Arts Council England invests £1.5m into organisations across County Durham

Organisations across County Durham will be supported in delivering key cultural events and attractions after being successful in bids for funding.

The Arts Council selected County Durham as one of 54 Priority Places in the UK where it has announced it will be focusing its investment. Durham County Council has been awarded £1,597,908 from Arts Council England and has been chosen as a National Portfolio Organisation 2023-2026 and a core supporter of the body’s Lets Create strategy to develop creativity for all.

The grant supports the council’s key festivals Durham Book Festival, Durham BRASS, and Lumiere Durham the UK’s Light Art Biennial, which together attract thousands of visitors to the county and bring a significant boost to its visitor economy.

These festivals are just some of the many cultural events taking place in the county, cementing Durham’s position as the ‘culture county’ and demonstrating the council’s ongoing commitment to culture-led regeneration.

This year’s Arts Council grant is an increase of £117,636 per year in funding from the council’s previous allocation, which it will use to create further cultural opportunities in its communities. Across the county, there has been an increase of £1,686,600 in funding awarded to organisations to support culture for the next three years.

The county will also benefit from separate funding, as today the government announced the North East has been chosen as one of six regions to receive £1.25m through its Create Growth Programme to support the growth and expansion of creative businesses.

Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “We are delighted to have been successful in our bid and would like to express our thanks to Arts Council England for its continued support for the county, in particular this year as a Priority Place for investment.

“We will use this funding to achieve our ambitions of building our profile as the culture county, continue growing our festivals to make them even more relevant and accessible to our communities, and to support talent and skills to grow jobs in the cultural economy.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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