Farnham Maltings announces continued support and recognition from Arts Council England for its work on a local, national and international scale
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We're delighted to share today that Arts Council England have offered National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funding of £2,584,026 for the period 2023 to 2026. This investment will allow us to further develop our work and ambitions in towns, the region and internationally, and reflect our long-time commitment to art and communities. This illustrates the contribution we are making to Let’s Create, Arts Council England's 10-year strategy.
Over the three years from 2023 to 2026 we will meet these ambitions through the delivery of four strands of work:
- We will improve the range, quality and audience for contemporary theatre across Southeast England by leading ‘house’ the regional network of over 170 venues, building upon our producing and touring work over the last ten years and introducing exciting international opportunities to the region.
- We will increase the number of people participating in and enjoying crafts by extending the profile, participation and value of crafts. Along with this we will build relationships and partnerships in the international field of craft, with a developing programme of sector leading festivals, workshops, and training, hosted here in Farnham, a World Craft Town.
- We will redefine the role an arts centre plays within a community, whilst learning and sharing with other town-based organisations regionally, nationally and internationally and locally, enriching the cultural life of Farnham.
- We will support the independent theatre community nationwide - nurturing new talent – supporting the creation of new work and forging international connection through a programme of exchange, training, and performance.
We would like to thank Arts Council England for their continued support and confidence. We appreciate in these challenging economic times how difficult these decisions will have been and know there will be many talented artists and organisations who won't have been successful and what this will mean for them. We hope in our collaborations and partnerships we will continue to support artists and makers.
“I am delighted with today’s news. This really enables us to build upon and evolve our work in theatre and communities in the region and internationally. And for the first time this will also enable us to develop our craft work, as a World Craft Town. This success is a real reflection of the enormous hard work from all the team at Farnham Maltings and I’d like to thank them for their continued energy and inspiration which sits behind this success.”Emma Haigh, Interim CEO
“Today’s funding announcement recognises the value Farnham Maltings plays in its community – both locally, and across the arts and culture industry regionally and internationally. We are excited to contribute to ‘Let’s Create’ and realise the outcomes of our diverse range of funded activities.”Michael Maher, Chair of the Board of Directors
“As well as continuing our commitment to our many established and renowned cultural organisations, I am deeply proud of the support we will be giving to those new organisations which will help ignite creativity across the country. We are facing economic pressures at present but this funding is about an investment in our future. This portfolio will support the next generation of visionary inventors, makers, performers and artists. In particular, the growth of our funding for organisations that support and develop work for children represents a profoundly important long-term investment in our country’s talent.”Arts Council England Chair, Sir Nicholas Serota
"Together, each of the 990 organisations that have been offered funding today will contribute to a portfolio that is rich, varied and truly national. This is our widest ever spread of investment across the country, ensuring that many more people will have access to a wider choice of exceptional art, culture and creative opportunities on their doorsteps. We are in tough times but we must remember creativity brings with it extraordinary dividends, boosting our country’s economic growth, creating jobs, bringing communities closer together, and making us happier as individuals. Everyone deserves to enjoy the benefits it brings, and with this investment, we believe we’ve taken a decisive step towards making that vision a reality.”Arts Council England Chief Executive, Darren Henley
"Thanks to this new government funding package, spreading more money to more communities than ever before, people living in areas from Wolverhampton to Wigan and Crawley to Chesterfield will now get to benefit from the deep economic and social rewards culture can bring. We continue to support our icons such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Shakespeare Company, but today's announcement will see organisations in places all too often overlooked get the support they need to transform access to the arts for everyone - no matter where they live."Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan
The Syrian Baker, produced by Farnham Maltings
Credit: Mark Dean 2021See more on Arts Council England’s 2023-26 Investment Programme on their website.