A new £60 million, 7-year programme to transform Sunderland’s cultural life has been unveiled. Twenty Four Seven, which will run through to 2024, aims to strengthen the city’s creative economy and increase the number of Wearsiders taking part in arts and culture.
Sunderland Twenty Four Seven has come about as a direct legacy of the city’s bid to become City of Culture in 2021.
“Win or lose, we said we’d come back in the first part of 2018 with a plan for Sunderland’s cultural future. Twenty Four Seven is that plan,” said Graeme Thompson, Chair of Sunderland Culture and Pro Vice Chancellor at the University of Sunderland.
“What happened through the bid to become City of Culture was remarkable—the bid unleashed a tremendous energy in the city, a common focus and heightened our cultural ambition. It also unleashed great pride and certainly improved our profile significantly.
“We may not have won the title City of Culture, but much of what we envisaged and planned will happen anyway through Sunderland Culture. We don’t need a title to achieve our ambitions,” he added.
Sunderland Culture was set up at the beginning of last year by the University of Sunderland, the city council and Sunderland Music Arts and Culture (MAC) Trust. On 1 April, Sunderland Culture will join Arts Council England’s National Portfolio. The company will manage and operate major cultural venues owned by the three partners and develop and deliver large-scale cultural projects.
Its work aims to incorporate and build on the track record and current activity delivered by National Glass Centre and Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Sunderland Stages, Sunderland Cultural Partnership, Arts Centre Washington and The Fire Station.
“Sunderland Culture’s Twenty Four Seven will be the key driver of change and partners across the city have already secured £40m of the £60m needed to deliver the programme and we’re very confident of raising the remaining £20m,” said Keith Merrin, Chief Executive of Sunderland Culture.
The announcement was made at the re-opening of the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA) in its new 3,000 sq ft space within the National Glass Centre, part of the University of Sunderland.