We are so happy to receive this funding to deliver such important creative work with local people. Being part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio gives our organisation the opportunity to grow and to reach new participants and audiences both in person and online. Receiving an uplift in our NPO funding is vital to our organisation and recognises all the hard work that our staff, artists and volunteers do and the impact that they have on local communities every day.

Together, each of the 990 organisations that have been offered funding today 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. 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.

This portfolio will support the next generation of visionary inventors, makers, performers and artists. In particular, the growth of our funding for organisations that support and develop work for children represents a profoundly important long-term investment in our country’s talent.

We are thrilled that Burnley Youth Theatre will not only retain their NPO status for 2023 – 26, but will also receive an uplift for their work. It recognises the major contribution that Burnley Youth Theatre makes to the cultural life of Lancashire and it’s a tribute to their commitment to excellence in developing and delivering cultural activities for children, young people and families.

Thanks to this new government funding package, spreading more money to more communities than ever before, people living in areas from Wolverhampton to Wigan and Crawley to Chesterfield will now get to benefit from the deep economic and social rewards culture can bring.