Scooping an impressive £800k new funding this year, New Art Exchange brings 2013 to a close with the promise of many exciting new opportunities and projects launching for communities, artists, businesses and Nottingham residents in 2014.
It is true that if arts organisations are to thrive in today’s difficult economic climates, they need to act differently, think innovatively and entrepreneurially, build new partnerships, and attract new and different investors to their work. In 2012, New Art Exchange, an art gallery in the heart of Nottingham’s Hyson Green neighbourhood, set out to do just that, putting in place a strategy for business growth, diversification, development and income generation, and using its much sought-after core funding from Arts Council as crucial leverage and match funding. Their strategy has now started to pay dividends with a range of commercial partnerships and new funding successes throughout 2013, and today New Art Exchange is delighted to announce it has landed new funding from the EU, Arts Council’s Strategic Touring Programme and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, bringing the running total to £800k new investment into its work this year!
But it is not just about the money. A range of new opportunities will be created for the people of Nottingham and further afield to benefit. With support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), New Art Exchange will come together with Nottingham City Council and local business support experts, NBV, to deliver a transformational new programme of business support to Nottingham’s creative businesses – the Creative Futures project. Based in Hyson Green at New Art Exchange, Creative Futures will support hundreds of businesses and people in the City to start creative enterprises, bringing jobs and opportunities to some of the City’s most disadvantaged urban areas. The project launches early 2014.
New Art Exchange CEO, Skinder Hundal says:
We are over the moon about the direction this year has taken us and the new investment and partnerships we have secured. Here at NAE, we have always seen art and creativity at the centre of society, impacting across all sectors of life, unlocking talent and growing positive and rewarding futures. These exciting new investment opportunities put us in the best possible position to launch transformational new areas of business and creative practice. It’s certainly time to celebrate here and now at the end of this fantastic year for New Art Exchange! And moving into 2014 is where the real work begins – watch this space as we launch our new Creative Futures programme and kick start our Strategic Touring activities and many more projects and programmes.
Posted on 17 December 2013
