Dr Neil Hudson MP welcomed £383 million in new funding to level up arts and culture from the Conservative Government for the North of England, including £277,574 here in his constituency of Penrith and The Border over the next three years.
The local organisations benefiting from the funding are Highlights Rural Touring Scheme, a charity bringing professional theatre, comedy, dance, and much more to isolated community centres across the rural north; and Eden Arts which oversees a range of cultural projects designed to facilitate change such as the Winter Droving which saw thousands flock to the streets of Penrith recently, where both organisations are based.
Eden Arts is set to receive £101,840 and Highlights Productions will receive £175,734 (a small portion of which will go to its partner organisation Arts Out West, which runs parallel schemes in West Cumbria) from 2023 - 2026.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, said:
“Both Eden Arts and Highlights are organisations committed to enriching people’s lives in rural areas such as ours with a whole host of projects bringing top quality arts and culture to halls, schools and community centres in isolated villages and towns throughout Cumbria. This is such important work bringing communities together and shaking off rural isolation so I will continue to work alongside our Conservative Government to provide local organisations with the funding and support they need.”
In England as a whole, 990 organisations will receive a share of £446 million each year over the next three years, making sure that more people in more places can enjoy arts and culture on their doorstep. Paying dividends across England, this money will boost economic growth, create jobs and bring communities together.
By targeting the Arts Council’s Levelling Up Places, 78 designated towns and cities from Stoke to Slough and Gloucester to Wigan will receive £130 million of funding over the next three years. This is a 95 per cent increase in investment in these areas and will support new organisations, making sure that communities across the county benefit from investment in culture and the jobs which it brings.
The Conservative Government is supporting our world-class, established organisations that have done so much to build England’s reputation as one of the most creative countries in the world. It is also supporting 276 new organisations, reaching new audiences and increasing opportunity for people of all backgrounds.
Culture Secretary, Michelle Donelan, added:
“Thanks to this new government funding package, spreading more money to more communities than ever before, people living in areas from Wolverhampton to Wigan and Crawley to Chesterfield will now get to benefit from the deep economic and social rewards culture can bring.
“We continue to support our icons such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Shakespeare Company, but today's announcement will see organisations in places all too often overlooked get the support they need to transform access to the arts for everyone – no matter where they live.”
This is the Arts Council's largest regular investment, and the funding will ensure that more people in more places than ever before will have access to fantastic, fulfilling art and culture in the villages, towns and cities where they live.
