We are thrilled to announce that The Old Courts has successfully secured funding from Arts Council England’s 2023-26 Investment Round and will be joining the National Portfolio of Organisations from April 2023.

Arts Council England’s National Portfolio of Organisations [NPOs] includes hundreds of creative and cultural organisations from across the country. Each one receives three years of investment to ensure that people and communities everywhere can benefit from access to creativity and culture in line with their 2020-30 strategy, “Let’s Create”.

The Old Courts will receive a total investment of £1,050,000(£350,000 per year) to continue collaborating with our community to deliver a wide range of creative and cultural activities across Wigan.

 This investment will enable us to:  

• Bring a wide range of world-class artists & companies to create incredible performances for Wigan audiences.
• Provide ‘turn-key’ space, production, business & fundraising support that develops local artists, producers and grassroots organisations in Wigan and Greater Manchester;
• Invest in and create a brand-new digital community radio programme, connecting our borough’s creative passions and interests digitally;
• Lead and contribute to the place-based partnerships (such as Local Access, Wigan Arts Festival) that ensure our cultural activities directly contribute to positive local social and economic outcomes for our borough.

“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of so many people, today we can say that Wigan is a place that presents an amazing range of cultural opportunities for its communities. Receiving National Portfolio status from Arts Council England puts Wigan on the map as a place of cultural significance. Investment at this level will keep some incredibly talented local people in creative jobs, and fuel our collective momentum going for the next three years to make brilliant things happen in this borough. Together, we will reaffirm Wigan as a vibrant, relevant and aspirational centre of arts and culture.” – David Jenkins, Managing Director, The Old Courts