Nuffield Theatre funding uplift

Lancaster University’s Nuffield Theatre has received a financial boost from Arts Council England North West.

The £163,000 grant, which will support a new two-year programme of work, was made in recognition of recent achievements at the Nuffield in commissioning and supporting established and emerging artists.

Nuffield Director Matt Fenton said the grant was particularly welcome in a context of standstill funding for many arts organisations.

He said: “We’re delighted with the news. This will enable us to deliver local arts projects and commission the research and development of new experimental theatre and dance. It will also mean we can work more and more at a nationally significant level.”

Projects and Artist Support Officer Alice Booth, whose post is made possible by Arts Council England funding said: “It’s clear from the Arts Council uplift that they are pleased with our achievements in the last year, and that they are aware that we have worked really hard to make it all happen. We have lots of projects lined up for the next couple of years and loads of ideas about how to keep developing the Nuffield. It is a really exciting time.”

The Nuffield is currently completing a three-year Arts Council England commissioning and artist support programme. Recent Nuffield work ranges from new work commissions and support for five young theatre companies to community projects such as ‘Relative’ – a project working with grandparents and grandchildren from Lancaster and Morecambe.

Projects currently in the pipeline include a contemporary dance show for the under 7’s from choreographer Charlotte Vincent; Making Money, a new Nuffield bursary scheme; a programme of dance development for young disabled people; and So Low, a season of solo performances.

The Nuffield Theatre now forms part of the University’s recently-created Institute for the Contemporary Arts. The Institute brings together three university departments - Art, Music, and Theatre Studies - with public arts provision at Lancaster - the Peter Scott Gallery, Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster International Concert Series and the Ruskin Library.