Arts groups celebrate lifeline thanks to £11.5million funding boost
Organisations across the Black Country were overjoyed to receive part of the "life saving" £11.5 million investment into the region's art sector.
The grant, announced by The Arts Council chief executive, Darren Henley, is part of the Government's revamped Levelling Up plans which aims to provide cash injections into some of the community's favourite local groups and centres.
Funding was given to 12 different organisations in the region, which saw £11.5m spread around over a three-year basis to encourage the winning groups to keep up their work in their respective communities.
Kate DeRight, creative director for Spectra Arts in Smethwick, talked about receiving £120,000 of the grant, she said: "It's absolutely wonderful. It's going to be a massive help in our helping us work more deeply with the community.
"This grant will make sure that people who work with us are treated very well and supported fully. After Covid it's very nice that there is some security out there. It's wonderful."
Groups around the area applied for part of the grant detailing their plans for the funds, with many applications being turned away.
Gazebo Theatre, in Bilston, received £200,000. Pamela Cole-Hudson, strategic director, said: "We are so excited, relieved and thrilled with the news. It gives us so much hope for the future.
"The grant gives us the opportunity to bring a lot of activities to the community. The whole organisation is so pleased, it's been an extremely tough few months, and this is lovely news for everyone. This funding just allows us to go bigger and better, especially during the cost-of-living crisis."
The grant come after years of setbacks where Covid cast a cloud of uncertainty across the entire art industry.
Neil Reading, artistic director of Arena Theatre, talked about receiving £112,000 as part of the grant, he said: "It's an absolute joy to know that because of this grant, we will be able to keep serving the community the way we have.
"Without these grants we would be a very different theatre, we are able to offer the community better opportunities. We will be able to use the money to run our youth programmes and our projects to develop the next generation of art professionals.
Mr Reading continued: "There are so many of us in this artistic community, we don't do this work because of the praise or the pay-check, we do it because we realise the impact that we have."
Dudley-based Black Country Living Museum was also granted £750,000 a year for a period of three years, director and chief executive, Andrew Lovett OBE, said: "We are delighted that we have been successful in securing funding from The Arts Council England and will remain a part of the National Portfolio Organisations programme."
Other grant winners include Stafford's Frontline Dance, Wolverhampton's Newhampton Arts Centre, and Walsall's New Art Gallery.
