Arts and culture projects get £4.6m funding boost

Appetite in Stoke-on-Trent, which organises The Big Feast, will receive £1m in funding

Five projects in the West Midlands have been awarded a share of £4.6m of funding in a bid to boost participation in arts and culture.

Creative Black Country, Reimagine Redditch, Outside in Staffordshire, Appetite in Stoke-on-Trent and Rooted in Nuneaton and Bedworth will each receive hundreds of thousands of pounds from Arts Council England.

The money has been awarded as part of the body's Creative People and Places (2026-29) portfolio, which aims to support communities in putting on cultural activities in their areas.

Arts Council England said it would help to deliver more experiences in the region, where involvement in arts and culture "is below the national average".

Liz Johnson, Midlands area director at Arts Council England, said the funding would help "bring organisations and communities together" to shape cultural activities.

The five West Midlands projects have received the following amounts:

• Creative Black Country - £1m

• Appetite - £1m

• Outside - £975,000

• Reimagine Redditch - £900,000

• Rooted in Nuneaton and Bedworth - £750,000

Rachel Adams, director at Appetite, said she was "overjoyed" at the funding announcement.

"It means Appetite can continue to engage and listen to communities and create impactful, incredible events and experiences in Stoke-on-Trent over the next three years," she added.

Laura Worsfold, chief executive officer of Severn Arts, the lead organisation behind the Reimagine Redditch project, said the money would allow them to produce an "engaging programme for everyone to take part in and enjoy".