News & Press

£75,000 has been awarded to Children & the Arts, enabling over 5,000 children in the South of the UK to access the very best of the arts in the 2007/08 school year.

The Lehman Brothers Foundation Europe (LBFE) has renewed its support of the Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts for 2007/08, awarding the charity a £75,000 grant.  The funding will be used to support the Start programme, the core of Children & the Arts’ activities, through which it provides financial and practical support to arts organisation across the UK, enabling them to form partnerships with local primary and secondary schools.   

The Lehman Brothers Foundation Europe’s support will help to fund 10 arts venues based in the South East including the Fitzwilliam Museum, Brighton Dome and the Oxford Playhouse working with 24 schools and over 5,000 children. 

Children & the Arts’ aim is to provide children, who would otherwise not have the opportunity, with a sustained and high quality experience of the arts. The schools and children that we work with are based in social-economically deprived areas, both urban and rural. The children, aged between 5 and 16, are unlikely to have visited an arts venue in the past.  Research shows that by accessing high quality arts experiences these children will grow to feel comfortable in cultural venues, develop new skills, self confidence and creativity.  

The Lehman Brothers Foundation Europe’s generous donation will allow thousands of children in the South East the chance to experience a full year of sustained arts engagement with their local venue, including at least two visits to see a professional production, exhibition or concert and a varied programme of participation around these visits; e.g. back stage tours, meeting professionals and supportive classroom work. LBFE began its support of Children & the Arts in 2006 when it first helped the charity to extend into this region.

Rebecca Eastmond, Director of The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts said: We are delighted that Lehman Brothers Foundation Europe have decided to fund our work so generously for a further year.  The Foundation is the lead donor to our Start programme and their support allows 5,000 children to participate in this important programme of activity.  We look forward to working with the Foundation over the coming year. 

Peter Sherratt, President of the Lehman Brothers Foundation Europe, Chief Legal Officer of Lehman Brothers, Europe and the Middle East and a vice chairman of Lehman Brothers said: We are very pleased to continue our support of Children & the Arts, enabling pupils, many of whom are from disadvantaged backgrounds, to expand their horizons and gain valuable academic, personal and creative skills through cultural opportunities.  We look forward to continuing our partnership and exploring ways to complement our financial contribution with employee volunteers to assist on the Project. 

For further information or any press enquiries related to The Prince’s Foundation for Children please contact us on 020 33262230.