Levelling up culturally: Lincolnshire gets £6m Arts Council funding

Eight organisations in Lincolnshire will receive a share of more than £2 million each year for three years from Arts Council England, ensuring that more people in more places can find fulfilling art and culture on their doorsteps.

Boston, East Lindsey and North Kesteven are the Arts Council’s Levelling Up for Cultural Places in Lincolnshire.

They include Blackfriars Arts Centre in Boston, East Lindsey District Council, and £600,000 to the Hub in Sleaford.

Arts Council England us funding:

• Blackfriars Arts Centre – based in Boston offers a varied programme of professional stage productions as well as hosting two local amateur dramatic and operatic groups
• Box Clever in East Lindsey is a writer-led theatre company dedicated to creating contemporary theatre for young people
• East Lindsey District Council brings together the districts of East Lindsey and South Holland, and the Borough of Boston, to run a community-centred arts and culture package, focusing on heritage, development opportunities, and health and wellbeing. This includes increasing access and support for theatres, venues, museums and festivals across the region, as well as choral and music societies, cultural and theatre groups, community centres and village halls, making more opportunities
• Lincoln Performing Arts Centre (University of Lincoln) is a multi-purpose venue, designed for live arts performances, conferences, and film screenings
• Zest Theatre is a Lincoln-based national touring theatre company, creating work for young people, touring to theatres, outdoor spaces and schools using a variety of interactive, immersive, site specific and promenade productions for theatres, festivals, public spaces, schools, and digital platforms

In addition, Arts Council England will increase its investment in:

• The Collection (Lincolnshire County Council) – Lincolnshire’s archaeology museum and the Usher Gallery connects people to cultural and creative activity onsite, online and in their communities. The increase will support them to refresh the programme at the Usher Gallery and to connect with local communities and schools
• SO Festival (Magna Vitae) – is an international art festival offering a variety of outdoor entertainment with an array of home-grown and international performances which takes place in Mablethorpe and Skegness each year. The increased investment will allow them to expand the festival, engaging with more local communities alongside their international work.

Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England said: “We’re delighted to unveil our ambitious new portfolio reaching more people in more places across Lincolnshire than ever before.

“The Arts Council is investing more money outside London, and we’re introducing five new organisations locally.

“Lincolnshire already boasts a vibrant cultural scene with an international reputation and we look forward to supporting more opportunities for even more communities across the region to experience creativity on their doorsteps.”

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