East Sussex and Brighton & Hove arts organisations get £1.5 million recovery funding boost

The Arts Council and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport have today announced funding awarded through Round 2 of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

Awards in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove are:

Artpod Ltd – £53,000

Brighton People's Theatre – £50,000

Eastbourne Studio Pottery – £50,000

Farleys House & Gallery Ltd – £116,400

Hofesh Shechter Company – £250,000

Joogleberry Limited – £132,000

Le Gateau Chocolat Ltd – £215,305

Nomad Trading (into the Wild arts festival) – £93,000

ONCA Trust Ltd – £50,000

Ooosh Tours Ltd – £58,695

Otherplace Productions Ltd – £289,479

Rocket Artists – £79,665

same sky – £67,000

Rocket Artists supports people with learning disabilities to make artwork, learn art making skills, exhibit, sell work, share their work with the public in inclusive environments. Over 300 inclusive artists have worked, volunteered or trained alongside Rocket Artists during the past 16 years – many of whom are currently employed by organisations such as Unlimited, Towner Art Gallery, Project Art Works and Action Space.

Hofesh Shechter Company is recognised internationally as a boundary-breaking dance company and Hofesh Shechter as one of the world’s most exciting artists. The company combines critically acclaimed performances on the stages of world-leading venues with programmes like Take Part, which provides opportunities for young people aged 14+ and early career professionals to participate, pathways into the profession, talent development, increased employability and CPD, all focused on increasing diversity.

Hofesh Shechter, artistic director, said: “I feel an incredible sense of relief that Hofesh Shechter Company has been supported by the DCMS and ACE through the Culture Recovery Fund. To those who made this decision - thank you. This is a meaningful step, a meaningful moment and a critical one, bringing renewed hope to the dancers, the team, the company and all its freelance collaborators and will, in return, have a direct impact on all those we wish to inspire.

“The last 7 months have been difficult for all of us collectively and this offers the arts an opportunity to rebuild the foundations for a creative future. There are still many challenges ahead - but it is the lifeline we need to move forward with more certainty. It allows us to progress from survival mode to the hopeful state of recovery. We will continue in our endeavours to bring the company back to action, back to work, to create, to inspire and engage audiences, students, the professional dance scene as well as all art forms and people. We must do so whilst adapting and finding new ways to help the arts thrive again. This fund gives us a chance to do this and we will do all we can to achieve it.

“Thank you for giving a much needed sense of hope in these trying times.”

The money comes in the second tranche of funding awarded, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Today’s recipients are those that applied for grants of under £1 million in the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund. This funding will help organisations create work and performances and plan for reopening.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “This is more vital funding to protect cultural gems across the country, save jobs and prepare the arts to bounce back. Through Arts Council England we are delivering the biggest ever investment in the arts in record time. Hundreds of millions of pounds are already making their way to thousands of organisations.

“These awards build on our commitment to be here for culture in every part of the country.”

Hedley Swain, area director, south east, Arts Council England, said: “We’re very pleased to be able to support a further 63 organisations across the South East of England, which will share £8.2 million, through Round 2 of the Culture Recovery Fund: Grants. The investment will help them to navigate the immediate challenges that are ahead, as well as supporting their plans for 2021.”

A Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport spokesman explained: “The £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund builds on unprecedented support from the government and our arms length bodies for the culture sectors. This includes the Job Retention Scheme; a years' business rates holiday for leisure businesses and the Bounce Back Loans scheme.

“This is in addition to £104 million of emergency funding already distributed by Arts Council England to organisations and individuals, and £96 million currently available to support cultural organisations and freelancers, through programmes like National Lottery Project Grants and Developing Your Creative Practice.

“Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk

“Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of several bodies administering the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund and unprecedented support package of £1.57 billion for the culture and heritage sector."

Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19