Theatre groups and projects to support refugees are among several organisations receiving awards from a £54,500 grant pot as part of Norwich’s new Action Plan for Culture.
As part of its 2040 City Vision work, Norwich City Council invited bids from cultural groups and voluntary, community and social enterprises for its 2023-2024 small culture grants as it marked the launch of the action plan which aims to ensure the city continues to flourish as a creative and vibrant place over the next 15-plus years.
It will see the council work with others in the arts and cultural sector as part of the Norwich Creative City Compact, giving support to events, festivals and other activities, investing in public spaces and promoting an ambition to enable everyone to have access to culture and creativity.
The recipients of the small culture grants are:
- Norwich Theatre– to support the development of a network of local creative freelance practitioners.
- The Common Lot for its work as a Theatre Company of Sanctuary, engaging with people of all ages on story sharing events.
- Norwich BID - to support the delivery of Love Light Festival, a free accessible trail of installations with a collaborative program of performance and public participation.
- Curious Directive– towards its year-round theatre programme focused on science and society and using cutting-edge technology.
- Frozen Light– for its multi-sensory live theatre work for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities and touring to venues across the UK.
- NORCA (Norfolk Community Arts) - to support opportunities for children and young people to access arts and culture, particularly music and carnival-related activities via the Sistema Norwich and Music Club and its Youth carnival band.
- The Garage - to support The Garage’s core programme delivery and venue operation between April 2023 and March 2024, working with young people with challenging circumstances and supporting artists to make new pieces of performance.
- Norwich Puppet Theatre - to support its ‘What’s in a Box’ project which aims to develop social and emotional literacy of five to seven-year-olds in Norwich.
- Refugee Week– to help with the co-ordination of Norwich Refugee Week (June 19-25) celebrating the contribution of refugees and asylum seekers to UK culture and to promote cross-cultural understanding.
- Black History Month– to help with the delivery of the 20th anniversary of Black History Month, including activities to create diversity in employment in Norwich, an arts exhibition and an open day with the police.
Cllr Cate Oliver, cabinet member for wellbeing and culture, said: “Our small culture grants 2023-2024 will play an important role in helping local organisations to develop greater innovation as part of our Action Plan for Culture, strengthening our cultural sector overall and bringing people together to improve lives.
“We congratulate those who were successful in their applications, applaud the work they are doing and look forward to seeing what they can achieve.
“Thanks to our shared citywide aspirations outlined in the Norwich 2040 Vision, this will go towards one of our key aims which is to create an environment where the arts flourish, participation increases and creativity spreads its roots.”
Today in Norwich, people spend more per capita on culture than anywhere else in the UK, and the council’s action plan for culture, developed with input from key stakeholders, will focus on bringing together the arts and cultural sectors in a shared vision as part of the Norwich Creative City Compact.
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