DORSET Council has announced it will continue to invest more than £125,000 every year to support an arts development service and enable arts, heritage and cultural organisations to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

The Arts Development Company (ADC) has been successful in winning a competitive tender process to deliver an arts development service on behalf of the council.

The contract will cover a five-year period and the council will continue to invest £126,942 per year, which is the same level of funding as the previous contract.

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The council have said that the funding will enable the ADC to provide a strategic service that will support the arts sector to enable it to recover from the impacts of the pandemic. Another major role over the next five years will be to ensure the newly adopted five-year Dorset Cultural Strategy successfully achieves its ambitions for Dorset.

The Cultural Strategy has been developed in collaboration with stakeholders to set out a united direction for Dorset. It aims to make culture more inclusive, accessible and visible for everyone in Dorset. It will involve working closely with Dorset Council, town and parish councils and all cultural organisations, creative practitioners, strategic partners, and funders. It aims to connect culture to other sectors, including tourism, education, environment, and health to benefit communities and the local economy.

Cllr Laura Miller, Portfolio Holder for Customer and Community Services, said: “We want our communities to help to shape and feel proud of Dorset’s arts, heritage and cultural offer, so that culture becomes woven into everyday life as an entitlement and not a privilege.

“We look forward to working with The Arts Development Company to deliver the ambitious Cultural Strategy for Dorset. Their expertise will help to increase our opportunities for securing new investment into Dorset and maximise the value of the council’s own investment.”

Hazel Province, Chair of the Arts Development Company, said: “We are thrilled to continue to deliver this service on behalf of Dorset Council, offering support to Dorset’s arts and cultural organisations.

“We look forward to working with the council and stakeholders on its exciting Cultural Strategy, which will directly benefit Dorset’s communities, visitors, and the local economy and play a key part in the recovery of our sector.”

The ADC provide targeted advice, guidance, and funding support to strengthen the arts and culture sector. It will continue to work with partners across the creative and public sectors to develop solutions that transform people, place and community, sharing learning and data insights with all cultural partners.