Worcester to get share of £20m cultural fund

Worcester has been named as one of five locations across England that will receive a share of £20m to invest in local culture, heritage and creative industries and help drive economic growth.

The Cultural Development Fund (CDF) has been launched by the Government and will provide Worcester, along with Grimsby and Wakefield, the Thames Estuary and Plymouth, with funding for local cultural plans.

The government said it expects that the funding will create more than 1,300 new jobs, benefit 2,000 people through skills training, and support more than 700 businesses.

Through match-funding, an additional £17.5m will be invested across the five locations.

The CDF aims to use investment in heritage, culture and creativity as a catalyst for regeneration.

Each area has designed plans to strengthen the local arts sector, increase cultural access and provide greater opportunity for people to forge creative careers.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright said: “Creativity, arts and heritage make our towns and cities unique and our communities better places to live.

“The Cultural Development Fund will support tailored local plans that use culture to create jobs, boost tourism and ultimately regenerate communities.

“This is an incredible opportunity that will not only help people build careers in the arts and culture locally but also boost wider investment and diversify the creative economy.

Wright will confirm the new funding as part of a major speech in Coventry today – the next UK City of Culture in 2021 – on the value of culture to the individual, communities and the nation as a whole.

The CDF, announced in the Creative Industries Sector Deal last year, marks a step change in how the government is investing in culture. It aims to increase access to arts, heritage and the creative industries while also boosting the local economy by attracting more visitors to each area and supporting the growth of new businesses.

The fund was launched off the back of the success of Hull as UK City of Culture 2017.

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