It was announced yesterday (June 27) Tees Valley has secured nearly £2 million Arts Council funding – an increase of more than 50 percent.
The money will support two new significant initiatives at Middlesbrough Town Hall and Tees Valley Museums as well as established projects including Stockton International Riverside Festival, Mima, ARC in Stockton and Theatre Hullabaloo, Darlington.
In addition Tees Music Alliance will receive funding to expand audiences at the Georgian Theatre in Stockton.
The investment has been hailed as a testament to the quality, creativity and innovation that exists in the Tees Valley’s arts and culture sector.
The latest round of Arts Council funding totals £1.99 million and is a 57 percent increase on its previous grant allocation for Tees Valley.
It will help support two key new Tees Valley projects – the development of Middlesbrough Town Hall into a classical music venue and Tees Valley museums working together to build on their collections and engage with a wider audience.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “The significant increase in Arts Council funding is testament to the scope, scale and quality of our culture and arts offering. The new funding will enable us to build capacity and growth in arts and culture whilst offering more opportunities for everyone in Tees Valley to engage with the arts.
“Having a wide range of innovative, thought-provoking, entertaining and educational venues and events across Tees Valley brings both economic and social benefits to the area.”
David Budd, culture and tourism lead at Tees Valley Combined Authority, said: “A strong and vibrant arts and cultural sector can have a positive impact on an area’s overall wellbeing. Not only does it attract visitors to Tees Valley, but helps make the area a better place to live, work and do business.
“The Arts Council has recognised the excellence that exists within this sector and the standard of work being undertaken to further enhance it.”
The latest support for the arts comes on the back of the Combined Authority attracting £1.5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England Great Place scheme to fund activities that will put arts, culture and heritage at the heart of the community.