Grant funding extension for Chichester arts venues approved
They'll get in excess of £300,000 in the next financial year
Last updated 26th Jan 2021
Two major Chichester arts venues have had their vital grant funding extended for another year.
The extension means an extra £317,500 will be granted to the Chichester Festival Theatre and the Pallant House Gallery.
It follows an agreement by Chichester District Council to provide support for both venues in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and to aid both organisations' planning for the next two years.
The Theatre will receive £187,500 in the next financial year, while the Gallery is to get £130,000.
The extension, approved at the Full Council meeting last Tuesday (January 19th), is also in line with a funding extension from Arts Council England.
Councillor Roy Briscoe, cabinet member for community services and culture at Chichester District Council, said:
“Arts and culture are vital to our district’s identity and like many arts organisations across the country, the theatre and gallery have been significantly affected as a result of the pandemic.
"Extending our grant support means that we can help sustain arts and cultural provision in the district for these two organisations until 2023.
“We recognise that both the theatre and gallery are large contributors to the local economy and in normal times attract millions of pounds to the district each year.
"They are both nationally and internationally recognised, and attract large numbers of visitors to the district.
“In addition, they also both play an important role in the community and carry out a great deal of outreach work. Securing funding for an additional year will enable the theatre and gallery to continue and extend the work they do with the local community and targeted groups for the long recovery from the lockdowns as a result of COVID-19.”
It comes ahead of plans for a Season of Culture to run between March and October 2022, which aims to celebrate the district's cultural organisations.
The Theatre celebrates its 60th anniversary next year, while it is also the tenth anniversary for the city's Novium Museum and the 30th for the Chichester International Film Festival.
Kathy Bourne, Executive Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, said:
“In such turbulent and uncertain times, the extension of Chichester District Council’s grant until 2023 is a real boost to our ability to continue to serve our community.
"Throughout the pandemic, we’ve trialled new creative ideas and different ways of working to ensure that we could deliver work for our audiences and offer ongoing engagement for community groups of all ages and backgrounds.
"We’re extremely grateful for the council’s generous support.”
Simon Martin, Director of Pallant House Gallery, said:
"We greatly value the support that we receive from Chichester District Council, which enables us to engage and support the members of our community programme, schools, young people and our wider audiences, and bring investment and cultural tourism to the area.
"As more people become aware of the social benefits of art, the council's decision to extend our funding at this difficult time is extremely important and helpful, and we are grateful to be able to rely upon their significant contribution.”