West Sussex arts organisations to share £251,487 for their recovery

Four arts organisations across West Sussex are sharing £251,487 as the Arts Council and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announce funding awarded through Round 2 of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.
Ensemble RezaEnsemble Reza
Ensemble Reza

Awards in West Sussex are:

Worthing-based Atom Promotions will receive £58,000

DMP will receive £71,760

Mid Sussex-based Ensemble Reza will receive £51,727

Illustrated World Series will receive £70,000

Atom Promotions brings high-quality emerging and established artists to Worthing, including Soul II Soul, The Charlatans, 10cc, James Acaster, Wild Front, Adam Buxton and Rodney P & Skitz. It has been nominated as Independent Promoter of the Year at the Live UK Awards in both 2017 and 2019.

Thom Milner-Smith, owner and promoter at Atom Promotions - now called Atom Presents - said: "We’re incredibly happy and relieved to have been awarded funding as part of the government's Culture Recovery Fund.

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"Thank you to everyone we work with, the public who buy & have held onto their tickets for 2021 - without you, there'd be nothing. And of course, our friends & family for continued support.

"Congratulations to local venues, Bar 42 Worthing, Worthing Theatres and Museum & many over in Brighton.

"We're really happy to see the support delivered to vital cultural organisations & venues across the UK, we can't wait to deliver more culture to you very soon.

"Finally, thank you to Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, HM Treasury, Arts Council England, UK government."

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Founded in 2013 by close friends based in West Sussex, Ensemble Reza aims to take chamber music of the highest quality to audiences in cities, towns and villages.

Ensemble Reza concerts can include any combination of string players from soloist to octet. Repertoire includes music from the great classical composers, and also arrangements by members of the group of different music genres including baroque, tango and jazz. Individually, group members have also performed worldwide with renowned orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

The money comes in the second tranche of funding awarded, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Today’s recipients are those that applied for grants of under £1 million in the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund. This funding will help organisations create work and performances and plan for reopening.

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Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “This is more vital funding to protect cultural gems across the country, save jobs and prepare the arts to bounce back. Through Arts Council England we are delivering the biggest ever investment in the arts in record time. Hundreds of millions of pounds are already making their way to thousands of organisations.

“These awards build on our commitment to be here for culture in every part of the country.”

Hedley Swain, area director, south east, Arts Council England, said: “We’re very pleased to be able to support a further 63 organisations across the South East of England, which will share £8.2 million, through Round 2 of the Culture Recovery Fund: Grants. The investment will help them to navigate the immediate challenges that are ahead, as well as supporting their plans for 2021.”

A Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport spokesman explained: “The £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund builds on unprecedented support from the government and our arms length bodies for the culture sectors. This includes the Job Retention Scheme; a years' business rates holiday for leisure businesses and the Bounce Back Loans scheme.

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“This is in addition to £104 million of emergency funding already distributed by Arts Council England to organisations and individuals, and £96 million currently available to support cultural organisations and freelancers, through programmes like National Lottery Project Grants and Developing Your Creative Practice.

“Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk

“Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of several bodies administering the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund and unprecedented support package of £1.57 billion for the culture and heritage sector."

Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19

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