Announcing 10 creative projects to be awarded funding through Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Heritage Grants
Posted Thursday 12 March 2026
2025 saw the 150th anniversary of a remarkable Croydon composer – Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – a Black Victorian composer whose extraordinary legacy and contribution to music had been undercelebrated.
Through a six-month cultural programme, we honoured his life and work, with visual arts commissions, an outdoor festival, exhibition at the Museum of Croydon, concert at Fairfield Halls and a takeover led by BRIT School students.
The work does not stop there, as now we hand over the reins to cultural and community organisations to create their own projects highlighting hidden histories or commemorating Global Majority heritage.
With thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) we have awarded £25,000 in small grants through our Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Heritage Grants scheme, to help bring new projects to life.
Successful projects were selected by a panel of mixed-age residents, in partnership with Croydon Culture team and Croydon BME Forum. They include:
BLKOUT Creative – Ivor’s Compass: A heritage‑to‑wellbeing project using the life of Ivor Cummings to inspire Black queer men through writing workshops, creative commissions and a public launch.
Care Leaders Group – It’s A Croydon Thing: A series of creative intergenerational workshops culminating in an exhibition that celebrates Croydon’s hidden migration histories.
Croydon Creative Enterprise Zone – Heritage Music Event: A free public event showcasing Global Majority musical heritage linked to Samuel Coleridge‑Taylor through live performance and contextual storytelling.
Windrush Generation Legacy Association – Windrush Craft Heritage Project: A craft‑and‑oral‑history programme with Windrush elders that documents hidden labour traditions and shares them through a public showcase.
Union Dance – The SCT Sound System: A youth‑led heritage-tech project building a sustainable sound system inspired by African‑Caribbean cultural traditions and Samuel Coleridge‑Taylor’s legacy.
Soul Purpose 360 – Soul‑Full Hub Activities: Two days of creative community workshops celebrating Samuel Coleridge‑Taylor through singing, portraiture, poetry and musical engagement.
Wild London Photo Walks – Croydon Green Spaces Photography Heritage: Photography walks and a public exhibition exploring Global Majority connections to Croydon’s green spaces through creative reflection.
MENT4 – Heritage Music & Spoken Word Youth Project: Creative mentoring workshops enabling young people to reinterpret Samuel Coleridge‑Taylor through original music and spoken word, culminating in a showcase.
Youth Breakthrough & Development – Behind the Groove: A programme celebrating Windrush and African‑Caribbean musical heritage through workshops, podcasts, exhibitions and intergenerational storytelling.
Croydon College – Coleridge‑Taylor Creative Exhibition: An exhibition featuring new artworks and soundscapes inspired by Samuel Coleridge‑Taylor, supported by professional artist‑led workshops.
We’re thrilled to be able to support all 10 of these projects from a diverse range of organisations and spanning multiple artforms – from photography to podcast-making and creative writing to soundscapes.
Look out for ways to get involved in these projects via our website, with more details coming soon.