‘Let’s Create’ Resort gets priority status in art and culture campaign
WESTON-SUPER-MARE is to become a cultural and arts hub as part of a UKwide project to help communities recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
Arts Council England has announced 11 priority areas across the South West as part of its threeyear delivery plan to bring more cultural experiences to communities that have been under-served in the past.
North Somerset has been identified as one of the areas, with a focus on Weston-super-Mare.
The Arts Council plan sets out a detailed roadmap for the implementation of its strategy Let’s Create.
The plan aims to ensure that everyone has access to a ‘remarkable’ range of high-quality cultural experiences.
Arts Council England (ACE) will focus its development time over the next three years in Weston, working with other partners, to develop new opportunities for increased investment in culture.
North Somerset Council executive member for placemaking and economy Mark Canniford said: “I’m delighted that Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset have been selected by Arts Council England as a priority place.
“We recognise the power of arts and culture to transform lives and are proud that the potential we see in Weston and beyond is also recognised by ACE.
“We have the ambition to make North Somerset a distinctive place for arts and culture and this is now firmly embedded in our placemaking plans for Weston.
“It will also be reflected in our plans for our other towns. We have gained a huge amount from our partnership with the regional team over the past three years and are looking forward to working with ACE over the next three years to deliver even more for our residents, our visitors and for our creative sector.”
In the past decade, the Arts Council has significantly shifted its investment outside of London.
The publication of the Delivery Plan follows the Government’s unprecedented £1.96 billion Culture Recovery Fund, administered by the Arts Council and other bodies.
Driven by former culture secretary Oliver Dowden, with the backing of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the Culture Recovery Fund is the biggest one-off investment in culture from the Government in history. It has provided a vital lifeline for the cultural sector, and helped organisations prepare for reopening.
Arts Council England CEO Darren Henley said: “Artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries have found creative new ways to serve their audiences and communities since the start of the pandemic.
“Our new delivery plan shows how we’ll work with them to build on that spirit of imagination and innovation as our society reopens.
“It’s particularly exciting to be focusing on our priority places over the coming years as part of the Arts Council’s commitment to play its part in delivering on the Government’s programme of levelling up.
“We’re looking forward to nurturing dynamic new partnerships with local people and organisations in each of these locations.”
I’m delighted that Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset have been selected by Arts Council England as a priority place. We recognise the power of arts and culture to transform lives and are proud that the potential we see in Weston and beyond is also recognised by ACE.
North Somerset Councillor Mark Canniford