We are super grateful and so excited to announce that Z-arts has received £401,853 p/a across three years. This increase to our National Portfolio Organisation funding comes with huge thanks to ACE for their continued support of our work here at Z-arts.
The investment announced on Friday 4th November is monumental in our overarching strategy and mission to inspire and enable generations of young people from Greater Manchester and the North West to use creativity to maximise their potential.
We believe that theatre and the arts are for everyone! They are inspiring, immersive and magical, and we want to share the joy of creativity, imagination and storytelling with children and families in Greater Manchester and beyond.
Over the next few years, we look forward to carrying on our work with children and families across the region, continuing to lead in best practices for creative engagement, which we do by taking a leadership in role in a variety of networks, such as Big Imaginations, MADE & Manchester’s Family Arts Network.
The continued investment from ACE enables us to continue our work with artists from the region who are making work for young audiences, whether that’s through the Big Imaginations Artists Development Fund, commissioning new theatre for children and families, or our ground-breaking creative facilitator training programme which gives entry-level paid training work for early career artists.
It also helps us strengthen the work we do leading MADE, Manchester’s Cultural Education Partnership, working collaboratively with more schools and cultural organisations to bring creativity to every child or young person in the city.
Liz O’Neill, Chief Executive and Artistic Director said: This is Arts Council England’s most over-subscribed investment known to date, with a 20% increase in organisations delivering creative and cultural activity for children and young people. It makes us very proud and grateful to have been recognised for the importance of the work we do and the communities we support. We are ready for the challenge and can’t wait to take you on the journey with us.
Arts Council England Chief Executive, Darren Henley, said: “Together, each of the 990 organisations that have been offered funding will contribute to a portfolio that is rich, varied and truly national. This is our widest ever spread of investment across the country, ensuring that many more people will have access to a wider choice of exceptional art, culture and creative opportunities on their doorsteps. We are in tough times, but we must remember creativity brings with it extraordinary dividends, boosting our country’s economic growth, creating jobs, bringing communities closer together, and making us happier as individuals. Everyone deserves to enjoy the benefits it brings, and with this investment, we believe we’ve taken a decisive step towards making that vision a reality.”
#LetsCreate #ACEsupported