£13m awarded to arts, culture and creative organisations across Greater Manchester

Locally-based small businesses will benefit as theatres, museums and festivals are among 40 organisations set to receive more than £13m from the latest round of Greater Manchester’s Culture Fund, boosting arts, culture and creativity across the city-region.

This year’s recipients range from world-renowned cultural institutions to small publishers, and from major festivals to local dance companies.

They also reflect a growing recognition of the role that arts, culture and creativity can play in the vibrancy and economic prosperity of our places and the good health and wellbeing of our people.

Among the successful applicants for grants from the Culture Fund, totalling £13,275,000, are a number of organisations receiving grants for the first time.

They include Headspace Bolton, an arts group run by and for people with lived experience of neurodiversity; Salford-based music and talent festival Sounds From The Other City; Portraits of Recovery, a visual arts company in Oldham working with people affected by addiction to drugs and alcohol; and GRIT Studios in Stockport, which provides affordable community co-working spaces for artists.

The funding has been awarded through the Spirit and Sustain strands of the Culture Fund, which are collectively designed to support important organisations in Greater Manchester’s cultural landscape and those with both local and international impact.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “Greater Manchester’s cultural pedigree speaks for itself.

"This is the home of pioneering music, art, and creativity with a social conscience.

"While we celebrate that world-famous heritage, we also need to champion innovation and support new talents to break through and make their mark.

“That’s what the Culture Fund is all about, and I’m pleased to see that this year’s cohort – which includes music festivals, museums, and community spaces – captures that breadth and depth of cultural excellence in Greater Manchester.

“Culture and creativity are major economic assets for our city-region, attracting visitors from across the country and around the globe.

"They also help shape communities and provide an outlet for us to express our thoughts, feelings, and experiences, which is why the Culture Fund is putting a new focus on organisations and projects concerned with physical and mental health and wellbeing.”

Greater Manchester is home to more than 500 cultural organisations and many thousands of artists, comprising the largest digital, creative and tech cluster outside of London.

Cllr Neil Emmott, Greater Manchester’s Culture lead, said: “This year’s Culture Fund grants will be supporting a whole host of inspiring and impactful cultural organisations across Greater Manchester.

“The 40 groups and organisations receiving funding range from the globally renowned to the locally treasured, but they all play a crucial role in our cultural ecosystem and contribute to our vision of a city-region where everyone has access to high quality culture and leisure opportunities.”

In addition to these Culture Fund awards, Greater Manchester Combined Authority is working with Oldham Council, Arts Council England and Oldham Coliseum to develop and secure provision in the borough, and funds have been ringfenced to ensure continued high-quality cultural activity in Oldham.

Greater Manchester’s culture investment has increased by 40 per cent since 2017, and this year’s Culture Fund grants are the first to be awarded under Greater Manchester’s new approach to cultural investment, which was adopted by leaders last year following consultation across the city-region.

It aims to better support delivery of objectives within the Greater Manchester Strategy, and acknowledges the changing and challenging landscape for cultural organisations and freelances.

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