MEMBERS of a dance group in Worcester are head over heels after they received the backing of Arts Council England for the next three years.
Dancefest will remain as part of the Arts Council’s National Portfolio, which means the group based in Angel Place will receive £470,628 from April 2015 to 2018.
Rose Beeston, director at Dancefest, hailed the investment as a ‘real vote of confidence’ in their work as they deliver classes to people of all ages and abilities.
“In the past year there have been over 24,000 attendances at our classes and events,” she said. “Demand for arts and culture remains strong and we consider it a privilege to offer quality dance experiences for the people of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
“This funding demonstrates support for the wide range of work that we do, much of which is outside the public eye, in schools, colleges and care homes, and for all ages from toddlers to people in their 80s.
“However, we’re a small organisation and like many others, we’re conscious that reductions in funding from local authorities and other sources will continue to have an impact on the arts and other public services.”
Collar & Tie Limited (C&T), which runs drama workshops at the University of Worcester, will also receive a further three years of investment from the Arts Council.
Paul Sutton, artistic director at C&T, added: “Their endorsement validates the quality of our work and enables us to bring our brand of creativity to schools and communities across England.
“We are tremendously excited at this news and even more at the prospect of bringing new ideas and projects to the C&T Network across England and internationally.”
The majority of organisations in the new portfolio have received standstill funding as the Arts Council bid to build on their excellent work and deliver high quality programmes for audiences to enjoy.
Peter Phillips, chairman at the Midlands Area Council, said: “The Midlands has an ambitious and exciting cultural offer. It’s home to a great number of organisations and artists that produce world-class work for audiences to enjoy and we’re committed to maintaining this thriving cultural scene.”
