Today, Arts Council England reveals details of its new National Portfolio of funded organisations for 2023-26. In total, 258 organisations in London will receive a share of a three-year £431.2m investment, ensuring that more people in more places can find fantastic, fulfilling art and culture on their doorsteps.
London is set to receive £431.2 million over three years, a third of the overall investment for England announced today. There is a wider spread of investment to outer boroughs, meaning more Londoners will benefit from creative and cultural investment. Priority Places in London such as Croydon and Brent will receive £18.8 million; over £10.9 million more investment is going to the outer boroughs such as Bromley, Redbridge, and Merton; 30 of the 33 local authorities are set to receive funding – up from 28 and more than ever before; and 56 new London organisations will be joining the portfolio this time round.
A diverse range of organisations will receive funding reflecting the talent and interests of the great melting pot of people and communities in the capital. From community-focused carnival arts organisation Tropical Isles, to organisations such as Hospital Rooms, which support peoples mental health and wellbeing, and British Underground Ltd which has played a role in the careers of Amy Winehouse, Stormzy and Yola and helps artists break into the international music scene.
We are delighted that acclaimed organisations such as Royal Opera House, London Transport Museum, National Theatre, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), Southbank Centre, and Studio Wayne McGregor will continue to receive funding in the new portfolio, as part of a mix of brilliant theatres, art galleries and cultural venues, of all shapes and sizes. Newly funded organisations include: Deaf Rave, which delivers creative opportunities for the Deaf Community to produce, perform and experience music and visual performances; the Postal Museum, home to an iconic immersive subterranean rail ride; the Brixton-based Pegasus Opera Company, which aims to make opera accessible to more people; and Company Three, a theatre company in Islington that provides creative opportunities for teenagers and young people.
The changes in our London investment for our 2023-26 Investment Programme are driven by two factors: firstly, our conversations and research with the public over the past five years shows they want access to meaningful, high quality cultural events and creative activities where they live. Secondly, the government gave the Arts Council an instruction to distribute funding to areas of historically low cultural engagement and spending by moving £24 million of investment from London to the rest of the country (with a specific focus on Levelling Up for Culture Places) by the end of this 2023/26 portfolio. As a proportion, London will receive a third of the overall investment for England announced today. This has meant that we have not been able to fund all organisations in London that were previously funded through this programme. Of that £24 million figure, £8.2 million will go into the Transfer Programme, which will support 24 organisations, such as British Youth Music Theatre and Upswing Aerial Limited, to relocate out of the capital by October 2024, increasing opportunity across the country.
This investment will support London’s thriving cultural ecology and also reach places that have historically received less, including supporting organisations in London’s outer boroughs like Magpie Dance in Bromley and Fresh Arts C.I.C in Brent.
By funding new organisations in new places, we are delivering on the vision set out in our strategy, Let’s Create: that everyone, everywhere, deserves to benefit from public investment in culture and creativity. We identified 54 places across England in which our investment and engagement is low, and so there is the opportunity for us to effectively increase both of these – and so we’re prioritising working with them from 2021 to 2024. Priority places in London – the London Boroughs of Croydon, Brent, Enfield, Barking & Dagenham, and Newham – will receive £18.8 million over three years. Investment in Croydon is set to more than double to £4.8 million as the area will see three organisations join the portfolio for the first time: Stanley Arts, Turf Projects and Zoo Co Creative Ltd.
Tonya Nelson, Area Director, London, Arts Council England, said: “Our aim has been to support a broad range of organisations and artforms in every corner of London, with a clear focus on ensuring that investment goes into places that, historically, have been underserved including London’s outer boroughs. Funding these new organisations and places, will help us inspire the next generation of cultural and artistic talent and increase opportunity for people of all communities and backgrounds.”
Arts Council England Chair, Sir Nicholas Serota, said: “London is a global powerhouse of the creative industries, renowned across the world for its galleries, theatres, museums, libraries and music venues. As someone who was born and has lived in the capital most of my life, I recognise how the arts can enrich people’s lives. I am proud of the quality and range of the arts in London and the benefit and prestige that they bring to the city. The investment we are announcing today balances the need to protect London’s place in our nation’s creative and cultural ecology with an increase in investment across the outer boroughs and across the whole country where investment has been too low, making high quality culture available to everyone wherever they live.”
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said: ”Today’s investment will see 56 new organisations getting financial support and added to Arts Council England’s national portfolio. It will support many of London’s internationally renowned institutions while also spreading cash more evenly across the city’s boroughs – bringing more culture to the doorsteps of millions.”
