NPO Funding Success
We are delighted to be a part of Arts Council England’s 2023-26 (ACE) National Portfolio, and beyond thrilled to be receiving a greater level of funding from ACE than ever before, moving from £143k to £307k per year.
This massive investment into Black Country Touring (BCT) will be of huge benefit to Black Country communities and will see us create more opportunities for local people to engage with the arts, in new and exciting ways.
We went into the NPO application process with trepidation, aware that the growth of our programme and reach over the last decade was unsustainable without additional investment from our principal funder, especially in the wake of Covid and with economically uncertain times ahead. Yet we were buoyed by ACE’s Let’s Create strategy, which aligns so closely with Black Country Touring’s mission, values and vision for the Black Country; one where everyone has the opportunity to experience, create and programme theatre and dance, regardless of their background or socio-economic status, in trusted and accessible community spaces.
ACE’s investment builds on work begun in 2018 to grow the organisation and increase our long-term resilience. Following this, three years of investment by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has facilitated the growth of the organisation’s capacity, supporting the implementation of the changes required to develop a compelling business case for ACE.
“Black Country Touring brings theatre, dance and cinema to the heart of communities in the Black Country, working with local people to create and programme work in places where the local community want to see it – from schools to community centres. Over the next three years, it will be great to see our increased investment supporting their work to bring even more creativity to more people across the region.”
– Peter Knott, Area Director for Arts Council England
As well as putting us on a more sustainable footing, this investment lays the foundations to deliver an ambitious strategic plan and artistic programme called Unbordered. We’ll be sharing more on this exciting programme in the months to come, but it will see us create more opportunities for under-represented artists, reach deeper into our communities and develop international partnerships.
Investment in the Black Country
While we were saddened to see organisations miss out on joining the portfolio or receive reduced funding, we were thrilled to see a greater level of investment into the Black Country, via partners including Multistory, Newhampton Arts Centre, Black Country Living Museum, The Arena Theatre and Wolverhampton Arts & Heritage. We’re also excited about the new perspectives, approaches and programmes that 5 new NPOs will bring to the Black Country: Powered by CAN, Jaivant Patel Dance, Gazebo, Spectra and The People’s Orchestra. We will continue to play our part in ensuring the region has a joined-up and cohesive approach to community engagement, co-creation and leveraging further investment into the creative industries.