Arts Council England National Portfolio awards £23m to Nottinghamshire cultural sector

Nottinghamshire’s cultural sector will benefit from £23m of investment through the Arts Council England National Portfolio for the 2018 – 2022 funding period, announced yesterday by Arts Council England (27 June 2017). The investment from Arts Council England in Nottinghamshire has doubled, up from £11m for the portfolio funding given to local organisations in the 2015 – 2018 period. 15 organisations in total in Nottinghamshire will benefit from the funds, and seven of these are organisations not receiving funding through the Arts Council England portfolio for the current period (2015 – 2018 funding period). The investment reflects a commitment by Arts Council England to significantly increase the funding to arts and cultural organisations outside of London, recognising the importance of the sector across the whole of England. The National Portfolio includes organisations across England of all sizes and scales, with museums and libraries coming into the portfolio for the first time. In Nottinghamshire, this means organisations such as the National Holocaust Centre, Inspire and National Justice Museum are now receiving funding for the period. Nottingham city is the cultural hub for the region, and 13 of the 15 organisations to be awarded funding are located within the city boundaries. City Arts Nottingham, Dance4 and New Art Exchange have all enjoyed an increase in existing funding, further boosting the potential for the cultural sector in the city. Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, Nottingham City Council, said: “The funding announcements made by Arts Council England are very welcome and demonstrate the quality of arts organisations based and working in this city.  Nottingham is fortunate to have such amazing and varied talent which adds hugely to the vibrancy and diversity of our city making it such a great place to live, work and visit.” Paul Russ, Chair of the Strategic Cultural Partnership in Nottingham, said: “Arts Council England’s investment in Nottingham is a great acknowledgement of the quality of the city’s arts scene. From independent artists to internationally renowned institutions Nottingham has one of the most enviable arts infrastructures in the country and the sector is thrilled to see an increased investment in the city, particularly to increase opportunities for public engagement, supporting independent artists such as Tom Dale and developing international partnerships.” Brendan Moffett, Chief Executive of Marketing NG, said: “The cultural sector is of increasing importance in Nottinghamshire, acting as a significant driver for the visitor economy, and adding to the appeal of the destination. “This increase in funding for organisations in Nottinghamshire shows the confidence of Arts Council England in the value of the offer here, which is going from strength to strength. “Research in 2015 by VisitBritain showed the UK is ranked in the top 3 destinations worldwide for culture, and cultural tourism is a significant growth area for tourism. We’ll be working closely with the cultural sector in Nottingham to continue raising the profile of the impressive cultural offer here.” Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England said: “We’re delighted to unveil our ambitious new portfolio reaching more people in more places across the Midlands than ever before. “The Arts Council is investing more money than ever before outside London, we’re introducing 42 new organisations, including museums and libraries for the first time, as well as continuing to fund current organisations. We’ve been able to offer an increase to a small number of organisations we currently fund who made an exceptional case. The Midlands already boasts a vibrant cultural scene with an international reputation for excellence and we look forward to seeing more great art and culture being enjoyed by more audiences in more places.” The full list of Nottinghamshire organisations to receive funding is:

• Backlit
• City Arts Nottingham
• Inspire Library Service
• Dance4
• National Justice Museum
• New Art Exchange
• New Perspectives Theatre Company
• Nottingham City Museums and Galleries
• Nottingham Contemporary
• Broadway Media Centre
• Nottingham Playhouse
• Primary
• The National Holocaust Centre and Museum
• Tom Dale Company
• Writing East Midlands

View the list of Nottinghamshire recipients here. The full list of national recipients is available here. Read the announcement from Arts Council England here.