled* – in fact, more than doubled if you Gift Aid your donation: for example, a £100 donation would become £225.

Surround Sound Playlist is our new concert experience which brings together in a single, spectacular offering much of what Britten Sinfonia is about: exceptional performance, highly innovative programming, community participation, and a multi-sensory experience which attracts and inspires both regular concertgoers and those who have never previously been to a classical concert.

After our tour of Chelmsford, Ely and Peterborough cathedrals in March this year, so many audience members raved about this “awesome”, “magical”, “truly special and memorable” event, this “gift from heaven”. With such wide endorsement of Surround Sound Playlist’s emotive, experiential success, we want to share it further, through more performances in a wider geographical spread of UK cathedrals.

I hope you will support us through this campaign. All donations must be made on our Big Give Campaign page during the week 2-9 December.

Meurig Bowen

CEO and Artistic Director