Nottinghamshire's museums are in line to get more than £23 million of extra Arts Council England funding over the next three years, it has been announced. In total, 19 organisations across the county will receive a share of almost £7.7 million each year - in a bid to ensure that more people can find fulfilling art and culture on their doorsteps.
It comes as Arts Council England has revealed details of its new national portfolio of funded organisations for 2023-26. From Ashfield to Mansfield and Newark and Sherwood, the Arts Council’s Levelling Up for Culture Places in Nottinghamshire will receive £1.2 million of new investment, as part of the 78 designated towns and cities that will receive their share of £43.5 million of funding in the next three years.
Additional funding for places where cultural investment and opportunity has previously been low, will support newcomers to the portfolio including Mansfield Museum and Mansfield Palace Theatre, Newark Museum, Newark Palace Theatre and National Civil War Centre. Established organisations such as Nottingham Playhouse, The National Holocaust Centre and Museum and Writing East Midlands will also see investment.
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This will also include a boost for some museums and libraries, with an increase in funding for Nottingham’s Inspire - Culture, Learning and Libraries, and also New Art Exchange . Other newcomers included in the portfolio are Newark Castle and Gardens, MishMash Music, Nottingham, UNESCO City of Literature, Unanima Theatre and Writing East Midlands.
Conservative MP for Mansfield Ben Bradley has welcomed £811,304 of funding to level up access to arts and cultural organisations in Mansfield. He added: "I am focused on making sure that more people in more places can enjoy arts and culture on their doorstep and I will continue working with the Conservative Government to provide local organisations with the funding and support they need.
"The £811,304 being delivered by the Conservative Government will pay dividends across Mansfield, boosting our local economy, creating jobs in the area, and bringing our communities closer together. We are widening access to arts and culture, so that everyone can enjoy the fantastic arts and culture on offer here in our community and the benefits that investment brings."
In Nottingham, the full amount is £1.4m over the years 2023-26, so £474,775 a year, for the city's museums service. Commenting, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Planning, Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, said: “I’m delighted that we have received the full amount of funding that we bid for, enabling us to plan with confidence for the years ahead. This was a highly competitive process involving over 1,700 applicants, many of whom received no funding or less than requested.
"This is therefore a strong endorsement by Arts Council England of the City Council’s track record on delivering a high quality museums service. I would like to thank the council officers who put together such a strong funding bid which will benefit local people for the next three years.”
Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England said: “We’re delighted to unveil our ambitious new portfolio reaching more people in more places across Nottinghamshire than ever before.
“The Arts Council is investing more money outside London, and we’re introducing five new organisations locally. Nottinghamshire already boasts a vibrant cultural scene with an international reputation for excellence and we look forward to supporting more opportunities for even more communities across the region to experience creativity on their doorsteps.”
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said that access to the arts and culture across the county "will be transformed", adding: “It will mean fantastic organisations such as the Unanima Theatre in Mansfield and the National Holocaust Centre in Newark can engage a new generation of people with their important work.”
Sukhy Johal MBE, Chair of Midlands Area Council has described the Midlands' cultural landscape as 'exciting and energetic', adding: "We want to support a sector which breaks down barriers, creates more opportunities to bring creativity and talent to the fore, and makes England a truly creative nation.”
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