Following Arts Council England’s National Portfolio announcements made on Friday 4 November, Ex Cathedra is very grateful to have been offered an increase in funding for the period 2023-26. 

Peter Trethewey, General Manager of Ex Cathedra said: “We are delighted that Arts Council have recognized the value and impact of our work, including with children and young people and in developing new audiences. There are challenges ahead, and our uplift won’t address all of them, but it puts us in a stronger position and will help us deliver an ambitious and wide-reaching programme.

“Ex Cathedra remains the only professional choral organisation supported as an NPO, so whilst we welcome our news, I would love to see more choral organisations join the portfolio in future. We know that singing has so much potential to contribute to Arts Council England’s Let’s Create strategy.”

Peter Knott, Area Director for Arts Council England said: “The benefits of singing are many – from bringing communities and young people together to achieve great things, to reducing stress and boosting well-being, so we’re delighted to be increasing our investment in Ex Cathedra over the next three years. The choir plays an important part in Birmingham’s vibrant cultural scene, and it will be great to see our funding support choral music that reaches people of all ages from across the city and beyond.”

To find out more about some of the work we do alongside our concert programme, visit www.singingplaygrounds.co.uk and www.singingmedicine.co.uk

Finally, our thoughts are also with everyone who didn’t get the news they wanted from the funding round, and with the team at Arts Council England who must have such mixed emotions at times like this.