Catalyst Funding

Good news last week for some arts organisations, 18 are set to share some £30.5 million in funding from the Arts Council, providing that they manage to match the amount with money from outside sources - some in a 1:1 ratio, others not. I'd be curious as to the rationale, and why some companies were more favoured than others - it looks as if the more money you get, the more you have to raise. 


The Halle have £1 million, which has to be matched 1:1, and it will be used towards their new Halle Centre in converted church in Ancoats, Manchester. Opera North gets £3 million, but they have to raise a whopping £6 million to get it; this goes to their fund which supports new productions like the critically acclaimed Ring Cycle currently in progress.



Other musical organisations getting grants are the Philharmonia Orchestra (£1 million, matched 1:1), the Wigmore Hall  (£1 million, matched 1:1), Aldeburgh Music  (£1 million, matched 1:1), Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (£ 0.5 million, matched 1:1),  Birmingham Royal Ballet  (£1 million, matched 1:1),  London Philharmonic Orchestra  (£1 million, matched 1:1), ENO (£3 million, they must raise £6 million), CBSO  (£1 million, matched 1:1), Sage Gateshead (£2 million, they must raise £4 million). 


Other Arts organisations include the Old Vic who get a whopping £5 million, providing they raise £15 million (I hope they have patrons with deep pockets), this will go towards creating an endowment. The RSC, the Serpentine, the Turner Contemporary, and the Whitechapel Gallery are all included as well.


So expect a lot of active fund-raising in the arts sector.