Yesterday the Arts Council announced that Blackpool was to be one of seven areas to receive Arts Council funding.
As part of the Creative People and Places programme, Blackpool is set to receive £3 million in funding. The fund was established for areas Of the country where people’s involvement in the arts is below the national average and takes a new approach by enabling grassroots organisations to take a lead in inspiring others to get involved in the arts.
The Blackpool and Wyre consortium which has secured the funding is led by Blackpool Coastal Housing and includes Merlin Entertainments Ltd, The Grand Theatre, Blackpool Council and Wyre Council. Blackpool’s project aims to build on the areas entertainment heritage and visitor economy as well as addressing inequalities in cultural participation plus helping arts organisations to become more sustainable.
Arts Council Chief Executive, Alan Davey, said…
I’m excited by the possibilities of this programme and by the vision of the successful applicants. All the projects have the potential to make a visible and lasting impact on the places where the work will happen and, very importantly, they all share the ambition to unite increased access with excellent art.
You can find out more about the Arts Council funding by visiting their website. altblackpool will bring you more updates and news about the project as they become available.
Show Comments (2)
John Popham
Well done, Blackpool! I really hope that this funding can be used to help bring out the natural expression of Blackpool people, and help the renaissance of the town based upon the hopes and aspirations of local people rather than a lowest common denominator approach to attracting anyone with money to spend on cheap alcohol and tat.
Stephen Wymark
As a professional theatre artist, who is creating innovative new work and trying to practice his craft and raise awareness locally, it invariably seems like an uphill struggle. The town is bereft of even a single point of contact where we artists and creators can meet, talk, engage, network, express, exhibit and perform our work. And if we as artists struggle to show our work, how can we ever hope to raise the creative consciousness of our area. If we are invisible, then we don’t exist. If creativity is invisible then it cannot be perceived as of any importance.
I often feel alone in my struggle to gain ground, to be recognised, to be seen. I’m sure we all do. But if there is nowhere to be seen, to be visible, then what next?
Creativity in all its forms and genres has the right to be recognised. We cannot place one before an other or omit through lack of understanding or preference of a particular art form.
We ‘need’ something, a place, a space, somewhere to grow, to expand, to see what is really possible in this town.
Maybe now is the ideal time to direct support and funding to our arts community.