Leeds arts and culture set for more than £300,000 in support as venues reopen following Covid lockdown

Leeds culture and arts venues are set for support as they reopen after Covid closures

Leeds City Council has pledged to offer more support for the city's "life changing" culture sector.

Its arts@leeds funding scheme provides grants to more than 40 arts groups and venues and now every recipient will be given an added financial boost as they return.

The newly-approved Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG) will see recipients get an additional one-off grant - with a total of £320,000 being distributed proportionately across the sector.

Artlink West Yorkshire - an arts and health based charity which delivers creative workshops alongside professional artists - is among the recipients of the funding.

Director Sylvie Fourcin said: "Artlink West Yorkshire is delighted to receive the ARG - Restart Grant.

"Throughout the pandemic we have delivered more than 400 exciting and engaging creative toolkits a month across Leeds, to people with disabilities and people living with dementia.

“One of the support staff from AspireCBS described our work as ‘life changing’ for their customers as they have been very isolated during this time.

"The grant will enable Artlink to refresh our building and improve Covid safety measures so that as people gradually come back we can welcome them safely.”

Fellow recipients JazzLeeds said their grant would allow them to plan for their JazzReset 21 Festival in the summer, a new venue for education workshops at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm Barn and a series of concerts at Seven Arts in Chapel Allerton.

Steve Crocker, chair of the JazzLeeds trustees, said: “JazzLeeds are so lucky to have a supportive local authority that recognises the value of the arts.

"We are a completely volunteer run charity organisation that depends on our volunteers to survive and thrive.

“The pandemic has been hard for everyone - for musicians, venues, technical staff and for audience - but it has also been hard for our volunteers without whom the jazz promotion business would collapse completely.

"To have this vote of confidence is a real boost at a time when many people had thought of giving up.”

Also receiving a grant will be Chapeltown-based RJC Dance, who work to empower children, young people and adults through dance, movement and exercise.

Director Kathy Williams said: “This funding will help our organisation transition from exclusive online engagement with children, young people, adults and elders to enable a new blended service following the easing of the governments CV19 restrictions and access to our base at the Mandela Centre.

“This valuable and important investment will help us to reach more people and re-connect with more local families and communities.”

Recent evaluation of the impact of arts@leeds showed that in 2018-2019, funded groups generated a total of £56,799,450 of income for Leeds, delivering more 2,331 activities.

More than 126,000 also people participated in arts@leeds funded activities, which were watched by a total audience of more than 1.4 million people.

Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy and culture, said: “Arts and cultural organisations all across Leeds have shown such remarkable tenacity and creativity during the pandemic even in the face of so much uncertainty.

“For many of us facing challenges of our own, they also have offered a ray of hope as they found new and exciting ways to keep the people of Leeds connected, engaged and inspired.

“We hope this funding will give these fantastic organisations a chance to look to the future with a renewed sense of hope and optimism as they play a key part in getting life in Leeds back on track.”

For more details about arts@leeds, click here.