Local authorities

£5m has been committed to maintain the impact of Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture.

Starting in June, Coventry City of Culture Trust will launch a new phase of programming, expected to reach more than 500,000 audience members, secure 32 full-time jobs and support more than 50 freelance artists and cultural workers over two years.

George Duggins, Leader of Coventry City Council, said becoming UK City of Culture was “not just about the year itself but about building a lasting legacy that would benefit local people and organisations”.

The City Hosts volunteer programme will be extended and other legacy projects pursued, including the return of the Assembly Festival Garden and the launch of the U.K.’s first permanent immersive digital art gallery, the Reel Store, in May.

There will be a focus on “the urgent and critical issue of sustainability” and a new grants programme will be established, the trust added. 
 

The High Court has rejected long-disputed plans for a Holocaust memorial in Westminster.

The Department for Levelling Up, Houses and Communities said the London Historic Parks and Gardens Trust's case against the development should be dismissed, but a judge sided with the group, which argued the proposed site must legally remain a public garden.

The project had been approved last year after the government overturned Westminster Council's refusal to grant planning permission.

Olivia Marks-Waldman, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said: “We are surprised by the high court decision and hope that this does not preclude or overshadow the burning need for the national memorial.”

Middlesbrough has set its sights on becoming the UK’s most creative town after investing £5m in cultural development.

The town secured £4.25m from the Government’s Cultural Development Fund, which will be topped up by match funding.

Financed projects expected to create almost 90 jobs include a fabrication laboratory within the Central Library and a £1m renovation of artists' space the Auxiliary. 

During the developments, Middlesbrough Cultural Partnership will rotate its chair to ensure equitable representation and pay every artist involved in the works.
    
Middlesbrough Council Head of Culture Charlotte Nicol said collaboration will be at the heart of the partnership, and key to achieving its ambition.

“This more equitable approach is what will help set us apart, providing an accessible platform for creativity, as well as additional pathways to opportunity and success for people living in and around our vibrant town.”

A museum pass created by Lancashire County Council will offer visitors a year of unlimited access to local attractions.

The Xplorer pass, available for £20, entitles two adults and two concessions entry to five council-owned museums.

The initiative begins as four participating museums, Judges’ Lodgings, Queens Street Mill, Gawthorpe Hall and Helmshore Mills, prepare to open for the first time after pandemic enforced closures.

Councillor Peter Buckley said the council wants to do everything it can to support local heritage.

“We think the Xplorer pass represents great value. It will allow families to enjoy more for less, and when the cost of living is going up, that can only be a good thing.”

Three cultural and creative 'zones' will be established in the North East of England.

North of Tyne Combined Authority has invested £5m to create a "supportive and attractive environment" for creative businesses in North Shields town centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed, and Clayton Street in central Newcastle.

A report from the authority says the North Shields initiative in particular will "play a pivotal role in reinvigorating the place and creating social and economic benefits for the people who live, work and visit there – building social inclusion and helping to create a sense of pride".

The Berwick-upon-Tweed project is being led by Northumberland City Council, which is awaiting a full business case before giving final approval.

Black Country Living Museum has received £30m to create new attractions that "whisk people back in time".

The project, titled Forging Ahead, is the museum's largest ever, expanding its footprint by about a third. 

It stalled due to a funding gap caused by the costs of cleaning up an industrial site needed for the expansion. Funding has now been committed by the West Midlands Combined Authority, whose Mayor Andy Street called the project "incredibly exciting".

It will offer visitors the chance to experience what life was like between the 1940s and 1960s with a historic old town and industrial quarter, among other spaces.

Wolverhampton’s iconic Elephant and Castle pub will be recreated and Dudley’s Woodside Library will be  rebuilt brick-by-brick on the museum site.

Chief Executive Andrew Lovett said the development "provides added momentum to thrive once again" following the challenges of Covid-19.

Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre is set to reopen for the first time since March 2020.

Closed as a theatre for two years, the council-owned venue was used as a vaccination centre from December 2020, delivering more than 41,000 jabs.

On April 1 it will reopen with a performance of Pinocchio by Northern Ballet.

"We are absolutely delighted that we can finally re-open our doors to our audiences, and what better way to launch our new programme," Councillor Tim Fleming commented.

Two dance organisations in Devon and Plymouth are shutting down due to a lack of funding.

Dance in Devon is pausing operations for six months as its board considers future options, whilst Plymouth Dance will close at the end of July.

Despite successful funding applications and commissions, the organisations say they are hamstrung by their inability to cover staffing and other costs. 

Online consultations to discuss a new model of support for dance in the South West are scheduled for April 5 and 6.

“We want to ensure that the people of Devon and Plymouth can participate in dance activities for their own creativity and wellbeing, and that dance professionals can continue to thrive in the region,” the organisations said.