10 January 2016
Arts Council England announces £150,000 cultural tourism boost for Bristol and Bath
Bristol and Bath will receive a £150,000 award from Arts Council England and VisitEngland that will put culture at the heart of the cities’ billion pound visitor economies.
Building on the successful partnership between Bristol and Bath tourism and the cities’ cultural organisations, this new investment will see Spike Island lead a consortium including partners from all four local authorities in the West of England LEP to promote the full richness and diversity of the region to visitorsfrom home and abroad.
The new partnership of leading cultural organisations, destination management organisations and tourism businesses will develop a coordinated approach to the visitor experience that can make a significant contribution to the growth of the local economy by increasing visitor spend and engagement.
Alan MacGregor, Chair of the project, said: “I am absolutely thrilled for all our partners that we have been granted Cultural Destinations project funding. We have exciting plans for 2017, and this announcement ensures we can build on our existing activity in a sustainable and lasting way, providing the ideal platform for us to broaden our ambitions both in terms of the partners involved and our geographic audience reach. “
Key arts and cultural organisations in Bristol, Bath, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire will be working with the tourism sector to create a distinctiveand coherent visitor offer that promotes the extraordinary cultural wealth of each individualplace.
The region boasts an excellent combination of traditional, heritage and contemporary culture. From the major modern city of Bristol with a growing international airport and the well-known world heritage brand of Bath, to the engineering genius of South Gloucestershire and the regeneration of Weston-Super-Mare in North Somerset - there is something for all domestic and overseas visitors.
Phil Gibby, Area Director, South West, Arts Council England, said: “This is a fantastic result for the region’s cultural, destination and tourism organisations. The investment will help the consortium to take advantage of the unique characteristics of the region and to fully articulate this offer to visitors, boosting the local economy and placing the region on an international stage.”
The grant is being made through Cultural Destinations, an initiative that was developed by the Arts Council as a result of a three year partnership with VisitEngland, the national tourist board. The aim of the programme is to enable arts and culture organisations working in partnership with Destination Organisations and other tourism partners, to increase their reach, engagement and resilience. £3,288,600 has been awarded to 16 projects in round two of the programme.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Full list of successful applicants:
Suffolk County Council / South East / £300,000
The Brewery, Kendal / North / £128,000
Culture Coventry / Midlands / £200,000
Creative Kernow Ltd / South West / £150,000
Cheshire East Council / North / £300,000
Visit Greenwich / London / £270,000
Sheffield Theatres / North / £150,000
Spike Island Art Space Ltd / South West / £150,000
Nottingham Contemporary / Midlands / £150,000
Lincolnshire City Centre Partnership / Midlands / £150,000
Halifax Culture Hub / North / £150,000
Islands’ Partnership / South West / £147,600
Marketing Manchester / North / £220,000
Beam / North / £223,000
Potteries Museum & Art Gallery / Midlands / £300,000
Milton Keynes Council / South East / £300,000
Cultural Destinations
Read more about the Cultural Destinations programme on the Arts Council’s webpagehere
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About VisitBritain/VisitEngland
VisitBritain/VisitEngland is the national tourism agency – a non-departmental public body funded by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). Working with a wide range of partners in both the UK and overseas, our mission is to grow the volume and value of inbound tourism across the nations and regions of Britain and to develop world-class English tourism to support our growth aspirations.For further informationand to access the latest in-depth market intelligence and statisticsvisit consumer information.
Arts Council Englandchampions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiencesthat enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2015 and 2018, we plan to invest £1.1 billion of public money from government and an estimated £700 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.
For more information contact:
Lucy Williams, Officer, Advocacy & Communications, Arts Council England,
Tel: 0117-989 7754, Email: