Foyle Foundation awards £125,000 to Coventry 2021

Coventry City of Culture Trust has received a six-figure grant to support its work in the development and growth of the city’s artists, creative companies, and cultural leadership.

The Foyle Foundation has awarded the Trust a grant of £125,000 to support its creative commissions and collaborations in the run up to and during Coventry’s years as UK City of Culture.

The Foundation is an independent grant-making Trust that distributes funds to UK charities and is a major funder of the arts and education.  The Foundation also operates a community small grants programme and a national school library improvement scheme.

Since its formation in 2001 it has awarded more than £115 million in grants across the country.

The grant awarded to the Coventry City of Culture Trust has helped to support local arts-based organisations with production costs to deliver their most ambitious projects during Coventry 2021, with events and projects such as, Castaway by Highly Sprung and In Touch by Ascension Dance, announced over the past 12 months.

It will also help Coventry-based organisations working on collaborative projects with the Trust to connect with new audiences and potential partners, using Coventry UK City of Culture as a catalyst for sustainable growth.

Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “We are delighted have the support of the Foyle Foundation.

“This funding has helped us to continue our work with local creative companies as they get ready to take part in Coventry’s spotlight year.”

 

ABOUT COVENTRY UK CITY OF CULTURE 2021

Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 will commence on 15 May 2021, running for 12 months. The 365-day cultural programme will reflect Coventry as a diverse, modern city, demonstrating that culture is a force that changes lives. Coventry is known internationally as a city of welcome, a city of activists and pioneers, peace and reconciliation, innovation, and invention, and now a City of Culture.

Coventry is the city where movement began, from innovation in the transport industry to a history of welcome, it has moved people for centuries. For a whole year, Coventry will celebrate with events, music, dance, theatre, and large-scale spectacle. As well as these big celebrations, it will show its unexpected side, with more intimate experiences and ways to get involved in every neighbourhood. And it’s not just Coventry. This epic celebration will also witness the entire region getting involved and benefitting from the opportunities that being City of Culture brings.

It will be co-created with the people of Coventry and bring about long-term social, economic and cultural benefits.

Coventry UK City of Culture 2021’s Principal Partners are Coventry City Council, West Midlands Combined Authority, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Warwickshire County Council, Spirit of 2012, Coventry University and the University of Warwick. Its Major Partners are Coventry Building Society and Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Its Regional Partners are the National Lottery Community Fund and Ricoh Arena/Wasps. Its City Champions are Coventry College, Garfield Weston Foundation, Orbit Group and Pet-Xi. Its International Partner is the British Council.