Substantial new Arts Council funding for Lowestoft

Posted by on 8 May 2024 | Comments

East Suffolk Council, First Light Festival CIC and East Norfolk Sixth Form College are delighted to announce today, that Arts Council England investment has been secured to bring three exciting cultural projects to Lowestoft.

First Light Festival CIC has been awarded £700,000 from Arts Council England for a unique Place Partnership project called The Battery of Ideas that brings together a consortium of leading cultural, education and creative health partners to test ideas for the development of the new Cultural Quarter in Lowestoft town centre.

Over the next two years the project, with additional support of just under £300,000 from East Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council will re-use the former Tesco on London Road North as its base, to be a hub of creative participation, volunteering, creative skills and creative enterprise opportunities.

East Suffolk Council has also successfully been awarded £600,000 from the Arts Council England Capital Investment Programme to help transform the Post Office into a landmark arts venue for the town. The Post Office investment will go towards capital works to convert the building into work studio spaces, galleries, education space and live-work accommodation.

The investment builds on the success of First Light Festival and Seagull Theatre becoming Lowestoft's first ever Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations last year and follows on from the investment through HM Government's Towns Fund that will see further buildings and assets in Lowestoft reimagined for community, cultural and leisure end uses.

There is a strong emerging creative sector in Lowestoft with more organisations and creatives delivering and producing in the town than ever before and both projects will work in partnership with local, regional, and national partners to deliver a rich and varied cultural programme. This new investment from Arts Council England will provide physical spaces where more people in the town can enjoy, learn, and engage in new creative experiences and help revitalise the Town Centre by offering an exciting alternative use to these former retail buildings.

First Light Festival CIC, Chief Executive Genevieve Christie said: "We're thrilled that the Battery of Ideas project will be starting this spring with so many wonderful partners from across different sectors. The Battery testing space will fire up ideas, enthusiasm and involvement, grow public awareness of the new Cultural Quarter development and create a step change in creative production and cultural participation in Lowestoft."

Cllr Philip Fairclough Mutton, Suffolk County Council Cabinet lead for Equalities and Communities, said: "Suffolk County Council is delighted to support this project that will provide a year-round programme of cultural and creative activities for people to enjoy, take part in and build skills for a healthy life. We know that these activities will become the heart of an active, positive, vibrant Town Centre for Lowestoft.

"SCC is committed to investing in projects that look after residents' health and wellbeing, strengthen the local economy and provide value for money for residents. We know that this project, with this major national investment, will do just that.

"We are particularly pleased to have worked efficiently, effectively and in close partnership with East Suffolk, First Light Festival, East Norfolk College and Messums' gallery to make this happen."

The Post Office project has been in development since 2020, which included engaging with the creative sector and them telling us they needed a physical space to come together, show work and have studio space. During this time, we have also worked closely with Johnny Messum, recognised for revitalising old buildings and embedding them within communities through artistic enterprise.

Securing Arts Council England builds on the funding allocated from HM Government's Towns Fund and East Suffolk Council, and successfully securing planning permission and listed building consent in March 2024, which will enable more local people to engage in art and bring creative people together to work from the building.

East Suffolk Council will appoint a main contractor to undertake the works with the aim to start construction from July. It is anticipated that the works will take a year to complete with the aim for the Post Office to open to the public from Autumn 2025.

Cllr Toby Hammond, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration at East Suffolk Council said: "These are hugely important schemes, and we are delighted to have received a huge funding boost from Arts Council England to help us deliver them.

"We are determined to see the revitalisation of Lowestoft and the reimagining of the town centre as a place to come, not only to shop, but to enjoy and experience creative and cultural opportunities. If town centres cannot return to how they were in the past, it is the organisations and local authorities with the boldest ideas who will ensure that they continue to thrive."

Johnny Messum, Director, Messums Creative said: "Messums Creative will be working to support the aims and ambitions of the Place Partnership to see incredible art being imagined, made and enjoyed at street level starting in an old supermarket.

"It is a very exciting to see how this has developed over the years and to be part of this on-going development for the town from its start".

Hazel Edwards, South East Area Director, Arts Council England, said: "We are pleased to help bolster cultural investment throughout East Suffolk thanks to the Capital Investment Programme and Place Partnership Fund. By enhancing the infrastructure of cultural spaces across the region we are expanding access to arts, culture, and creative pursuits. We are also supporting cultural organisations in improving creative and cultural education for children and young people, and involving communities in high quality culture. We are delighted that together, we can nurture a more vibrant and accessible cultural landscape for all."

Alongside activities, residency programmes and exhibitions, the Post Office will have a dedicated works studio to enable Laurence Edwards, an internationally renowned sculptor, to engage with visitors in the production of making sculpture. Last Summer, as part of First Light Festival, Laurence created the Chthonic Head which was temporarily installed on Lowestoft's South Beach. In the Post Office visitors will discover Laurence's making process, modelling and the versatility of bronze and the casting process. Laurence will be immersing himself in the community to understand more about Lowestoft to design a landmark sculpture for the town.

As well as this new investment, East Norfolk Sixth Form College have secured funding from the Place Partnership to deliver more cultural opportunities for schools and younger people living in Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.

EN Principal, Dr Catherine Richards, said: "Arts and culture are central to the lives of our local young people, both for their development and their wellbeing. This funding is essential in helping East Norfolk Sixth Form College to achieve its goal to provide a range of opportunities that inspire young people from across Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. By delivering more arts and cultural experiences, we can continue our work to raising the aspirations and wellbeing of our local communities."

The Lowestoft Town Investment Plan was developed in partnership with the Lowestoft Place Board, which comprises representatives from public, private and voluntary organisations and is overseen by East Suffolk Council.  

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