The South West Culture Digest - August 2021
In the August edition of the South West Culture Digest, we are taking a moment to mark a significant milestone – our 75th birthday! It’s also a time to celebrate new research that shows the benefits that culture can have on us and our national recovery post-pandemic.
We’ll take a look at some recent National Lottery and Government funding awards across the region that are giving more people the chance to experience amazing cultural experiences, from Bristol to Gosport. And, we will follow in the footsteps of our CEO, Darren Henley, and Area Director, Phil Gibby, on their road trip round Cornwall.
If you have a story you’d like to share with us, email us at sw.comms@artscouncil.org.uk and we’ll do our best to include it in a future issue.
Good news
75 years on and culture is still good for us!
As we mark 75 years since our first Royal Charter, we’ve been celebrating the enormous impact that public investment in arts, culture and creativity has had on people’s lives over this period. There are too many iconic cultural moments to count in the south west, so the ACE South West team has pulled together a list of just 10 of the most memorable.
Which stand-out cultural events do you remember?
We’re sharing our #CreativeMemories from the past seven and a half decades on social media, so jump on the hashtag and join in on the nostalgia.
Look back at 10 iconic cultural moments in the south west >
The value of culture and creativity on our high streets
Did you know 69% of people think culture on their high street makes their area a better place to live? As part of our work demonstrating the value of culture and creativity, we commissioned BOP Consulting to produce A High Street Renaissance: How arts and culture bring people and pride back to our high streets. Theatre Royal Plymouth was analysed as a case study, with key findings revealing the theatre significantly generates footfall, contributes to the local economy of Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall; and crucially – makes residents proud of the place they live. High Streets have taken a colossal blow due to the pandemic, but as cultural organisations across the south west finally begin to open up and welcome visitors back, it’s clear that culture is needed more than ever.
Funding news
This month, we’ve announced new funding for a whole host of exciting creative and cultural projects across the region, including:
National Lottery Project Grants
In July, we invested £1.25m in 56 projects across the south west through National Lottery Project Grants. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have funded creative projects that bring people together, support local economies and help improve lives. The funding will provide development opportunities to communities in Portsmouth; amplify the voices of spoken word poets in south Somerset; bring learning opportunities and regeneration to Gosport; support and engage with young carers in the UK through photography and bring cultural experiences to Cornwall and New Forest.
Find out more about the projects >
Supporting Visual Arts progression in Bristol and the West of England
We’re delighted to announce that we’ve awarded £1.18 million to a new consortium partnership: the West of England Visual Arts Alliance. Co-led by Spike Island and Visual Arts South West, the partnership will transform the future of visual arts in Bristol and the West of England. At a time when it’s needed more than ever, we’re proud to be investing this significant seven figure award in artists from the area, thanks to the National Lottery. The West of England Visual Arts Alliance will deliver 2,760 bursaries, commissions and development opportunities for 500 artists over the next three years. This investment responds to the pivotal report undertaken by James Lingwood and Godfrey Worsdale in 2018.
Opportunities
Exciting opportunity to join the Spike Island team
Spike Island are recruiting a Project Manager for the new West of England Visual Arts Alliance. They are looking for someone with outstanding project management skills to lead on the organisation and management of this ambitious, multi-year project. If you are an excellent communicator with enthusiasm for the arts and culture sector, they want to hear from you! The deadline to apply is 12noon, Tuesday 7 September 2021.
South West Spotlight
Darren Henley, CEO tours Cornwall’s cultural treasures
Our CEO, Darren Henley, hit the road last week to catch up with cultural organisations across Cornwall who have survived the pandemic thanks to funding from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. Joined by our South West Area Director, Phil Gibby, the three-day whistle stop tour was packed with enriching cultural experiences from Bodmin to Bodelva, with many stop-offs in between.
