The Guildhall Trust to Receive £499,000 from Arts Council England's Capital Investment Programme
- The Guildhall Trust is among 66 cultural organisations across the country to benefit from a share of over £22.7 million from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme.
- This award will allow The Guildhall Trust to deliver the next phase of its ambitious programme of Renaissance of Portsmouth Guildhall, one of Portsmouth’s key cultural venues, and expand its engagement work in the community to inspire, entertain and transform lives.
The Guildhall Trust in Portsmouth has received a grant of £499,000 from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme.As part of these 2021-22 and 2022-23 grants, over £22.7 million has been awarded to 66 cultural organisations across the country, including The Guildhall Trust. The Capital Investment Programme aims to help cultural organisations across the country transform their buildings and equipment so they can operate safely post-pandemic, improve access, seize technological opportunities, and reduce environmental impact. From Barrow-in-Furness to The Isles of Scilly, the organisations receiving funding share a vision to build a fit for the future cultural sector, which all members of their communities can access.
The award to The Guildhall Trust will transform the basement area of Portsmouth Guildhall in the next phase of its ambitious programme of Renaissance of the iconic Concert Hall, and encourage more people to engage with creativity and culture in Portsmouth, an Arts Council England priority place.
The exciting basement transformation will deliver a multi-purpose creative space with a high-tech multimedia suite including rehearsal rooms, a recording studio and a DJ pod. Operating as a creative drop-in facility, the dedicated space will also be used for workshops and skills training, supporting the growth of The Guildhall Trust’s established ‘Get Involved’ programme of engagement for young people which inspires careers in the creative industries.
The development will also provide much-needed improved toilets for all and a fully accessible changing spaces facility.
Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England said “World class creativity and culture needs a resilient and sustainable infrastructure to allow it to flourish. With these investments in the buildings, equipment, and digital systems of cultural organisations across England, we are helping to secure the future of that infrastructure, and making sure that people from every part of the country can continue enjoying all the benefits it delivers for years to come”.
Andy Grays, CEO of The Guildhall Trust, said “We are delighted to have been awarded this support from Arts Council England which enables us to progress our ambitious programme of Renaissance for Portsmouth Guildhall and deliver an exciting transformation of the venue’s basement area to provide an outstanding resource for young people and emerging artists. The state-of-the art facilities will support and enable all young creative practitioners from our community to build and develop their creative skills and to explore their passion for music and the arts”.