Offering one award of £100,000 and two of £25,000, the Award for Civic Arts Organisations aims to shine a spotlight on the vital role that arts organisations play in society.
Deadline: 30th November 2020
Open Until:
Posted: 10/03/2022
The world has changed rapidly in the last year. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought devastation, but also a reset in how we live our lives and how communities operate. And as we emerge into the new normal, it is arts organisations that will help us shape the future: culture, creativity and the arts are the basis through which we tell stories of our past, our present and our future, enabling us to realise what it means to be fully human, individually and collectively.
Despite the considerable challenges and uncertainty that the arts sector faces, green shoots have been emerging. Arts organisations across the country have channelled the anxieties of this period and boldly reimagined their missions to put their communities first.
From delivering arts packs with food parcels to staging socially distanced carnivals, arts organisations are contributing to rebuilding our communities and restoring much-needed joy and optimism to our lives. As we face the challenges and opportunities of the coming months and years, arts and culture have an important role to play.
However, much of this pioneering work is unknown, even within the arts sector itself. This Award seeks to change that. It will highlight and celebrate civic arts organisations and their response to the pandemic, with funding and further support to continue their work and share learning. The Award will shine a spotlight on the vital role that arts organisations play in sustaining a thriving, creative, and connected society, particularly during challenging times.
This Award builds on the sea change that has been occurring in the arts sector over recent years, with a growing movement of organisations reflecting on their relationship with society. The Foundations work on the Civic Role has demonstrated the need for arts organisations to work more closely with their communities if they are to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world. At this difficult time, this principle feels even more important.
For more information and to apply, visit the website.