Wakefield district gets £1.2 million grant for arts and digital recovery

The Capital Kickstart grant is part of the Government’s £1.57billion Culture Recovery Fund enabling the organisation to push forward with the WX3 project despite the financial challenge caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

WX3 is a multi-million pound three-year programme that will significantly enrich the creative, cultural and digital industries sectors across the Wakefield district. Wakefield Council's bid was one of only five in the country to be successful in getting a slice of the £20million Cultural Development Fund, in the first Government investment of its kind.

The £1.2million grant has been awarded on top of the existing £4.4million funding originally secured in January 2019, ensuring long-term sustainability of the project. Whilst work has been forging ahead with the WX3 project, the impact of Covid-19 throughout 2020 has caused significant pandemic-related delays, bringing with it additional unplanned costs. The Capital Kickstart grant will help Wakefield Council to cover these costs.

Coun Denise Jeffery, Leader of Wakefield Council, said: “This is fantastic news and a welcome boost for the WX3 project.

"Wakefield is a place where everyone can enjoy making, attending or taking part in great creative experiences.

"We have amazing talent across Wakefield and this additional support will help to encourage growth and much-needed job opportunities, supporting our ambition to foster the development of creative and digital industries and new job creation across our district."

WX3 brings together the arts, digital businesses, communities, health, education and planning sectors with a shared vision of transformational growth for the creative economy throughout the Wakefield district, creating vital new jobs, supporting local creative businesses and attracting new creative businesses and individuals to the area.

A key part of the programme is the exciting transformation of the former Market Hall in Wakefield into a creative hub in the city centre, with creative business and learning space and performance, events and exhibition opportunities. It also includes a programme of business support for SMEs, freelancers and individuals working in Wakefield and the wider region and opportunities for local people to develop skills and experience to help them find employment in the creative and digital sector.

WX3 supports local creative individuals and organisations to deliver an exciting programme of activity, which will in turn increase access to culture, creativity and heritage to local residents with historically low engagement levels, as well as welcome visitors from beyond the district.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “This government promised it would be here for culture and today’s announcement is proof we’ve kept our word.

“The £1billion invested so far through the Culture Recovery Fund has protected tens of thousands of jobs at cultural organisations across the UK, with more support still to come through a second round of applications.

“Today we’re extending a huge helping hand to the crown jewels of UK culture - so that they can continue to inspire future generations all around the world.”

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England, said “Today’s announcement is another vital step in securing the future of England’s cultural sector.

“Supporting capital projects will help to ensure that we maintain an innovative, sustainable cultural infrastructure that supports world class creative work, while the loans announced today will enable some of our largest and most prestigious cultural organisations to weather the effects of Covid-19 and reopen when it is safe to do so.

“The Arts Council is grateful to the Government for their support through the Culture Recovery Fund, and we are proud to support all the organisations receiving funding today.