North Lincolnshire’s arts and heritage sector is set to receive a large boost to its funding, helping with the delivery of new jobs and the development of talent.
The funding will equate to £1.1 million, and will be used to bring new exhibitions to the area, providing a family-friendly way of bringing culture into communities and inspiring more people to get involved with the arts.
Coming as part of Arts Council England’s £383 million package of investment for the North of England to deliver creative and cultural experience for a greater number of people in a greater number of places.
Cllr Rob Waltham, Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said:
“This is fantastic news for North Lincolnshire and that latest example of levelling up happening here – developing skills and bringing new jobs in the creative industries.
“Hosting more world class exhibitions will be a massive boost to the local economy and enable us to showcase North Lincolnshire as a visitor destination.
“The cash will be used to help our fantastic cultural offer reach even more residents. I know local people will be incredibly excited about this announcement and the prospect of being able to discover many more hands on, family-friendly activities.”
The boost in funding will also aim to build on the ‘Of Earth and Sky’ project, which won awards nationally and featured poems that were written by local people.
Cabinet Member for safer, stronger communities, urban Cllr John Davidson, added:
“This substantial increase to funding will help work with community groups and to nurture the wealth of creative talent we have in North Lincolnshire.
“We already have a strong track record in providing the platform for residents to express their creativity, but this will enable us to go even further. We will work with schools and colleges to enhance opportunities at all levels of education too.”
Arts Council England supported the government’s levelling up priorities by pledging to deliver high-quality creative and cultural experiences, with an emphasis on not just focusing on London to ensure that underserved communities get access to the experiences as well. The organisation’s 2023-2026 investment programme received 1,730 applications.
