De La Warr Pavilion scoops more than £2 million of funding

ACE announced its funding decisions in East Sussex this week, with the DLWP lined up to receive £508,430 per year from 2018 to 2022.

This represents a standstill at the current level of funding to the DLWP as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO).

A spokesman for the DLWP said: “This award is a recognition of the strength of our work, producing excellent arts and culture our audiences, visitors and participants want and deserve.

“It is a commitment to our belief that by putting artists and audiences at the heart of what we do, we can produce innovative and integrated cultural programmes that are accessible and relevant to the diverse communities that we serve. We aim to create opportunities, drive aspirations and reflect the thinking and ideas of the world in which we live.

“This award reinforces the value of our partnership with Rother District Council, who through a bold seven-year funding agreement, recognise our impact on social cohesion, health and wellbeing, the visitor economy, tourism and regeneration.”

Stewart Drew, director and CEO of the De La Warr, said: “The Pavilion was conceived as a democratic space for culture and recreation in 1935 and is now a vibrant hub for a wide and diverse community to experience and enjoy exhibitions, events and entertainment in an iconic modernist building by the sea.

“This award will allow us to continue to present programmes and activities that are within the original spirit, accessible and relevant to all. The core funding we receive from ACE and Rother District Council gives us the financial stability that will allow us to work towards fundraising for a future capital campaign for the preservation of this Grade One Listed modernist masterpiece.”

The De La Warr received 410,000 visits from April 2016 to March 2017 and 43,000 tickets were sold for auditorium events, growing audiences aged 16-34 – a reflection on the increasingly diverse programme and building of new opportunities to engage young people.

The DLWP’s Learning and Participation programme engaged over 4,300 children, young people and families, with over 4,000 people taking part in activities aimed at older people, those living with a disability and those who live in low socio-economic areas.

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