One East Midlands arts organisation is to receive more money from Arts Council England while another is to become a national portfolio organisation.
Nottingham’s Dance4 will receive a 25% increase, its funding going up from £1.4 million to £2.3 million from 2018 until 2022. Contemporary arts development agency ArtReach, based in Leicester, has been awarded £1.4 million over the next four years.
The money will enable Dance4 to realise its international ambitions at its new home, the International Centre for Choreography in Nottingham.
Chief executive and artistic director Paul Russ said, “I’m thrilled. It will allow us to extend our support to independent artists and producers through opening many more doors to international markets, explore new collaborations and realise new partnerships. I’m also delighted to see the increased investment in dance across the East Midlands.”
Richard Parry from the Department of Trade and Industry added, “Dance4 was instrumental in delivering an excellent UK representation at Tanzmesse in Germany in 2016 and I look forward to working with them in our continuing efforts to promote the brilliance of UK contemporary dance overseas.”
ArtReach will use its ACE money to develop events including Journeys Festival International and Night of Festivals.
Director David Hill said, “we look forward to enhancing our developmental work that promotes refugee artists and innovative commissions as part of our wide festival portfolio. In particular we want to further fulfil our mission ‘to make great art possible and accessible, connecting art with grass roots and diverse communities to forge creative engagement’.”
ArtReach is developing refugee arts festival Journeys Festival International in three UK cities and a European project in Rome, Palermo, Hamburg and Budapest.