Arts Council England funding decisions in Bristol & Bath

News

04/07/2017

Arts Council England has announced the 103 organisations in the South West that will be in the National Portfolio for 2018-22. These include the arts and cultural organisations in Bristol that will together receive around £27 million in funding over the four years.

A further £3.3 million has been set aside for Bristol to support the transformation of the city’s visual arts offer for the long term and bring more excellent visual arts experiences to more people across Bristol and the South West.

This investment in Bristol reflects the city’s thriving ecology of organisations, producers, artists and venues and recognises its importance as a hub for artistic talent development. The funding over the four years will build on the city’s cultural ambition, introducing new and exciting work that further develops Bristol as one of the country’s leading cultural cities.

These awards are just one strand of Arts Council England’s total investment in arts and culture during 2018-22, which also includes the National Lottery-funded Grants for Arts and Culture scheme and strategic funds which will be used to support targeted programmes of work that deliver the ambitions set out in Great art and culture for everyone, Arts Council England’s 10-year strategic framework.

In Bristol:

There will be 23 National Portfolio organisations for 2018-22

6 organisations joining the portfolio - Action Hero, OpenUp Music,Paraorchestra and Friends, ss Great Britain Trust, St Pauls Carnival CIC and Wise Children

Tobacco Factory Theatres awarded major Capital funding

A full list of all the South West National Portfolio organisations for 2018-22 appears in the Notes to editors.

The National Portfolio

The new National Portfolio consolidates and builds on much of the exceptional work being carried out by South West arts and cultural organisations during the current three-year funding period (which draws to a close on 31st March 2018). In addition, the new portfolio invests in a wider range of organisations than ever before, giving more people in more places the opportunity to experience exciting art and culture on their doorstep.

The investment in National Portfolio organisations in the South West for 2018-19 will be £27.4 million and £109 million over the four-year funding period.

Engaging new communities and broadening reach

Through this investment the Arts Council is securing the future of St Paul’s Carnival. St Pauls Carnival CIC join the portfolio and will bring Carnival back to the streets and the people of Bristol in 2018, its 50th anniversary year. The charity also has plans to create year round activities by, with and for Bristol’s African Caribbean communities and their work will have an important focus on children, young people and families.
Bristol-based organisations joining for the first time include two nationally significant artist led companies - Paraorchestra and Friends, founded by composer and conductor Charles Hazelwood, and Emma Rice’s new company Wise Children.

Another new entrant, OpenUp Music, empower young disabled musicians and will bring to the portfolio expertise in inclusive music practice, specifically around technology and disability.

Bristol’s iconic SS Great Britain also join, illustrating the integration of museums and libraries into this portfolio. They offer an extraordinary education and outreach programme and have exciting plans to develop a new National Brunel Network that draws on Bristol’s renowned heritage.

Dynamic performance duo Action Hero who make live, contemporary art and performance for local, national and international audiences, enter the portfolio too and will support the development of local artistic talent.

Phil Gibby, Area Director, South West, Arts Council England said: ‘This is an exceptionally strong portfolio that will bring good things to people and places across Bristol and the whole of the South West.

“We recognise the great importance of the arts and cultural sector to Bristol and its impact on the local economy and the well-being of local communities. We are delighted to be retaining our commitment to the city’s vibrant arts and cultural scene and are excited about what the next four years have in store.”

The National Portfolio will have 831 arts organisations with £409 million being invested per year. An additional £42 million per year (£170 million over four years) will be spent outside London between 2018 and 2022.

Capital awards

Arts Council England has also announced National Lottery-funded Capital awards. Four arts and cultural organisations in the South West will share a total of £1.3million including the Tobacco Factory in Bristol.

The Tobacco Factory will receive £250,000 to create a new multi-purpose studio performance space which will increase income generation, reduce overheads and create talent development opportunities for individual theatre practitioners.

Phil Gibby, said: “We are very pleased to be making this award to help refurbish the first floor of the Tobacco Factory and create a new performance space. This Capital investment supports the long-term financial resilience of one of the city’s most popular venues.”

The organisations in Bristol and Bath & North East Somerset which will be part of the National Portfolio in 2018-22 are:

acta Community Theatre Ltd

Action Hero

Asian Arts Agency

Bristol Cultural Development Partnership

Bristol Museums

Bristol Music Trust (Colston Hall and St Georges)

Bristol Old Vic and Theatre Royal Trust Ltd

Academy of Circus Arts & Physical Theatre (Circomedia)

Creativity Works

In Between Time

Knowle West Media Centre