Funding boost for social change arts programme

A programme designed to drive social change through high-quality participatory arts projects has been handed a funding boost.

Cartwheel Arts has been awarded £20,000 from the Garfield and Weston Foundation, allowing it to continue delivering its Art for a Reason programme.

The charity works with people of all ages in neighbourhoods identified as "left-behind places" where residents are at increased risk of unemployment, living in poverty, lower education achievement and aspirations and poor health.

“All the work Cartwheel delivers takes place in areas of high deprivation or with people confronting issues which significantly limit their quality of life,” said Cartwheel Arts Director Hebe Reilly.

The charity hopes to use the funding to deepen engagement and raise the profile of its activities, and broadening awareness that working class people, racially diverse communities are people with disabilities are under-represented in the creative sectors.