Arts Council England award £1.3m towards cultural projects in Lowestoft
Lowestoft is set to benefit from a significant cultural boost, as Arts Council England (ACE) today announces £1.3 million of funding for three projects aimed at increasing cultural participation in the town.
On Wednesday 8 May, ACE confirmed its commitment to supporting Lowestoft’s creative vision, investing in initiatives that will enrich the town’s cultural landscape and expand opportunities for both residents and visitors.
This substantial investment forms part of ACE’s broader strategy to improve access to arts and culture in places where opportunities have traditionally been more limited. The funding will help realise ambitious plans to strengthen Lowestoft’s cultural offer, nurture local talent, and promote greater community engagement.
Details of the three funded projects are outlined below. This announcement represents a major step forward for Lowestoft’s cultural sector and demonstrates the confidence that national funders have in the town’s creative potential.
Post Office
The Post Office redevelopment led by East Suffolk Council (ESC) in partnership with Messums East, has secured £600,000 from Arts Council England through their Capital Investment Programme. The funding will further enable the building to be restored and converted into a space that will bring amazing collections and exhibitions to the town and enable artists local and further afield to create and show work from the restored building.
First Light Festival CIC
First Light Festival CIC (FLF) have secured £700,000 from the Place Partnership Programme, along with £300,000 investment from Suffolk County Council and East Suffolk Council. First Light has been working with both Councils to launch a pop-up creative and cultural space in the former London Road North Tesco in Lowestoft Town Centre. The project will pilot new creative activities for local people and audiences to enjoy and in the future form part of the Cultural Quarters and Post Office activity programme, experimenting, learning, and delivering events and activities which aims to increase participation in Lowestoft.
East Norfolk Sixth Form College
East Norfolk Sixth Form College have secured £150,000 funding from the Place Partnership Fund. This funding will deliver an exciting programme of arts and cultural opportunities for primary schools in Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth and will be delivered with the Lowestoft Rising and Enjoy-Great Yarmouth Cultural Education Partnerships with college students working with artists to deliver activities. The project has also been funded by Suffolk County Council, Norfolk County Council, and Lowestoft Rising.
What will this funding unlock for Lowestoft?
These three grants are an incredible opportunity and will enable more communities and young people to access and engage with high quality cultural experiences. Lowestoft for some time now has been nurturing partnerships and placing culture in the heart of our regeneration plans, realising the potential that culture can bring to building happier and healthier communities.
As a Project Manager who is involved in driving culture-led regeneration, it brings me a lot of satisfaction that Arts Council England, the largest arts funding body in the UK, sees the potential of what we and other partners are aiming to deliver for our communities. I live in Lowestoft, and I have worked in culture for eight years. During that time, ESC and partners have harnessed the power of culture, invested in the place, celebrating amazing and talented people who deliver cultural opportunities all year-round. We need to deliver against our funding outcomes to ensure that we genuinely build community engagement and participation across our communities. Thus, the work continues!
Helen Johnson, Post Office Redevelopment Project Manager
