Bassetlaw among 16 places in the East Midlands to be prioritised for £75 million of extra cultural funding

The news comes as the Culture Secretary yesterday (February 23) announced that by 2025 areas outside London will benefit from a £75 million boost as part of a redistribution of Arts Council England (ACE) funding.

Cultural investment outside London via the Arts Council is expected to rise to almost £250 million by 2025 – the equivalent to a 19 per cent increase by the final year of the Spending Review period.

Local authority areas in the East Midlands on the list include Amber Valley, Bassetlaw, Boston, East Lindsey, Erewash, Mansfield, Newark & Sherwood, North East Derbyshire, North Kesteven, North Northamptonshire, Oadby & Wigston, South Holland, and West Lindsey.

The government set out a commitment to raise cultural spending significantly outside the capital in its Levelling Up White Paper.

ACE currently spends £21 per head in London and an average of £6 per head in the rest of England.

The boost in financial support will ensure a better distribution of arts funding, help level up the country, and increase accessibility and opportunity in areas which have been culturally under-served in years gone by.

Areas in the East Midlands are part of more than 100 ‘Levelling Up for Culture Places’ which will be targeted.

Organisations old and new will be encouraged to bid for funding.

Arts minister, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, said: “Everyone should have access to culture, regardless of their background or where in the country they happen to live.

“There is a wealth of untapped creative potential across the East Midlands, and this funding redistribution will help to unlock it.

“We are taking these steps to ensure cultural organisations are given the support they need to engage and inspire more people as we look to level up access to culture across the whole country.”

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