Boost for ambitious arts activities across England

2 Mar 2017 03:25 PM

Children’s book publishing will take a graphic twist, there will be a major boost to outdoor arts, world renowned artists will head to England, and graduates will get a fair chance in the creative industries, thanks to new investment from our National Lottery funded Ambition for Excellence programme.

Four projects across the country will receive more than £2.3 million towards projects that build local creative talent while showcasing England’s outstanding artistic energy on an international stage.

Alison Clark, National Director, Combined Arts, Arts Council England, said: “This round of awards will have a significant impact on artistic activities that huge numbers of people will get to experience, and will provide exceptional opportunities for emerging and established artists to make work in new places or in new formats.  One of the key aims of this funding programme is to ensure long term development of ambitious art production and these projects are fantastic examples of that.”

About the projects

Corn Exchange (Newbury) Trust, £747,250

The Corn Exchange will embark on an ambitious new programme of activity for 101 – the UK’s principal centre for the creation of outdoor arts. As well as developing the range of facilities at 101, the funding will also provide essential talent and skills development opportunities, alongside a series of residencies. The work will help to create a significant change in the level of support available to outdoor artists in the UK. 

Pop Up Projects, £341,883

Pop Up Projects will create a new international exchange mentoring scheme designed to help expand diversity and translation in children’s illustration and comics publishing. It will see some of the very best illustrators in the Baltic States and the UK supporting talented young visual artists develop new graphic stories that will be professionally published for London Book Fair 2018.

Jerwood Charitable Foundation, £498,555

Jerwood Charitable Foundation will enter a new, ambitious phase of work by significantly scaling up the reach and impact of its talent and diversity development programme, the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries. Working with new delivery partners including the British Council, it will create a peer network of 40 organisations and 40 talented graduates from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds across the UK, investing in their creative and leadership potential through national and international training and residency opportunities.

Culture Liverpool, £750,000

Culture Liverpool will be using the investment to commission Heading for Home. This major commissioning programme involving world renowned artists and home grown creative talent will be announced in mid-March.

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