Culture Chat National Portfolio Organisations

Spotlight on Surrey's six National Portfolio Organisations

Each month we've been going behind the scenes of Surrey's cultural landscape with our Culture Chats. This month we tell you a little bit more about Arts Council England and Surrey's six National Portfolio Organisations(NPOs). We'll learn more about what it means to be an NPO and explore what plans are in place for community engagement and development opportunities for the culture sector.

Established in 1946, Arts Council England (ACE) is the national development agency for creativity and culture, investing public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector. 990 organisations across England have NPO status meaning that ACE will support them over three years to deliver varied arts and culture programmes as part of their Let's Create strategy and delivery plan.

Hazel Edwards, Area Director, South East, Arts Council England, said

"Our 2023 to 2026 National Portfolio is the first developed under the ambitions of "Let's Create". At its core, we sought to invest in a wide range of organisations that helped us ensure that more people, in more places, had more opportunities to participate in, experience and enjoy amazing arts, culture and creativity. We were delighted to be able to deliver that in Surrey – with a perfect mix of extending our support for organisations like Stopgap Dance, New Adventures and Farnham Maltings, whilst also welcoming three new organisations to the National Portfolio. Second Hand Dance, Freewheelers Theatre and Media Company, and The Lightbox will all extend the reach of our investment across children and young people, underserved audiences, and particularly those who experience barriers.

The 2023 to 2026 National Portfolio kicks off this April, and I am excited for what it will bring, not just for audiences and participants – which are hugely important - but also for the work we will support around individual and sector development."

Who are the six NPOs in Surrey?

So, let us venture on a whistle-stop tour of Surrey's six NPOs, hearing first from those that have held the status for several years. Head on over to the latest Culture Map Culture Chat web pages to find out more.

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