Absolutely Cultured receives National Portfolio Organisation status, securing regular funding for the next three years
Absolutely Cultured is excited to announce that they have been invited to join the National Portfolio of Arts Council-funded organisations – officially gaining NPO* status. It joins 909 other arts organisations across the country that are also in the portfolio.
Launched in May 2018, having evolved from Hull UK City of Culture 2017, Absolutely Cultured has contributed to the cultural offer in the city through its vibrant and varied arts programme at Humber Street Gallery and beyond, such as this summer’s hugely popular Luminarium experience at Pearson Park, social action initiatives and learning and talent development opportunities.
Becoming an NPO allows the charity and cultural development organisation to implement a high quality and ambitious programme, which responds to the needs of the city, its audiences and the sector. This new status provides Absolutely Cultured with regular funding for the next three years, allowing them to plan ahead to deliver more for Hull, and also attract further funding.
Stephen Munn, CEO and Artistic Director of Absolutely Cultured, says, “We are absolutely thrilled to be named as one of the Arts Council’s new National Portfolio Organisations. As an NPO, we will deliver a high-quality cultural offer over the next three years, which complements the great work of other organisations and creatives in the city. We are going to facilitate a varied range of cultural experiences and arts opportunities for the people of Hull, and we aim to welcome a lot of new and diverse audiences through our doors at Humber Street Gallery and beyond. This new funding from Arts Council England means we can build on our work so far, and it’s great to see the confidence in Hull that this further investment coming into the local cultural sector shows.”
Arts Council England received a total of 1,730 applications, requesting just over £2 billion over the three-year investment period. This record-breaking number of applications is more than double the number of NPOs they were currently invested in. Therefore, a great achievement for Absolutely Cultured to be successful in this very competitive funding process.
Absolutely Cultured was successful in its bid and will receive £200,000 each year over three years (2023 to 2026) to support its purpose and ambition to make Hull a great place to live, work visit and learn, through the cultural activities it develops.
* Arts Council England’s latest National Portfolio funding programme runs from 2023-2026. National Portfolio Organisations are leaders in their areas, with a collective responsibility to protect and develop the UK’s national arts and cultural ecology. National Portfolio Organisations will be expected to play a key role in helping achieve the aims set out in “Let’s Create”; Arts Council’s 10-year strategy for creativity and culture.