Arts organisations celebrate continued funding from Arts Council England
Hull Truck Theatre
By Simon Bristow
At least three Hull arts organisations have received renewed funding from Arts Council England after confirmation of their National Portfolio Organisation status.
Hull Truck Theatre, which is celebrating its 50th year, was among the beneficiaries, alongside Back to Ours, and Middle Child theatre company.
Hull Truck will retain a standstill grant of £805,229 per year from 2023 to 2026, the same amount the theatre has received since 2020. It said the ongoing investment will enable it to “continue its important work with the local community and produce and present exceptional theatre that reflects the diversity of a modern Britain”.
Aligned to Arts Councils England’s Strategy Lets Create, Hull Truck will continue to build on existing links and networks and deepen its work within the local communities it serves. Through projects such as the community dialogues programme, which creates connections between the arts and the most deprived areas of the city, and the ‘Pay What You Can’ initiative, which gives audiences the opportunity to access selected performances at a ticket price suitable for them, Hull Truck “demonstrates dedication to achieving socio-economic inclusion”, it said.
Janthi Mills-Ward, Hull Truck Executive Director, and Artistic Director Mark Babych, said in a joint statement: “We are pleased Hull Truck Theatre’s place as a cultural hub creating work with, by and for our communities, has continued to be recognised as a key Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisation.
“As an important cultural contributor in the city, we’re looking forward to putting our plans into action from April 2023. A key focus for us over the next four years will be evolving our work with local communities to build on existing programmes and create new ones, together.
“Our work on stage will be ambitious and the quality will be of the same high standard that our audiences have come to expect at Hull Truck Theatre. We will continue to deliver on our commitment to accessibility, diversity and inclusion, alongside sustainability, which is another key focus for our theatre going forward.”
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Middle Child said Arts Council England had “made us a conditional offer of £458,280 investment in total, or £152,760 per year, which is equivalent to our previous funding agreement.
“This continued support will help us to pursue our vision of a world where anybody’s story can be told and heard, through the creation of world-class performances and the development of theatre workers in Hull and the East Riding.
“Middle Child are committed to championing new voices, unheard and unknown, and will use this investment to continue to work towards a more inclusive and representative industry”.
Back to Ours made its announcement on social media, saying it was “delighted”.
