Arts Council England confirms £1.845 million investment in Oldham Council’s cultural programme

Following a successful proposal from Oldham Council, Arts Council England today announced it has agreed to allocate £1.845 million to support creative and cultural activity in the borough over the next three years.

In March the Arts Council announced it had ringfenced £1.845 million to invest in Oldham, although this was subject to application. That application has been successful and Oldham Council is now set to receive the full amount over the next three years in order to commission and deliver an exciting cultural programme which will offer the community and visitors a wide range of arts and theatre to enjoy. This will include a mix of commissioned work, festivals and participatory events, as well as shows from visiting companies. 

This investment will help Oldham Council and cultural partners, including Oldham Theatre Workshop and Oldham Coliseum Theatre, to test new approaches to programming, creative learning and talent and audience development ahead of the new performance space which is due to open by 2026. It will also ensure significant employment opportunities for local creative practitioners.

Jen Cleary, Director North, Arts Council England said: “The Arts Council is absolutely committed to supporting creativity and culture in Oldham and this investment will enable Oldham Council, working in partnership with local cultural organisations, to provide an exciting programme of activity across the borough over the next three years. From new theatre performances and festivals to community and school workshops, this programme will provide local creative employment and development opportunities, as well as a raft of creative activity for the community to enjoy.”

Councillor Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council said “Culture is so important to any town but especially in Oldham with its fantastic heritage of theatre and production. This funding from the Arts Council will help us to retain great cultural activities in the borough while the work to build our new theatre is underway. 

“We’ve worked closely with local cultural organisations in building our application for this funding and both Oldham Coliseum and Oldham Theatre Workshop will be helping us to deliver a fantastic arts, culture and performance programme for Oldham.”

A key component of the cultural programme will be nurturing local talent and providing an opportunity for young people across the borough to unlock their own creativity. Oldham Council will cultivate local talent by commissioning work from Oldham-based theatre makers and by assisting artists to expand their practice. There will continue to be opportunities for community groups to participate in cultural activities, such as the work already taking place with the Roma community. Oldham Theatre Workshop will run a creative learning programme which will encourage young people to get involved in culture and will provide them with the chance to experience high quality theatre.

Duncan Craig OBE, Chair of Trustees, Oldham Coliseum Theatre said: “The announcement from Arts Council England of a £1.8m award for Oldham Council to deliver culture across Oldham over the next three years is positive news. It will give the Council the ability to turn our collective plans into a reality, to deliver a strong arts and culture programme in the town - we look forward to helping them deliver it.”

James Atherton, Artistic Director, Oldham Theatre Workshop said: “Oldham Theatre Workshop is delighted with the news of this continued funding for the town. The investment will help us to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to participate in high quality theatre practices. 

“It’s an important time for culture in Oldham. We are looking forward to working closely with the Coliseum and other cultural partners across the borough to deliver a rich and diverse programme that engages the creativity of all.”

The Arts Council will continue to work closely with Oldham Council and partners as they deliver their 2021-30 cultural strategy for the borough and develop the new theatre. The aims of the Council’s strategy align with the Arts Council’s own Let’s Create strategy which wants the creativity of everyone to be valued and be able to flourish and for us all to have access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences.