Organisations share £150k for ‘commitment to communities’

Three arts organisations in England have received a share of a £150,000 award for their community-focused work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Art House in Wakefield, Project Art Works in Hastings and Salford-based In Place Of War were selected for the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s Award For Civic Arts Organisations from a shortlist of 10.

Presented in partnership with King’s College London, the award, now in its second year, recognises how all three organisations have “deepened their commitment to their communities over the past two years”.

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Louisa Hooper, Interim Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch) said the winners provide hope "for a future in which the arts sector brings its visionary and healing magic to the business of reconnecting and shaping our world for the better”.

She added: “Through the Award we aim to spotlight the transformational power of art for individual and societal change and provide a lever for organisations to scale their civic role work.”

The foundation received over 200 applications for this second edition of the award, which was launched in 2021.

Significant social impact

The biggest share of the award went to The Art House, which received £100,000. The other two organisations were given £25,000 each.

During the pandemic, The Art House – a studio and exhibition space in Wakefield that is home to more than 50 artists and creative businesses – has supported both creative practitioners and the region’s wider community.

It provided grants and commissions for local artists and creative businesses who were unable to access government support, while also repurposing parts of its building to meet the needs of the community.

It hosted a food distribution service and, working with three local charities, provided an emergency mental health drop-in service and NHS peri-natal mental health sessions.

Other activity included creating and distributing 1,000 handmade activity boxes for local families and planting 1,000 sunflowers.

The award’s judging panel commended the organisation for its ability to adapt quickly to the challenges of the pandemic, and its commitment to working in partnership to co-create projects.

Sydney Thornbury, CEO and Artistic Director of The Art House, said receiving the award was “a tribute to all of the amazing people who engage with us and whom we consider part of our extended family”.

Thornbury said that the social impact arts organisations can have shouldn’t be underestimated.

“We sit at the centre of our communities and can create a space where people from quite disparate backgrounds can come together and join in a shared experience."

“The work that arts organisations do in the community is not the icing on the cake, it is the cake.”

Neurodivergent collective

Hastings-based Project Art Works was complimented for its work with people who have complex support needs.

The organisation, which was shortlisted for the 2021 Turner Prize, is a collective of neurodivergent artists and activists.

During the height of the pandemic it created a digital platform to enable its users to continue their creative work and stay connected to the organisation.

Development Director Helen Charlton said it was important that "the contribution neurominorities and carers make to our society is being valued".

"For people who are often invisible or marginalised, being acknowledged and celebrated in this way is a significant shift towards understanding and real inclusion."

Change-makers

In Place of War, which works globally, describes its mission as enabling “grassroots change-makers in music, theatre and across the arts to transform a culture of violence and suffering into hope, opportunity and freedom”.

During the pandemic it extended its international work in sites of conflict to the UK, working with grassroots community organisations to find ‘100 Agents of Change’.

Young people were drawn from refugees, asylum seekers, people living in poverty and the LGBTQI+ communities.

Ruth Daniel, CEO and Artistic Director of In Place of War, said that bringing the organisation's international work to the UK "was a dream come true and led to remarkable impact".

She added: “We are now moving onto the next phase of fundraising to create a three-year version of this to impact many more young people.”