Havant arts centre plans exciting new projects as £47,000 funding boost announced

A HAVANT arts centre is set to receive tens of thousands of pounds in government funding.
Outside The SpringOutside The Spring
Outside The Spring

The Spring has been awarded £47,000 in the second round of the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, money that will support the centre’s work from April to June this year.

It will also contribute to the costs of reopening next month, when the centre team is looking forward to welcoming the community back through its doors.

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New projects at the centre are set to include a theatre show called Is Now A Good time, which is performed over the phone to audience’s homes, and an upcoming Signs of Solidarity exhibition.

Sophie Fullerlove, CEO of The SpringSophie Fullerlove, CEO of The Spring
Sophie Fullerlove, CEO of The Spring
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Sophie Fullerlove, The Spring’s CEO, said: ‘While our building has been sleeping for the last few months, the organisation certainly has not been!

‘In the last year, we have hosted 92 performances, workshops and events online, which have been enjoyed by over 3,500 people.

‘We have also delivered personalised poems over the phone, thanked lockdown heroes with our Signs of Solidarity project, continued to care for our museum collection, have kept in touch with our volunteers and partners and have been busy planning for the future.

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‘None of this would have been possible without the Culture Recovery Fund, so we are very grateful to the DCMS and Arts Council England for their support.’

The Spring, which originally closed in March 2020, has since only been open for 10 weeks due to restrictions.

Sophie added: ‘We can now move ahead with our reopening plans with the knowledge that we can restart events and activities in line with Covid secure regulations.

‘Social distancing sees our theatre seating capacity reduced by over 75 per cent and our workshop numbers halved. This means our activities are only possible with extra support.

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‘With this funding in place we can look forward to an entertaining summer of live performances, films and workshops.’

The Spring will be announcing their summer programme in the coming weeks.

Sir Nicholas Serota, chair of Arts Council England, said: ‘Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic.’

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