Cultural festival awarded £30k from ACE

24 Jan 2024

A new cultural festival in Broxtrowe, Nottinghamshire, has received £30,000 of Arts Council England (ACE) funding. 

Running throughout June, the festival will offer indoor and outdoor events, including a mix of theatre performances, art workshops, film screenings and live music.

The bid to ACE was made through a Community Committee comprising Broxtowe Borough Council members and officers as well as local people with experience in the culture sector.

Chair of the Community Committee, Councillor Teresa Cullen, said: “This is such a significant amount of funding and such an exciting opportunity for us in Broxtowe. The festival will bring the best of Broxtowe cultural groups and artists to venues across the breadth of the borough. 

“It will also be a really important way for us to break down barriers between areas of our local community, raise awareness of issues like disability and mental health through cultural performances and be accessible for people for all backgrounds."

Coventry Culture Trust administration extended

23 Jan 2024

Administrators investigating a charity's spending have been given another year to continue their work.

Since Coventry City of Culture Trust collapsed in February 2023 with debts of more than £4m, administrators have been working to sell off assets to try to pay back creditors while investigating the circumstances of the collapse, with forensic accountants being hired to assist.

The appointment of an administrator automatically ends one year after the date it takes effect.

But a notice filed with Companies House states that, with creditors' consent, the administration period will now run until 27 February 2025. Any further extensions are only possible by court order.

Meanwhile, a senior Conservative MP said they want to "get to the bottom of what went wrong".

Speaking to the Coventry Observer, Conservative Party Chairman Richard Holden said he and his party’s local candidates for the next general election were "very keen" for the full legacy of the City of Culture year to be realised.

“Millions was given by central government to fund the City of Culture year and I know there is a big desire in Coventry to get to the bottom of this issue.

“I know [our local candidates] are very passionate about this issue and want to see a real legacy of the City of Culture.

“This includes getting to the bottom of what went wrong but also to work towards building on the positive as there was so much money and goodwill invested into the year.”

Somerset Council plans culture budget cuts

Exterior of the Brewhouse Theatre
23 Jan 2024

Cost-saving proposals include reducing support to the county’s theatres as the council faces a £100m funding shortfall.

Opening up career opportunities in the cultural sector

Image of screen printing
23 Jan 2024

A pioneering educational programme for neurodivergent young people has been given a boost from social impact investment. Seva Phillips has been talking to Lisa Alberti about her vision at Pinc College.

Use philanthropy to increase arts funding, says Robertson

Scotland's Culture Secretary Angus Robertson
23 Jan 2024

Scotland’s Cultural Secretary Angus Robertson says exploring new funding streams in addition to government funding, and working closely with local authorities, will be key for the future of the sector.

Peterborough theatre undergoes £5m refurb

22 Jan 2024

Peterborough's Cresset theatre has closed for a month to allow all of its 876 seats to be replaced as part of a £5m refurbishment.

The BBC reports that the work is now underway to upgrade the venue to "modern standards" after owners, YMCA Trinity Group, were awarded £5.1m to develop the work it does with young people from the government-funded Youth Investment Fund for capital spending.

Work will include replacing the roof and drainage systems, installing a new lighting rig and sustainable theatre lighting, and facilities to help performers with access needs.

Penny Hansen, Cresset's Head of Commercial Activities, said: "This is all about safeguarding the building's future. We need a safe space, and this is about upgrading it to modern standards.

"We offer incredible opportunities for young people, and it is very much about doing more of that."

Council seeks reallocation of government cash to save arts centre

22 Jan 2024

Woking Council will ask the government if it can use money provided for digital strategy to keep an arts centre open.

The BBC reports that the cash-strapped local authority was given £1m as part of the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2022 but now wants to reallocate £600,000 of that for other purposes, including £130,000 to keep The Lightbox museum and gallery open.

Under the plans, £30,000 would also be given to Citizen's Advice to help plan for the future, and £101,000 would be allocated to improving footpaths and car parks in outdoor spaces.

Will Forster, Deputy Leader at Woking Council, said the move would help minimise the impact of the council's financial position on communities and local businesses.

He added: "We've had to make some really tough decisions this year. I'm glad that by utilising this funding sensibly, we can show organisations like The Lightbox and Citizen's Advice that we value them and are willing to do everything within our gift to support them."

The decision to reallocate the money to six priority projects was made at a council meeting last Thursday (18 January), and government approval will now be sought.

ACE portfolio extension: NPOs wary of 'standstill funding'

Helen Sherman as Dorabella and Máire Flavin as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte (2016), Opera North
18 Jan 2024

Arts leaders have reacted to Art Council England's decision to extend its current funding portfolio until 2027.

ACE extends National Portfolio to 2027

Arts Council England logo
18 Jan 2024

The 985 arts and culture organisations making up Arts Council England's National Portfolio will be able to apply for an additional year of core funding.

Local authority funding cuts causing profound damage

Nottingham Playhouse
18 Jan 2024

For the fifth time since assuming the leadership of Nottingham Playhouse, Stephanie Sirr is galvanising objections to a major funding cut.

Does ACE’s latest intervention go far enough?

Sean Bates and Joseph Taylor in The Great Gatsby
17 Jan 2024

More can be done to help struggling arts organisations, says Arts Professional's Neil Puffett.

ENO staff vote for strike action

Cast of English National Opera’s Iolanthe 2023 © Craig Fuller
17 Jan 2024

English National Opera plans to axe 19 posts in its orchestra, and make the chorus, orchestra and music staff part-time as part of efforts to adapt to lower levels of income.

Northern Ireland artists receive £1m from National Lottery 

17 Jan 2024

Arts Council of Northern Ireland has named 292 artists awarded funding from a £1.04m National Lottery fund as part of its Support for Individual Artists Programme.

The scheme provides artists working across all disciplines with grants of up to £6,000 to develop new creative projects, purchase equipment, and support international performance opportunities and residencies.

Recipients include a horror music composer, aerial circus performer, prosthetic make-up artist and prop-maker.

“Individual artists are at the very heart of the creative sector in Northern Ireland, enriching our communities and bringing our theatres, music venues and galleries to life,” said Gilly Campbell, joint Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

“Thanks to National Lottery players and money raised for good causes, funding from the Arts Council’s Support for Individual Artists Programme will provide artists, working across all areas of the arts, with the vital investment they need to embark on new projects, develop their ideas and find new and engaging ways to present their art.”
 

Councils of despair

4 elephants coming through a doorway. Image generated with AI
17 Jan 2024

As cuts to the arts continue to bite, Robin Cantrill-Fenwick asks why some local authorities feel able to walk away from funding our sector, and what we can do about it.

Fringe festival chiefs call for regular government funding

16 Jan 2024

Leaders of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society say the city’s status as host of a leading cultural festival is in jeopardy unless the Scottish government offers a new funding approach.

Natural heritage sites to share £15.6m of funding

A group of walkers gathered on a hill in the Peak District
16 Jan 2024

National Lottery Heritage Fund will introduce a landscape and nature-focused initiative later this year as part of its 10-year strategy.

Major arts development in Rochdale gets go ahead

Images of interior plans for Touchstones Rochdale. Provided by Rochdale Borough Council. Credit: Architectural Emporium.
15 Jan 2024

Work to improve Touchstones Rochdale is being funded by Arts Council England and Rochdale Borough Council.

Cornwall museum awarded £2.1m Levelling Up support

Exterior of Royal Cornwall Museum, River Street, Truro, Cornwall - June 2022
15 Jan 2024

Successful grant bid for the Royal Cornwall Museum comes less than two years after it faced closure following a loss of council support.

Smaller NPOs urged to establish university links

A dancer leaning back on a stage lit in vivid blue
15 Jan 2024

National Portfolio Organisations with the highest levels of public funding three times more likely to be working with universities on arts and culture research than those with lower levels of subsidy.

Debbonaire: More money for arts 'my first priority'

A screen shot of Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire in a Zoom call. She has short dark hair and wears a red jacket with matching glasses
10 Jan 2024

Shadow Culture Secretary pledges to explore opportunities for additional investment in the arts, describing proposed cuts to local authority culture budgets as 'heartbreaking'.

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