Town Centre Initiative
Update on Art in Empty Spaces
Overview
The CLG (Community Local Government) have allocated £3m through Looking after our town centres programme to be used in creative ways, to reduce the negative impact of recession on empty high street shops.
This money has been split between 57 priority areas, 7 of the selected areas within the East Midlands include Corby, Nottingham City, Boston, Mansfield, Ashfield, Derby City and Leicester City. Each district will receive £52,632k to use as they see fit to boost town centres and transform empty shop.
ACE will be working in partnership with the DCLG have allocated extra £500k National Lottery funding (EM to receive £59,818) to be split between regions to help artists turn vacant high street shops into attractive and vibrant places.
CLG announcement (Action on recession: overview)
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/aboutus/project_detail.php?rid=0&sid=&a..
ACE Art in Empty Spaces: turning vacant spaces into creative places PR
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/aboutus/project_detail.php?rid=0&sid=&a..
CLG guidance
The top tips and new support in town centre revival guide already helping small businesses during this difficult time. The link for this is on a document for CLG website released by the Association of Town Centre Management.
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/towncentres <http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/towncentres>
Application process/assessor information
- Applicants can apply using the normal GFTA process. Those areas that haven't received CLG money are still eligible to apply to ACE.
- Applicants can apply for fit out, rent and other property costs and purchase materials to clean and decorate premises, using GFTA process. However, this is only eligible for people not in receipt of CLG money to avoid double funding. CLG to pay for property costs, etc and not arts activities
- All applicants must follow the Art in Empty Spaces guidance notes. See Guidance Notes Art in Empty Shops attached.
- We will be looking for applications that can demonstrate an activity that has the potential to secure a long term partnership with a LA/town centre manager/landlord.
- Applicants can apply for between £1k- £10k if their area has received CLG funding. If not they can apply to GFTA through the usual process with usual min-max amount.
- Priority will be given to GFTA Art in empty spaces application beginning in the next 3 months (Sept, Oct, Nov).
Latest update from ACE
We (NATO office) will be updating the website and posting the guidance there, we'll be supplying a comment for the DCLG release and issuing our own release, plus we'll have our own Q&A for media purposes. The Arts Council release and Q&A will be sent to regional comms colleagues as soon as they're signed off.
We are currently in contact with local authorities in receipt of CLG funding, please see the list of contact names below.
GOEM
Russell Coughtrey, Senior Policy Adviser
Culture, Media and Sport Manager Government Office for the East Midlands
Nottingham City Council
Sharon Scaniglia, Principal Arts Officer, Nottingham City Council
Jane Dykes, City Centre Manager for Nottingham City Council
Nottingham County Council
Amber Walls, Cultural Services ARTS
Ed Horne, Strategic Co-ordinator, Arts Partnership
Leicester City Council
Dindy Outen, Art Advisory & Grants Officer
Leicester contacts
Clare Hudson, Creative Leicestershire
Peter Chandler, Workspace Manager, LCB Depot
Kevan Grantham, Arts Development Manager
Derby City Council
Mike Brown & Antoinette Burchill from Derby City Council's Arts & Events Team
Derby contacts
John Cadwallader, Chief Executive
Corby Borough Council
J. Devereux, Strategic Arts and Cultural Officer: Corby Borough Council
Boston Council
Ian Martin, Town Centre Manager
Mansfield Council
David Brown, Arts and Creative Industries Development Officer
Ashfield Council
M. Armstrong, Town Centres Manager (Bringing ADO job share John Kettersfield)
