Worthing Arts Council Secures Funding
Worthing Arts Council is a network of arts organisations and keen individuals. With members like Worthing Music & Arts Festival, the Textile Arts Forum, the Sunny Worthing Arts Group and Worthing High School, it represents an estimated 10,000 people of every age involved in arts activity in the town.
After successfully lobbying Worthing Borough Council, it secured funding for the Ice Prince Arts Festival in January this year, and has secured a further £10,000 to develop a programme of activity around a redeveloped Splash Point.
The landmark on Worthing's promenade is about to be redesigned, with half a million pounds secured by the Worthing Regeneration team from the CABE, the government's advisor on architecture, urban environment and public space. Worthing Regeneration have launched a public competition to design the space, and Worthing Arts Council is represented on the judging panel by artist Debbie Zoutewelle.
In addition, the funding includes £10,000 for Worthing Arts Council to devise a year-long programme of activity at the redesigned Splash Point. Plans are being drawn up for how the funding will be distributed to members.
The funding was announced at Worthing Arts Council's annual general meeting at Worthing's Gordon Room, when a record turnout of members had a chance to quiz members of the Worthing Regeneration team.
Worthing Arts Council also announced a raft of measures aimed to increase arts audiences in the town, and a competition amongst members to design a new website for the organisation.
Local cafe owner Stefan Sykes was elected chairman, with artist Dan Thompson as his deputy and stained glass artist Chris Brown as membership secretary. Writer and local magazine editor Wendy Greene is general secretary.
“It's been grand being chairman this year,” said Stef Sykes, “and if we do one thing this next year, it's to improve communication between ourselves and arts audiences.”
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