The Ronnie Scott's Charitable Foundation invites 2017-2018 grant applications to support jazz education

(Press release) 

“it isn’t where you came from, it’s where you’re going that counts” Ella Fitzgerald

In December 2015 Ronnie Scott’s jazz club launched The Ronnie Scott’s Charitable Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the support of jazz education programmes both in the UK and overseas.  The charity aims to ensure that music education is accessible to every child and young person, especially those who are under-privileged, by raising and distributing funds and gifting musical instruments to organisations that create or develop youth jazz programmes.  In its first year, The Foundation has successfully raised funds far exceeding   its target and has supported eleven projects that have helped to inspire a new generation of young people to become the next generation of musicians.  It is now actively encouraging grant applications from organisations that further its aims.

The Ronnie Scott’s Foundation has awarded grants to projects that include London-based  Young & Gifted, The York Music Service, the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association and NYJO who between them have provided dozens of young musicians, tutors, rehearsal space and the chance to collaborate through music workshops.    In June, jazz musician and educator Pete Letanka will introduce jazz to a group of 7-11 yr olds from the Soho Parish School with the help of internationally famed drummer, Billy Cobham.  It supports In Place of War, an organisation dedicated to empowering the world’s creative communities in places of conflict and revolution with cultural skills training and exchanges – the Foundation will shortly be sending them a mixing desk for a small space with little equipment in a Soweto township that is developing a thriving jazz community.  The Foundation also runs its own in-house programmes.  The monthly Big Band In A Day invites young musicians from all over the UK to learn, in just one day, some of the core skills of big band performance culminating in a live performance on the Ronnie Scott’s stage, while its Music Instrument Amnesty collects unused instruments and donates them to school-aged children in the UK and overseas. 

The Ronnie Scott’s Foundation raises funds through a variety of mechanisms – voluntary contributions from its patrons, profits from the sale of its popular cocktail, ‘The Champagne Socialist’ and an annual charity fund raiser event. 

“We are very grateful to the Ronnie Scott’s Charitable Foundation for supporting our project.  We received multiple emails expressing gratitude for organizing something free of charge in a situation where schools are facing cuts on arts education leaving children with fewer chances to have music lessons or perform in public”  Young &  Gifted.

To apply for a Ronnie Scott’s Foundation Grant contact:

Fatine Boumaaz, RSCF Projects Manager

fatine@ronniescotts.co.uk  or foundation@ronniescotts.co.uk

For more information on The Foundation:  http://foundation.ronniescotts.co.uk

Ronnie Scott’s

47 Frith St, London, W1D 4HT

Box office 020 7439 0747

www.ronniescotts.co.uk