East London arts organisations receive millions in funding

The amount is more than all the organisations in neighbouring councils Waltham Forest and Havering received put together.

Grime DJs, fire breathers and a wood and metal workshop are among those to benefit from the funding announced for the three boroughs on October 12.

The grants were distributed by Arts Council England as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

Arts Council England chairman Sir Nicholas Serota said: “Further funding will be announced later in the month and we are working hard to support creative organisations and individuals during these challenging times.

The Independent reported that organisations that received funds were told they must “credit the fund and mention the Government’s ‘Here for Culture’ campaign on social media”.

Redbridge

In Redbridge four organisations received a collective total of £1,394,644.

The largest amount, £588,279, went to Arts Services Grants Ltd, which owns SPACE Ilford on Oakfield Road, runs 20 studios in London and Colchester and supports artists.

Another large sum of £547,565 was awarded to Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure, a charity partnered with the council that manages six of the borough’s cultural spaces.

Vision is in charge of the Kenneth More Theatre, Redbridge Music Service, the Redbridge Museum and more, as well as gyms, libraries and parks.

Invasion Angels, which supplies “fire breathers, stilt walkers and dance acts of all kinds” to the late night industry, received £188,800 in funding

The final grant of £70,000 went to Chaplins Entertainment Ltd, which puts on pantomimes and describes itself as “the UK's leading touring children's entertainment company”.

Waltham Forest

Six organisations in Waltham Forest split a total of £493,425 in recovery funding between them.

The largest amount of £169,500 went to Leyton-based LVE Foundation, which provides free drama, dance and singing classes to young people.

A grant of £89,495 went to Pishter Ltd, a promotion agency for events featuring music from central and eastern European countries.

Artillery, which runs the Walthamstow Garden Party, the E17 Art Trail and other projects, received a grant of £68,803.

LGBT+ collective Sink the Pink, which has put on shows around the UK and in countries like Australia and Singapore, received a grant of £60,627 in this first round of funding.

Grime DJs and music producers Elijah and Skilliam, who founded the independent music label Butterz, received £55,000 in funding.

The smallest amount of £50,000 went to Blackhorse Workshop CIC, which describes itself as a fully equipped, public access wood and metal workshop.

Havering

Havering received by far the smallest share of the first round of funding, with only one organisation in the whole borough receiving a grant.

The Havering Theatre Trust, which runs the 507-seat Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch, received £245,000 in funding.

The council’s website says more than 200,000 people enjoy the theatre’s work every year, either by coming to shows or participating in its education and outreach programme.

Did you apply for a Culture Recovery Grant and not receive one? Get in touch with our reporter at victoria.munro@newsquest.co.uk.

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