Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has been awarded £750,000 by Arts Council England through the National Lottery Project grant scheme.
The funding will enable a national arts project to take place across the UK in May 2027. Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has been selected by arts charity Artichoke as the national development hub for the programme.
The project will focus on capturing imaginations, promoting community cohesion and centring the voices of children across the nation.
Building on Existing Partnership
This grant builds on an established relationship between the Council and Artichoke. In May 2022, Miners' Welfare Park in Bedworth hosted David Best's Sanctuary, a community memorial project marking those lost to the pandemic.
Artichoke returned to the park in 2024 with Babylon Gamelan, an immersive sound sculpture by artist Dave Young, which formed part of the Council's Creative Explorers programme.
Local Role in National Programme
The Council will work with Artichoke to prototype and pilot the artistic, literacy and community elements of the project before rolling it out nationally. The authority will also host a peer-learning event for other local authorities involved.
The collaboration aims to build local skills, creative careers and cultural capacity, and strengthen literacy, creative confidence and civic awareness among primary schoolchildren in the borough.
Quotes
Helen Marriage, Artichoke CEO and Artistic Director, said: "We are thrilled to be able to return to Nuneaton and Bedworth with our most ambitious project to date, supported by Arts Council England. The relationships that we have built in the borough since 2022 have stood us in good stead and will help to deliver a cultural moment of national significance."
Councillor Bobbie Greenwood, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Health at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, said: "Receiving this £750,000 Arts Council England grant as part of Artichoke's new national project, is recognition of the hard work the Council has put in to developing its cultural offer over a number of years."
Liz Johnson, Midlands Area Director at Arts Council England, said: "We are delighted that Artichoke is teaming up with Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council to bring such an exciting project to the Midlands, with the support of £750,000 in National Lottery funding."
