East Sussex to receive over £3m as part of Culture Recovery Fund

The department for digital, culture, media and sport has today (November 19) announced that 925 cultural and creative organisations nationally are to receive a share of £107 million in grants and loans as part of a vital financial boost from the fund.

East Sussex is to receive £3,542,035 from the fund, which was started to help arts companies after the coronavirus lockdowns.

The money will be spread across 36 different organisations including galleries, performance groups and theatres.

Photo: Hugh Fox

Among these in Brighton are the Dome, Fringe Festival, and the Komedia.

Hazel Edwards, south east area director at Arts Council England said: “Thanks to the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, we’re pleased to be supporting some of the organisations that help make up the South East’s vibrant cultural and creative scene.

• READ MORE: Gattons Infants School, Burgess Hill receives requires improvement by Ofsted

“From Brighton to Slough, and from Crawley to Margate, we’ve already seen how funding has helped our local art centres, theatres and other cultural organisations survive through the pandemic.

"With these latest awards, organisations which are at the very heart of our communities can continue to adjust to this new landscape – so audiences from all backgrounds can get back to making the most of everything that they have to offer.”

Brighton Fringe Festival

Arts Council England has been working on two funding programmes for this third round of the government’s Culture Recovery Fund: Continuity Support and Emergency Resource Support.

Of the East Sussex allocation £3,387,439 in continuity support grants will be awarded to 34 previous fund recipients, helping organisations survive and allowing them to resume programmes and events.

• READ MORE: Adur Art Club annual exhibition returns this weekend in Shoreham

In addition to this, two organisations in the East Sussex have been awarded grants totalling £154,596 from the Emergency Resource Support strand of funding so far, with more applications undergoing assessment over the coming weeks.

Other organisations receiving funding as part of today’s announcement include:

• £28,161 for Little Green Pig

Little Green Pig (LGP) is a registered charity based in Brighton that supports children and young people aged between 6 – 18 years through creative writing initiatives that build confidence, literacy and encourage self-expression.

They work with children and young people based in areas of deprivation or who face challenging circumstances. Each year the team supports more than 60 children and young people across Brighton, Worthing and Eastbourne, and a further 700+ through its partners.

• £25,000 for Barefoot Opera

Based in Hastings, Barefoot Opera produces high-quality, inclusive, and accessible opera. Its vision is to create 'Hastings: A Town That Sings', harnessing the power of music to inspire, empower and connect.

As well as producing new work and training young professionals, Barefoot Opera reaches out widely into its local community, bringing people together from across generations, cultural groups and places to sing together.

• £123,500 for Komedia Ltd

Komedia is an award-winning venue in Brighton that programmes over 700 events annually across comedy, theatre, music, and children's shows - including acts like The Artic Monkeys, Mumford & Sons and Eddie Izzard.

• £446,005 for Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival

Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival (BDBF) is a leading regional and national cultural hub, reaching over 600,000 people a year through its venue Brighton Dome and annual Brighton Festival - the largest curated multi-arts festival in England.

Programming ranges from music, dance, theatre, visual arts, digital and comedy alongside creative learning and participation.

It is also a 5G testbed bringing artists and technologists together to explore new technologies. It has a partnership with Royal Pavilion & Museums and Brighton & Hove City Council on the Royal Pavilion Estate Masterplan.

• £49,000 for Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft

Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft is an independent museum based in the South Downs that has previously been shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year (2013). It presents the story of artists and craftspeople based in and around Ditching since 1900, as well as celebrating contemporary craftmakers and artists.

• £325,000 for The De La Warr Pavilion (DLWP)

The De La Warr Pavilion (DLWP) is an iconic Grade I listed modernist building and centre for contemporary visual arts with a 1500 capacity live venue, in Bexhill, East Sussex. DLWP has been bringing communities together through culture for 85 years, through exhibitions, learning and participation and a live programme (music, comedy) for 420,000 visitors per year.

Nicky Crabb, director at Little Green Pig said: “Everybody at Little Green Pig has been thrilled to hear the news that we’ve been supported with a grant from Arts Council England’s third round of the Culture Recovery Fund.

"At a time when we’re navigating a highly uncertain financial climate, it lends critical resilience and the opportunity to plan for the future.

"We’ve found our After School Clubs and project work has been vital more than ever; redressing lost learning and keeping the children and young people we work with connected through these difficult times.

"The grant represents a valuable endorsement of our mission to empower young people through creative writing initiatives, underpinned by the mentorship of our workshop leaders and volunteers. Thank you, Arts Council England #HereForCulture.”

Have you got a story for us? Email news@theargus.co.uk or contact us here.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates sent straight to your inbox.

You can also call us on 01273 021 400.