£400,000 in funding for youth arts in the West Midlands

Arts Connect West Midlands has split £384,068 between 60 arts and cultural organisations in the region to enable them to improve their offerings and attract new funding.

Among those to benefit are Wolverhampton's Arena Theatre and Civic Centre, which have each been given £5,000.

Also receiving £5,000 are the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, Community Wellbeing Arts in Cannock, the National Memorial Arboretum in Lichfield, Staffordshire Arts & Library Service and The New Art Gallery, Walsall.

Stafford music charity Make Some Noise has received two shares of funding – one of £5,000 and another of £4,897.

The largest sum – £15,000 – went to St Giles Hospice, which is based in Lichfield but has branches in Walsall and Sutton Coldfield, as well as 30 shops across the region.

Meanwhile, the Black Country Dance Hub, based in Dudley, received £4,050.

Rob Elkington, director of Arts Connect WM, said: "We are delighted to be supporting so many innovative organisations who are full of ideas and ambition for their work with children and young people.

"These significant investments across the region will improve quality and increase opportunities for children and young people to be inspired by arts and culture.

"We intend too, that our investment will contribute to the successful long term future of these organisations so they can continue to benefit young people in the long term."

Of the total sum, Arts Connect WM, which is funded by Arts Council England, has handed over £26,749 to six organisations to enable 83 young people to achieve higher Arts Awards, which recognise leadership and artistic achievement

A further £245,911 has been awarded to 45 organisations for research and development, to help them develop engaging new activities for young people and strengthen their business models.

And £111,678 has been given to another 11 groups to allow them work with young people who have the least access to the arts and culture.

The Arena Theatre, in Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, has been given £5,000 to support its collaboration with Penn Hall School, helping deaf and disabled youngsters achieve Arts Awards.

These are aimed at developing a new generation of artists and arts leaders among those aged between seven and 25 years old.

Venue manager Neil Reading said: "As a venue already supporting Arts Award and with a commitment to equality, the funding from Arts Connect will allow the Arena Theatre to reach further in its aim to be fully inclusive and to support young people across the Black Country in furthering their artistic education."

Mark Blackstock, head of entertainments and events at the Civic Centre, said some of the money would be used at this year's city show.