Lancashire projects receive Arts Council funding

A range of cultural projects in Blackburn has received multi-million-pound funding from Arts Council England while Blackpool's Lightpool Festival has received more than £700,000.

The funding is part of a £43.5m investment in Levelling Up by the Arts Council with around 900 organisations being named within the new national portfolio.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has received £2m to be allocated to Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, National Festival of Making, British Textile Biennial and Culturapedia.

The museum receives three years of funding, amounting to £440,000, to reshape its narrative, working with local audiences to create a space more inclusive and relevant to the changes in society.

The National Festival of Making was launched in the town in 2017 and attracts thousands of visitors from across the UK each year. The borough has also played host to the British Textile Biennial since 2019, and Culturapedia is an organisation which encourages community-focused creative endeavours.

It was recently announced that Blackburn with Darwen is one of 54 priority areas across England that the Arts Council want to develop new opportunities for investment, as part of their ‘Let’s Create’ strategy.

Coun Phil Riley, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said: “This is such fantastic and welcome news for Blackburn with Darwen. The council embarked on a programme of developing the creative arts offering within the town some years ago, and we are incredibly proud to have multiple world-class arts organisations now call our borough their home. To have this important and sustained partnership work acknowledged and invested in by the Arts Council is just brilliant.

“The programmes delivered by these organisations not only shines a spotlight on our town’s distinctive creative energy and making heritage, it also brings residents together in a unique way, creating long-term cultural impact within our communities."

Blackpool will receive a grant of £225,000 per year, starting in April 2023, allowing the Illuminations team to develop the work of Lightpool, the light art festival held in October every year.

In addition to new art for the Illuminations, the funding will allow for the creation of  an extensive talent development programme for artists and creatives with artists in residence.

New work will be developed using the expertise of the Illuminations team and the facilities at Lightworks, the Illuminations manufacturing facility at Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.

The team will also expand their work carried out with local cultural partners such as LeftCoast, Old Electric, and the Grand Theatre to provide year-round activity for children, young people and local communities to creatively take part and present work to a wider audience during the Illuminations season and as part of Lightpool Festival.

Blackpool’s Grand Theatre and Grundy Art Gallery, both existing NPOs, have been awarded a new three-year investment with the Grand receiving more than £1.5m and The Grundy £99,000.

Coun Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council said: "We are immensely proud of Lightpool Festival and excited that it is now a part of the Arts Council’s national portfolio.

"It gives us a tremendous opportunity to collaborate with artists and partners both nationally and internationally to present the best contemporary light art work of the day to our present Illuminations audience of more than three million locals and visitors.

“We have a vibrant arts scene in Blackpool with some wonderful independent organisations and the funding will enable us to collaborate with them to a much greater level.”

Meanwhile, Accrington-based DanceSyndrome, the dance-based charity which supports people with learning disabilities, has received £300,000.

The organisation was founded by Jen Blackwell, who has Down's syndrome, and delivers a range of activities including weekly Everybody Dance workshops for people with and without disabilities to dance together, as well as leadership training. They also have a group of performance artists who work collaboratively to create new performances with a focus on changing the way people think about disability and demonstrating what people with disabilities are able to achieve.

Sophie Tickle, DanceSyndrome artistic director, said: "Everyone at DanceSyndrome is very proud that we have been chosen as part of the Arts Council’s next National Portfolio on the very first time we applied for it. This is incredible recognition for our work and it is wonderful to be featured alongside the most prestigious and high quality arts organisations in the country."