A ‘new vision’ for town and its creative industries

A £10,000 cash injection from Arts Council England will be put to use creating a new creative vision for Bognor Regis, the district council has said.

A spokesperson made clear that the money will help Arun District Council create an aspirational vision document designed to lay out how the council can interact with businesses, other councils, charities and organisations to grow

Bognor’s creative industries and boost the local economy.

They said the vision will focus on developing new creative industries in the town, while supporting those which already exist and highlighting local opportunities. With around 425 businesses and 2,000 employees in the district, contributing £61 million to the local economy.

The vision will capitalise on regeneration projects which are already taking place in the town, and it’s expected the Alexandra Theatre will be a pivotal part of pushing developments forward and providing a springboard for future events when the multi-million pound refurbishment works are complete.

In order to ensure the plans best reflect the needs and desires of the community at large, a public consultation will be held with businesses, partners and the wider community. Recently, representatives from the Arts Council itself took up an invitation to see how artistic ambitions in the town are already being developed.

Jane Tyler, a senior relationship manager at Arts Council England, said: “We are very pleased to be supporting the development of this strategy for Arun and look forward to working with the many committed stakeholders in the future.”

Roger Nash, chair of Arun District Council’s economy committee, hailed the “fantastic news for Bognor Regis”.

"I am delighted that Arts Council England has awarded this grant to help us create this new vision for the town,” he said. ”It will bring lots of local partners to the table and give us the best chance to put the town on the map. With the theatre hoping to complete in 2025, it’s a great chance for us to work with emerging creative industries and skills in the area to improve the lives and experiences of our residents for the better.”

Arun district has been identified as a priority for levelling up for culture until 2026.