The Genesis Foundation, a UK-

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

, was established by

John Studzinski John Joseph Paul Studzinski, CBE (born March 19, 1956) is an American-British investment banker and philanthropist. Since September 2018 he has been Managing Director and Vice Chairman of the global investment-management firm PIMCO. Prior to ...

in 2001. Over the past 24 years, the Foundation has donated more than £23 million to the arts. Through its funding and partnership model, it has enabled opportunities for thousands of young artists, primarily in theatre and music, building both their experience and their resilience. Cross-disciplinary networking and mentoring are inherent to the Genesis Foundation and crucial to its work. The Foundation's main focus is on partnerships with leading arts organisations such as the

Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre is a 325-seat producing house located on Almeida Street off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre opened in 1980, and produces a diverse range of drama. Successful plays are often transferred to West E ...

, National Theatre,

Young Vic Theatre The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Nadia Fall has been artistic director since 2025, succeeding ...

The Sixteen The Sixteen (previously known as the Symphony of Harmony and Invention) are a British choir and period instrument orchestra. Founded by Harry Christophers, they started as an unnamed group of sixteen friends in 1977, giving their first bille ...

, Jewish Literary Foundation and

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

. While largely devoting its regular funding to training programmes that equip emerging artists for life as a creative professional, the Genesis Foundation is also the UK's largest commissioner of sacred music, having commissioned 30 new choral works to date. In 2020, the Genesis Foundation launched the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

Artists Fund, an emergency response to help freelancers facing hardship, and the £1 million Genesis Kickstart Fund to provide grants for future-facing arts projects across the UK, all employing outstanding freelance creative talent.

History

The Genesis Foundation was founded in January 2001 by investment banker and arts patron John Studzinski, CBE. Since 2001, the Genesis Foundation has donated more than £23 million to the arts in the UK. Through its funding and partnership model, it has provided opportunities for thousands of young artists, primarily in theatre and music, building both their experience and their resilience. In 2020, the foundation launched its £1m Genesis Kickstart Fund, designed to enable outstanding freelance artists to stay on their career paths and explore new possibilities in a world radically altered by COVID-19.

Partner organisations

National Theatre

In 2017 the Genesis Foundation launched a partnership with the National Theatre, collaborating with its artistic director

Rufus Norris Sir Rufus John Norris (born 16 January 1965) is a British theatre and film director, who was the artistic director and chief executive of the National Theatre from 2015 to 2025. He received the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 2025 f ...

on the development of new forms of music theatre in the UK. The Genesis Music Theatre Programme is part of the National Theatre's New Work Department and is overseen by Marc Tritschler, who was appointed Creative Director of Music at the NT in 2020. The latest musical to be developed through the Genesis Music Theatre Programme is ''The Witches'', a musical version of

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...

's timeless tale, which ran in the Olivier Theatre from November 2023 to January 2024. The show was directed by Lyndsey Turner, with book and lyrics by Olivier Award-winner

Lucy Kirkwood Lucy Ann Kirkwood (born ) is a British playwright and screenwriter. She is known for her plays '' Chimerica'' (2013) and '' The Children'' (2016). Early life and education Kirkwood was born in Leytonstone around 1984 and raised in east Londo ...

, and music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominee

Dave Malloy Dave Malloy (born January 4, 1976) is an American composer, playwright, lyricist, singer, orchestrator, and actor. He has written several theatrical works, often based on classic works of literature. His most well known work is the Tony Award w ...

. It received 5-star reviews from multiple major broadsheets including

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

, Time Out, and

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

. The first musical from the programme to reach the stage was ''Hex'', based on

Sleeping Beauty "Sleeping Beauty" (, or ''The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood''; , or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess curse, cursed by an evil fairy to suspended animation in fi ...

. ''Hex'' premiered in the Olivier Theatre in November 2021 and returned to the National Theatre towards the end of 2022. The Foundation's relationship with Rufus Norris dates back to 2003, when he became the first Genesis Director at the Young Vic.

The Sixteen

Since 2010, the mainstay of the Genesis Foundation's partnership with leading British choral ensemble

has been the Genesis Sixteen programme. Delivered at no charge to participants, it aims to nurture the next generation of talented choral singers and create a bridge between student and professional singing. It provides group tuition, individual mentoring and masterclasses run by vocal experts and is the only scheme of its kind. To date, more than 300 exceptional young singers have taken part of the programme. The Genesis Foundation commissions new choral pieces from leading and emerging composers, which are premiered by

Harry Christophers Richard Henry Tudor "Harry" Christophers CBE FRSCM (born 26 December 1953) is an English conductor. Life and career Richard Henry Tudor Christophers was born in Goudhurst, Kent. He was a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral under choirmaster Al ...

and The Sixteen and recorded for their label CORO.

James MacMillan Sir James Loy MacMillan, TOSD (born 16 July 1959) is a Scottish classical composer and conductor. Early life MacMillan was born at Kilwinning, in North Ayrshire, but lived in the East Ayrshire town of Cumnock until 1977. His father is Jam ...

Stabat mater The Stabat Mater is a 13th-century Christian hymn to the Virgin Mary that portrays her suffering as mother during the crucifixion of her son Jesus Christ. Its author may be either the Franciscan friar Jacopone da Todi or Pope Innocent III.Saba ...

, a 60-minute work for choir and string orchestra commissioned by the Genesis Foundation, was given its UK premiere by Harry Christophers, The Sixteen and

Britten Sinfonia Britten Sinfonia is a chamber orchestra ensemble based in Cambridge, UK. It was created in 1992, following an initiative from Eastern Arts and a number of key figures including Nicholas Cleobury, who recognised the need for an orchestra in the ...

at the

Barbican Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England, and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings a ...

, London in October 2016. The recording of the work was favourably reviewed and won numerous awards. In April 2018 a performance of the

, presented by the Genesis Foundation, became the first concert to be live-streamed from the

Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel ( ; ; ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and ...

in the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

. It subsequently received its US premiere in November 2019 at

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

Alice Tully Hall Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The hall is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and Philanthropy, philanthropist whose donations assis ...

with Harry Christophers and The Sixteen. In May 2018, four new choral works commissioned by the Genesis Foundation were premiered at a live-streamed concert at

Eton College Chapel Eton College Chapel is the main chapel of Eton College, a public school in England. The chapel was planned to be a little over double its actual length, but this plan was never completed owing to the downfall of the founder Henry VI. A plaqu ...

. The four young composers were mentored by James Macmillan and Harry Christophers and drew on texts from the

Eton Choirbook The Eton Choirbook (Eton College MS. 178) is a richly illuminated manuscript collection of England, English sacred music composed during the late 15th century. It was one of very few collections of Latin liturgical music to survive the English ...

. Past Genesis commissions include 'Spirit, Strength & Sorrow', three new Stabat Mater pieces by composers Alissa Firsova,

Tõnu Kõrvits Tõnu Kõrvits (born 9 April 1969 in Tallinn) is an Estonian composer. In 1994 he graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with specialty in composition. Since 2001 he has taught composition and instrumentation at the Estonian Ac ...

and Matthew Martin; 'O Guiding Night', music to poetry of the

Spanish Mystics The Spanish mystics are major figures in the Catholic Reformation who lived primarily in the 16th- and 17th-centuries. The goal of this movement was to reform the Church structurally and to renew it spiritually. The Spanish mystics attempted to e ...

St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross by Ruth Byrchmore,

Tarik O'Regan Tarik Hamilton O'Regan (; born 1 January 1978) is a British and American composer. His compositions are partially represented on numerous recordings which have been recognised with two Grammy nominations. He is also the recipient of two British ...

and

Roderick Williams Roderick Gregory Coleman Williams OBE (born 1965) is a British baritone and composer. Biography Williams was born in North London to a Welsh father and a Jamaican mother. He attended Christ Church Cathedral School in Oxford and Haberdashers' ...

; settings of

Padre Pio Pio of Pietrelcina (born Francesco Forgione; 25 May 1887 – 23 September 1968), widely known as , , was an Italian Capuchin friar, priest, stigmatist, and mystic. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, celebrated on 23 Septembe ...

's Prayer by James MacMillan,

Roxanna Panufnik Roxanna Panufnik (born 24 April 1968) is a British composer of Polish descent. She is the daughter of the Polish composer and conductor Sir Andrzej Panufnik and his second wife Camilla, née Jessel. Panufnik was born in London. She attended Be ...

and

Will Todd Will Todd (b 14 January 1970) is an English musician and composer. He is a pianist, who performs regularly with others in his own works. Biography and work Todd was born in County Durham, attended Durham School and joined the choir of St Oswald' ...

, and Will Todd's Among Angels, commissioned in honour of John Studzinski's 50th birthday. On 9 February 2016 the Genesis Foundation, in collaboration with the Choral Foundation, hosted a celebration of

Vespers Vespers /ˈvɛspərz/ () is a Christian liturgy, liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgy, Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental O ...

at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace. Cardinal Vincent Nichols and the Dean of the Chapels Royal, Richard Chartres KCVO, officiated at the service and the music was performed by Harry Christophers and The Sixteen. This was the first time since the 1550s that a Vespers service had been celebrated at the chapel according to the

Latin Rite Latin Rite may refer to: *The Latin Church, a ''sui iuris'' church of the Catholic Church *The Latin liturgical rites, a family of Christian rites and uses which includes the Roman Rite *The Roman Rite The Roman Rite () is the most common ritua ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. In June 2021, a concert presented by the Genesis Foundation at

Farm Street Church The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, also known as Farm Street Church, is a Catholic parish church run by the Society of Jesus in Mayfair, Central London, England. Its main entrance is in Farm Street, though it can also be acc ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

took its inspiration from the life and writings of

Cardinal Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English Catholic theologian, academic, philosopher, historian, writer, and poet. He was previously an Anglican priest and after his conversion became a cardinal. He was an ...

, who was canonised as Saint John Henry Newman in 2019. Newman: Meditation & Prayer included the world premieres of two new Genesis Foundation commissions, composed by Sir James MacMillan (''Nothing in Vain'') and Will Todd (''I Shall be an Angel of Peace'') for Harry Christophers and The Sixteen. Joining the musicians was Classic FM's flagship morning show presenter

Alexander Armstrong Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong (born 2 March 1970) is an English actor, comedian, radio personality, television presenter, singer and farmer. He is the host of the BBC One game show ''Pointless'', and is a weekday morning-show presenter on C ...

, reading the words of

and of the poet and churchman

John Donne John Donne ( ; 1571 or 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a clergy, cleric in the Church of England. Under Royal Patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul's, D ...

. In October 2022, the Genesis Foundation presented 'A Tribute to the Life and Reign of Elizabeth II: A Garland for the Queen', again performed by Harry Christophers and The Sixteen. The concert took place before an invited audience in the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula at the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

and was streamed online. Most of the Genesis Foundation's concerts in recent years have reached a wide global audience via live-streams hosted by Classic FM. In December 2023, the Genesis Foundation commissioned

Bob Chilcott Robert Chilcott (born 9 April 1955) is a British choir, choral composer, conducting, conductor, and singing, singer, based in Oxfordshire, England. He was a member of the King's Singers from 1985 to 1997, singing tenor. He has been a composer ...

to write 'Harry Birthday to Ya', in honour of Harry Christophers' 70th birthday with text by Timothy Knapman, which was performed by The Sixteen.

Almeida Theatre

The Genesis Foundation's partnership with the

was inaugurated in 2019 with the Genesis Almeida New Playwrights, Big Plays Programme. This two-year programme, overseen by the theatre's Artistic Director

Rupert Goold Rupert Goold (born 18 February 1972) is an English director who works primarily in theatre. He is the artistic director of the Almeida Theatre, and was the artistic director of Headlong Theatre Company (2005–2013). Since 2010, Goold has be ...

, supports emerging and mid-career writers in developing new plays for larger stages, providing them with a springboard to expand the scale, scope and ambition of their work and to create plays of wide cultural resonance.

Young Vic

From 2003 to 2009, the Genesis Foundation funded the Directors Program at the

Young Vic The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Nadia Fall has been artistic director since 2025, succeeding ...

, created by the Young Vic's former artistic director

David Lan David Lan is a South African-born British playwright, theatre producer and director and a social anthropologist. Career Born in Cape Town, he trained as an actor and gained a BA at the University of Cape Town. He has lived in London since 19 ...

. This programme provided support for professional directors in the early stages of their career.

, now artistic director of the National Theatre, was the first Genesis Director. As of 2018 the Genesis Foundation has funded the two-year Genesis Fellowship and the annual Genesis Future Directors award. Since 2010, six Genesis Fellows have been selected to work closely with the Young Vic's Artistic Director, developing their skills as directors while participating in the theatre's programming and artistic planning. Each Genesis Fellow also contributes to the Young Vic's Creators Program and mentors recipients of the Genesis Future Directors Award. The current Genesis Fellow i
Taio Lawson
Former Genesis Fellows are: Jennifer Tang (''

Further than the Furthest Thing ''Further than the Furthest Thing'' is a play in two acts by the Scottish playwright Zinnie Harris, set in 1961 on a remote island based loosely on Tristan da Cunha, and in the English city of Southampton. It was inspired by Harris' mother's me ...

'', 2023), Nadia Latif ('' Fairview/My England'', 2018),

Gbolahan Obisesan Gbolahan Obisesan is a British Nigerian writer and director. He was the Artistic Director and Joint CEO at Brixton House theatre. He has served as a Genesis Fellow and Associate Director at the Young Vic. Early life Obisesan was born in Nigeri ...

(''Cuttin' It'' and ''Sus'', 2016),

Natalie Abrahami Natalie Abrahami is a British theatre, film and opera director. From 2007–12 she was joint Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre with Carrie Cracknell.Natalie was Associate Director and Genesis Fellow at the Young Vic in London 2013-16 and ...

(''Wings'', ''Happy Days'' and ''Ah, Wilderness!'', 2014),

Carrie Cracknell Carrie Cracknell (born 15 October 1980) is a British theatre and film director. She works regularly at the National Theatre.Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'' co-directed with Lucy Guerin, 2012) and Joe Hill-Gibbins (''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'', ''

Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604. It was published in the First Folio of 1623. The play centers on the despotic and puritan Angelo (Measure for ...

'', 2010). Past recipients of Genesis Future Directors Awards include: Annie Kershaw (Girl in the Machine, 2024), Andrea Ling (The Earthworks, 2024), Diyan Zora (Klippies, 2021), Dadiow Lin (''In a Word'', 2019), Caitriona Shoobridge (''Ivan and the Dogs'', 2019), Lekan Lawal (''Wild East'', 2018),42 Debbie Hannan (''Things of Dry Hours'', 2018), John R. Wilkinson (''Winter'', 2017), Nancy Medina ( ''Yellowman'', 2017), Lucy J Skilbeck ( ''The Bear'' and ''The Proposal'', 2016), Bryony Shanahan (''Trade'', 2016),

Ola Ince Ola Ince is a British theatre director. She is noted for her Shakespeare productions. Her work often includes themes of power and race. Early life and education Ince was born in London to working class parents, and grew up in Norbury. At 14, sh ...

( ''Dutchman'', 2015), Rikki Henry ( ''Creditors'', 2015), Tinuke Craig (''Dirty Butterfly'', 2014), Finn Beames (''Man'': Three plays by Tennessee Williams, 2014),

Matthew Xia Matthew Xia (born 1982) is a British theatre director, DJ (under the name DJ Excalibah), composer, broadcaster and journalist. Early life Xia was born to a Scottish and English mother and Jamaican father in Waltham Forest, London, and was ...

( ''Sizwe Banzi is Dead'', 2013), and Ben Kidd (''The Shawl'', 2012).

Jewish Literary Foundation

In April 2021, the Genesis Foundation and Jewish Literary Foundation (formerly Jewish Book Week) launched a new annual programme to champion emerging writers in the UK. The Genesis Emerging Writers' Programme offers bursaries and mentorship to 10 emerging writers over 18 years of age, of any background, writing fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

Royal Academy of Arts

The Genesis Foundation's relationship with the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

began in 2020 when Rebecca Salter, who was elected the school's first female president at the end of 2019, was awarded the Genesis Foundation Prize for her work in her former role as Keeper of the RA schools. In 2023, the Genesis Foundation announced its ne
Genesis Future Curators Programme
which provides two two-year curatorial positions at the Royal Academy. Open to anyone with an arts-related degree, the Genesis Future Curators are placed within the Exhibitions and Collections departments, providing a unique opportunity to gain a 360-degree view of the life of a Curator at the RA. The inaugural Genesis Future Curators, Natasha Fyffe (Exhibitions) and Gabriel Jamroz (Collections), began their training in Autumn 2023.

Genesis Theatre Design Programme

In December 2022, the Genesis Foundation announced it
Genesis Theatre Design Programme
a free training and mentoring programme for global majority applicants who are from socially and economically challenging backgrounds who want to pursue a career in theatre as a designer. It is a partnership between the Mulberry UTC Creative Industry Training College, the National Theatre, The School of Historical Dress and

Brixton House Brixton House is an Off-West End theatre in Brixton in the London Borough of Lambeth, located at 385 Coldharbour Lane, London, SW9 8GL. It is the successor to Ovalhouse at Kennington, and opened in 2022. Ovalhouse The roots of Brixton Hou ...

and funded by the Genesis Foundation, National Theatre Foundation, with additional support from the James Family Charitable Trust. The Genesis Theatre Design Programme is led and delivered by three theatre artists in collaboration with the National Theatre:

, Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey and ULTZ. The first cohort began their training in May 2023.

£1m Genesis Kickstart Fund

The £1m Genesis Kickstart Fund was established in 2020 to enable talented freelance artists to stay on their career paths and explore new possibilities in a world radically altered by COVID-19. The fund, which ran for two years, supported 95 different projects around the UK, involving more than 1000 freelance creative professionals in paid work on projects spanning diverse artistic genres. Recipients of grants from the Kickstart Fund have gained access to the Genesis Connects Directory, an online platform enabling artists and creative professionals in the Foundation’s network to meet, foster new collaborations and benefit from mentoring opportunities.

Commissions

The Genesis Foundation is the leading commissioner of sacred music in the UK.

Sacred Music

2025 From a specially commissioned cycle of poems by Robert Willis entitled ''Angels Unawares:'' ''The Call of Gideon'' - Ninfea Cruttwell-Reade ''The Call of Isaiah'' - Millicent B. James ''The Song of James the Son of Zebede'' - Lucy Walker 2022

Cecilia McDowall Cecilia McDowall (born 1951 in London, England) is a British composer, particularly known for her choral compositions. Life and career Born in London, McDowall attended Grey Coat Hospital School and read music at the University of Edinburgh, co ...

– O Lord, make thy servant, Elizabeth† 2021 Eoghan Desmond – Nothing in vain Lisa Robertson – ...a link in a chain... Anna Semple – A Meditation Sir James MacMillan – Nothing in vain

– I Shall Be An Angel of Peace 2020 Sir James MacMillan �
Except the Lord build the house
2019

– O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me Sir James MacMillan – Le grand Inconnu Angus McPhee – Panem Nostrum... Ave Maria 2018 Phillip Cooke – Ave Maria, Mater Dei Marco Galvani – Stella caeli Sir James MacMillan – O virgo prudentissima

Joseph Phibbs Joseph Phibbs (born 25 April 1974) is an English composer of orchestral, choral and chamber music. He has also composed for theatre, both in the UK and Japan. Since 1998 he has written regularly to commissions for Festivals (including for Chelte ...

– Nesciens Mater

Stephen Hough Sir Stephen Andrew Gill Hough (; born 22 November 1961) is a British-Australian classical pianist, composer and writer. Biography Hough was born in Heswall (then in Cheshire) on the Wirral Peninsula, and grew up in Thelwall, where he began pi ...

– Hallowed 2016 Sir James MacMillan – Stabat mater

– Whisper Him My Name 2014 Alissa Firsova – Stabat mater

– Stabat mater Matthew Martin – Stabat mater 2011 Ruth Byrchmore – The Dark Night Ruth Byrchmore – Prayer of St. Teresa of Ávila

– fleeting, God

– Beloved, all things ceased

– O Guiding Night

– Let nothing trouble you 2008 Sir James MacMillan – Padre Pio's Prayer Roxanna Panufnik – Stay with me

– Stay with me, Lord 2006

– Among Angels 1998

– Westminster Mass

Genesis Opera Project

2008

Isidora Žebeljan Isidora Žebeljan (27 September 1967 – 29 September 2020) was a Serbian composer and conductor. She was a professor of composition at the Belgrade Music Academy and a Fellow of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. She won many national ...

– The Marathon Family 2006 David Bruce & Anna Reynolds – Push!

Emily Hall Emily Hall (born 30 March 1978) is a composer of classical music, electronica and songs. Her music has been performed by the Duke Quartet, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Brodsky Quartet, the London Sinfonietta, and the Philharmonia; it ha ...

& Kit Peel – Sante 2003 Jurgen Simpson & Simon Doyle – Thwaite Paul Frehner & Angela Murphy – Sirius on Earth Jonathan Mills & Dorothy Porter – The Eternity Man

– Zora D

Other Commissions

2023

– Harry Birthday to Ya 2019 Sir James MacMillan – Sing on, Sweet Thrush 2010

Chris Levine Chris Levine is a light artist with a multi-disciplinary approach that harnesses a diverse array of technology with the intention of revealing the ways in which light is fundamental to human experience. Levine uses a cross-disciplinary approach ...

– LIGHT 2003

– Song of a Traveller in the Night, Minstrel's Dance

Genesis Foundation Prize

In 2012 the Genesis Foundation launched the Genesis Foundation Prize, a £25,000 prize awarded to a mentor whose work has effected real change in the practice and careers of arts professionals or graduates. Past recipients include Hamish Dunbar, artistic director of Café Oto; Polly Staple, Director of London's

Chisenhale Gallery Chisenhale Gallery is a non-profit contemporary art gallery based in London's East End. The gallery occupies the ground level of a former veneer factory on Chisenhale Road, situated in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, near Victoria Park, To ...

; Hadrian Garrard, Director of Create London; Joe Robertson and Joe Murphy, artistic directors of Good Chance Theatre;, Rebecca Salter, President of the

, George Turvey, co-founder and artistic director of Papatango Theatre Company. and Nancy Medina, Artistic Director of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre. In 2025, the prize was awarded to theatre and opera director Joe Hill-Gibbins.

Previous Partnerships and Projects

LAMDA

The partnership between the Genesis Foundation and

LAMDA The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. In ...

ran for over 20 years. Dame Janet Suzman, vice-president of LAMDA and a close friend of John Studzinski, was keen to ensure that the arts weren't simply the privilege of the middle-classes and that training should be accessible to all. She encouraged John Studzinski to set up the Genesis LAMDA Scholarships, supporting the academic journey of exceptionally talented students by paying their entire tuition fees over the three-year BA (Hons) course in Professional Acting and also by contributing towards their living expenses. Over a period of 21 years the Genesis LAMDA scholarships enabled a total of 25 talented students to thrive as they developed the requisite skills and resilience for a substantial career. Among former Genesis LAMDA Scholars are

Ben Aldridge Benjamin Charles Aldridge (born 12 November 1985) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayals of Captain James in the BBC military drama '' Our Girl '' (2014–2018), Arsehole Guy in the dramedy series ''Fleabag'' (2016–2019), and T ...

, Samuel Barnett, Carys Bowkett, Tom Riley,

Abubakar Salim Abubakar Salim (born 7 January 1993) is a Kenyan-British actor and video game developer. For his work on ''Assassin's Creed Origins'', he was nominated for a British Academy Games Award and named a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit. On television, he is k ...

, Amy Stacy and Stuart Thompson. View the full list here. The Genesis LAMDA network (2017-2020) was conceived as a mentoring programme for actors, stage managers and technicians. Through the programme, final-year students were paired with experienced alumni so that they could acquire additional skills and knowledge to equip them for successful, sustainable careers. Many mentor-mentee relationships have developed into friendships beyond the official network.

Royal Court Theatre

John Studzinski, and subsequently the Genesis Foundation, supported the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

's International Playwrights' programme for over 20 years. This partnership enabled over 300 writers from more than 70 countries, working in over 40 languages, to have their work read, developed and directed by the Royal Court Theatre's International team, headed by the late Elyse Dodgson.

Older Projects

In 2001, the Genesis Foundation was inaugurated with the Genesis Opera Project. A collaboration with Aldeburgh and the

, the initiative championed the writing of new one-act operas. The Foundation subsequently supported OperaGenesis at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

and scholarships at

Welsh National Opera Welsh National Opera (WNO) () is an opera company based in Cardiff, Wales. WNO gave its first performances in 1946. The company began as a mainly amateur body and transformed into an all-professional ensemble by 1973. In its early days, the ...

, among many others.

Exhibitions

Bill Viola / Michelangelo: Life, Death, Rebirth at the Royal Academy of Arts

The Genesis Foundation sponsored the

' major exhibition, Bill Viola / Michelangelo: Life, Death, Rebirth, which ran from 26 January to 31 March 2019. The exhibition paired installations by pioneering video artist

Bill Viola William John Viola Jr. ( , ; January 25, 1951 – July 12, 2024) was an American video artist whose artistic expression depended upon electronic, sound, and image technology in new media. His works focus on the ideas behind fundamental human ...

with rarely seen drawings by

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...

, exploring how these artists shared a deep preoccupation with the nature of human experience and existence, despite working five centuries apart and in radically different media. This was the first time that these artists' works had been seen together.

Living with gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond at the British Museum

The Genesis Foundation was the sole sponsor of a major new exhibition Living with gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond at the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

, which ran from 2 November 2017 to 8 April 2018 and examined the practice and expression of religious beliefs in the lives of individuals and communities across the world.

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Genesis Foundation
{{Authority control Charities based in London Organizations established in 2001 Arts organisations based in the United Kingdom 2001 establishments in England Arts charities