Funding to give hand to the arts
MORE THAN £100 million has been awarded to hundreds of cultural organisations across the country, including three Calderdale organisations, in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund.
Halifax-based theatre company Northern Broadsides has been awarded £123,344.
Northern Broadsides is a unique theatre company with a true northern voice. Their work is characterised by theatrical inventiveness and robust performances from a large ensemble cast of multi-talented and charismatic Northern actors who all perform in their natural voices. This grant will allow the company to pilot a new approach to developing their work.
Notably, the Dean Clough company will now be able to develop their Spring 2022 tour of Shakespeare’s
As You Like It, and embark on an R&D process which will enable them to explore the play’s gender dynamics in a 21st century context and assess how they can make the tour accessible and innovative for a wide national audience.
Laurie Sansom, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Northern Broadsides, said: “Without this support from the cultural recovery fund, touring companies such as Northern Broadsides would struggle to survive.
“Although there are many challenges ahead, this injection of funds will allow us to take our work on the road once more and share with audiences up and down the country this joyful play about the restorative power of love. We are very grateful to DCMS and ACE for helping us pull through so we can continue to employ freelance artists and visit our partner theatres.”
The Victoria Theatre, Halifax has been awarded £160,000 in the funding. This award will help The Victoria Theatre to safeguard the critical festive season and provide an essential safety net if any circumstances outside of the theatre’s control affect the season. Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, Coun Jenny Lynn, said: “The pandemic has been one of the toughest times in the long history of the Victoria Theatre, with the theatre being fully closed for 18 months.
“The theatre is an important cultural asset for Calderdale that brings joy to so many people across the borough. It’s also a huge contributor to the nighttime economy, especially over the festive season.”
The Arts Charity at Dean Clough has been awarded a charity that has been convened to manage, consolidate and develop the arts and educational programme at Halifax’s nationally renowned centre for business, creativity and leisure.
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