Welcome to Wandsworth Funding for Local Cultural Projects
Includes Ukrainian opera and exhibition at Putney School of Art and Design
An exhibition at the Putney School of Art and Design
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November 14, 2025
Several local projects are receiving support through the £50,000 Welcome to Wandsworth grants programme including ones in Putney and Roehampton. The initiative, part of the borough’s year as London Borough of Culture 2025, is designed to celebrate creativity, community and wellbeing through grassroots arts and heritage events.
Five organisations have each been awarded up to £10,000 to deliver projects between now and March 2026.
One of the headline events is Maslenitsa, a festival of Central and Eastern European culture presented by Izba Arts. The programme includes Ukrainian opera performances in Putney, alongside Polish rock in Balham and workshops exploring traditional embroidery and textiles. The festival aims to bring together communities from across the former Eastern Bloc and beyond, celebrating shared heritage and artistic expression.
Putney is also home to We Art Wandsworth, a borough-wide visual arts initiative led by Friends of Putney School of Art and Design. Running from November 2025 to February 2026, the programme shifts creativity from private studios into public spaces, with exhibitions and workshops in libraries, schools and galleries. A key exhibition will take place at Putney School of Art and Design from 2 February to 2 March, showcasing work from local artists and community groups. The project is driven by a team of Wandsworth-based practitioners and supported by partners including Sprout Arts and Battersea Arts Centre.
In Roehampton, the Pointe Black ballet company is delivering Affirmations in Motion, a six-week programme of dance and wellbeing workshops for young people aged 8–16. The initiative combines professional performances with weekly sessions exploring movement, identity and self-expression. Roehampton is one of three locations hosting the tour, which aims to provide powerful representation and a nurturing space for dancers of Black heritage and other underrepresented groups.
The Welcome to Wandsworth grants were awarded by a panel of 15 local residents, known as the London Borough of Culture Local Champions. The programme reflects the council’s commitment to co-creating cultural events with the community and supporting local creatives to scale up their vision and impact.
Deputy Leader of Wandsworth Council, Kemi Akinola, said the grants were about empowering residents to shape the cultural year. “By offering opportunities to local creatives to scale up their vision, their ambition, and their engagement with local people and partners, we hope to build and sustain a powerful legacy,” she said.
London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture, Justine Simons OBE, praised the programme for celebrating Wandsworth’s unique identity and diverse talent. “These five exciting projects have been co-created and chosen by residents to celebrate the borough’s unique identity and incredibly diverse talent through the power of creativity,” she said.
For full details of events and updates, visit welcometowandsworth.com.
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