Local reaction

Mohammed Ali, leader of Soul City Arts said: “This funding will empower our team to continue our mission of producing high quality work embedded in our community.

It comes at a time where we have also acquired a new base for our work in a former industrial warehouse in the heart of Sparkbrook, Birmingham.

“We have been committed to serving the community for many years now, using the arts to bring change and connect us as we become increasingly detached.

“Whilst I was keen to ensure our organisation is embedded in a part of the city where my family was firmly rooted in since the 1960s, we have continued to deliver nationally and globally, connecting the local to the global. We aim to tell the stories of our people in brilliant form and not to settle for anything less.”

“We are now moving into a new phase of our work and are excited about this journey to serve through the arts.”

A spokesman for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

said: “Following the announcement from Arts Council England today, we’re delighted and grateful to be continuing as a National Portfolio Organisation for the 2023-26 period.

“Thanks as ever to all our supporters in Birmingham, the West Midlands and far beyond.”

Ian Francis, director of the Digbeth-based Flatpack – known for their eclectic annual festival and a host of year-round projects and activities, said: “This is fantastic news for Flatpack and we’re delighted to be able to plan for the long term. It’s also great to see some brilliant Birmingham organisations joining the portfolio for the first time, although we were mystified by the decision to cut Centrala’s funding altogether.

“They’re a crucial part of the city’s arts ecology.”