Friday 5 January 2007

Somerset Arts Organisations Awarded Major Funding

A pioneering two-year project, created by a number of key Somerset arts organisations, has been awarded a grant by Arts Council England (ACE).

The sixteen organisations from Somerset Arts Promoters (SAP), a network of diverse professional organisations delivering quality arts and media across Somerset, were awarded the grant for a range of collaborative projects. These projects are designed to promote excellence, learning and participation in the arts as part of the Arts Council’s Thrive programme, a nationwide search for groundbreaking initiatives.

This exciting one-off investment is to be spent on joint projects that explore new ways for the organisations to work together and cannot be spent on existing programmes or buildings. The award shows ACE confidence in the current work being done in Somerset and in the county’s potential to become a leader in developing and delivering a truly accessible arts programme.

Nick Capaldi, Arts Council England, South West Executive Director said:

“The Arts Council is delighted to be supporting this project. Our grant will allow the county's theatre promoters, arts centres, galleries and community arts and media organisations to find new ways to bring the arts into the lives of people in Somerset, reflecting the way people live in the 21st Century. With the continued support of our Local Authority colleagues we will be supporting Somerset Arts Promoters to transform the arts in Somerset.”

The Somerset Thrive project has been borne out of a shared passion to provide the best possible arts experiences for the people of Somerset, as well as more opportunities for artists. Over a two-year period, the organisations involved will be collaborating with some of the most successful and exciting people working in the arts nationally, on projects that will completely re-think how to use people, buildings and organisations to ensure the most is made of resources. At the end of this project a blueprint for a new way to work together will hopefully have been developed that will effectively deliver quality arts across the county.

The importance of culture as a major economic driver is increasingly being recognised; already in Somerset the creative industries, which inlcudes the arts sector, generates £345m turnover annually. As well as any potential economic impact, this project will enable Somerset to place culture in the heart of the community. The arts can have the power to change lives; Somerset Thrive aims to bring about the best possible conditions for this transformation to happen for people in the county, by giving more access to a rich and varied artistic and cultural life.

Robert Miles, Director of The Brewhouse in Taunton said:

“We are thrilled that this one-off investment is a huge vote of confidence in Somerset’s potential to work together to extend the opportunity for people to enjoy and participate in arts and media in a predominantly rural area. These are exciting times. ”

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