WORCESTER-based Vamos Theatre chiefs are celebrating after it retained its Arts Council England National Portfolio funding.
Vamos Theatre, the UK’s leading full mask theatre company, has been awarded three-year funding by Arts Council England, retaining its status as a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO).
Applications for the 2023-26 portfolio were highly competitive and Vamos Theatre is delighted to be able to continue its work in the theatre and community, supporting ACE’s strategy Let’s Create and helping to deliver its Outcomes and Investment Principles.
According to Arts Council England, this is its most varied and ambitious portfolio yet, supporting the delivery of the very best art and culture available into people’s neighbourhoods and boosting spending in arts, museums where investment is currently too low.
Vamos Theatre, which has been making theatre since 2006, first became an NPO in 2018 and works tirelessly to promote the transformative potential of full mask theatre across the globe.
Continued NPO status will allow the company to carry its work on effectively, both through its performances – socially relevant stories created through collaboration with a variety of contributors from all walks of life – and its learning and health-based work, which reaches a wide range of participants, including care home residents, people living with dementia, hospice patients, young people with special educational needs, early-career artists, and the deaf community.
Rachael Savage, Vamos Theatre’s artistic director, said: “We are thrilled to bits to remain part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio and are excited about an ambitious three years ahead in line with ACE’s brave Let’s Create policy to make exceptional art for everyone, and mean it.
“The headlines of our plan involve work and participation made with and for people of all ages, including those often without a voice whether they are living in late-stage dementia or with learning disabilities or people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
“We will work hard to deliver our mission to transform lives through the empathy and connection of full mask theatre.
“Thank you, ACE, for believing in the value of our work.”
