Newhampton Arts Centre has been awarded £95,151 as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. This support will help Wolverhampton’s art centre face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, ensuring it has a sustainable future and can keep the buildings and staff ready to welcome back the public when it can fully reopen.

NAC is one of 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support. £257 million of investment has been announced today as part of the very first round of the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme being administered by Arts Council England. Further rounds of funding in the cultural and heritage sector are due to be announced over the coming weeks.

The art centre is very grateful to Arts Council England, HM Treasury and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for their additional support at this very difficult time. The funding will enable NAC to continue to continue to operate over the next six months for the 30 artists and organisations that are based onsite; and to provide space for the courses and classes that happen each week at the centre. The life-line funding will also enable NAC to keep the site and the staff team ready to resume a full programme of live events, children’s work and exhibitions when conditions allow; and to continue to provide communities within Wolverhampton and the Black Country with cultural opportunities over the coming months as the COVID guidelines allow.

After an successful COVID-safe pilot show to re-open their theatre in recent weeks, NAC is now preparing for a return to live events with full COVID-safely measures in place allowing Wolverhampton audiences and communities to safely enjoy their local arts offer.

Chair, Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, said:

“Theatres, museums, galleries, dance companies and music venues bring joy to people and life to our cities, towns and villages. This life-changing funding will save thousands of cultural spaces loved by local communities and international audiences. Further funding is still to be announced and we are working hard to support our sector during these challenging times.”

Richard Ashwell, Chair of the Board of NAC Trustees said:

It’s fantastic news for NAC, for Whitmore Reans and for Wolverhampton. The staff at NAC have worked extra-ordinarily hard to keep the centre open for its residents and for class participants over the past six months in very difficult circumstances. This will help safeguard jobs and make sure we are in good shape to re-open fully and resume our programme of live music, theatre, courses and classes for Wolverhampton audiences when this is possible.