Cambridge Junction has been awarded over £1.9 million funding from Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation.
In an incredible vote of confidence in the city’s cultural programmes, Cambridge’s arts and cultural organisations have been awarded vital multi-year funding.
The announcement of the funding body’s National Portfolio Organisations for the next three years – 2023-2026 – includes Cambridge Junction being awarded £1,947,438 over the next three years.
Matt Burman, artistic director at Cambridge Junction, said the announcement "is a key stage" in the ongoing development of Cambridge Junction.
Matt added: "This genuinely significant award gives us tremendous confidence in further strengthening all the work we do and of which we are really proud, and delivering on our ambitions for the future.
"I’m incredibly grateful to Arts Council England for being such a crucial partner in all that we do. I want to thank our team and board for their passion, commitment and continued professionalism welcoming everyone who comes to Cambridge Junction.
"And a massive round of applause for our audiences and the fantastic young people with whom we work, and all our stakeholders and supporters who provide such vital funds for all that we do. We really couldn’t do this without you!”
Arts Council England’s partnership is vital to the ongoing delivery of Cambridge Junction’s core purpose – to share the power of live performance and creativity.
The next three years will see Cambridge Junction, in Clifton Way, establish its role as a centre of excellence for its work with young people with complex needs, engaging and delighting audiences from across the city and county, and continuing to be an inspiring platform and creative partner of choice for artists, musicians and performers from across the region.
As well as Cambridge Junction, two of the arts centre’s resident companies – New International Encounter (NIE) and Collusion – have also been successful in their applications to Arts Council England.
New International Encounter is an award-winning international and multilingual theatre company based at Cambridge Junction, with an office in Oslo and performers based across Europe.
Alex Byrne, artistic director of NIE, said: “We're really happy to have received this funding after some difficult years and during a time of challenge for everyone.
"We believe in the vital importance of culture and creativity in people’s lives as a way to reflect on the world and their community.
"This commitment of three years funding will help us to continue our work with young people in Cambridgeshire, particularly those who experience barriers to accessing arts and culture.
"We will use this funding to create inspiring and transforming theatre projects with and for young people and to share our joyful family shows with the biggest audiences possible”
Rachel Drury and Rich Hall, directors of Collusion, added: “We are over the moon to have received an offer from Arts Council England supporting Collusion and our work between April 2023 and March 2026.
"After the uncertainty of the last few years, this is a game-changing opportunity for us to consolidate and build on our creative tech focused work with artists and place-based activity in King's Lynn to achieve amazing things!
"We are excited to move forward with our partners and collaborators, and truly thank them for being with us on the journey so far."
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