Aldeburgh Music awarded £1 million to lead major 2013 Britten Centenary celebration

Composer Benjamin Britten and singer Peter Pears stand outside Aldeburgh Music's concert hall. Credit: Image courtesy of www.britten100.org

Arts Council England has announced that it has awarded Aldeburgh Music £1 million to lead a major programme of nationwide events celebrating the 2013 Britten Centenary.

The internationally-renowned Suffolk-based arts centre will lead and coordinate a partnership of national and local organisations to celebrate English composer Benjamin Britten's (1913-1976) extraordinary cultural legacy.

This will build on our ambitions outlined in our 10-year vision for the arts, in particular, our aim to showcase the talent and creativity of English artists and arts organisations.

By investing in the centenary we hope to:

• build on Britten's support for talented artists, his belief in widening access and participation, and his collaborations with dance, film, theatre, visual arts and literature
• inspire contemporary English artists to create exceptional new work
• attract new audiences to Britten's work and new work inspired by him, including through digital distribution and touring
• promote England's importance as a major international cultural destination andgenerate new investment from a range of sources

Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said: 'Arts Council England is proud to be part of the 2013 Britten Centenary celebrations, which will honour a man who was and is a visionary artistic influence.

'His legacy - his exceptional and exacting artistic output spanning many different artforms, his pioneering approach towards working with amateurs, performers, young artists, always demanding the best of whoever he worked with, and his innovative attitude towards audiences - is strongly felt today and is reflected in our goals.

'I am confident that Aldeburgh Music, which was founded by Britten, will create and deliver a unique and exciting programme of performances and projects that will celebrate this legacy and showcase the strong talent that this country has to offer.'

For further information about our investment in the Britten Centenary visit our Strategic funding pages.

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