London Olympics legacy charity gives cash boost for Coventry City of Culture

Spirit of 2012, the London 2012 legacy charity, has awarded £200,000 to the Coventry City of Culture Trust to help it develop its plans for 2021.

The grant will fund four associate producer roles, as well as the training and development of four volunteer community evaluators who will begin the task of monitoring the progress and impact of the City of Culture year.

The associate producers will be based in one of four local organisations: Grapevine, an advocacy and support service for those in need; the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre; Positive Youth Foundation, a service provider for young people; and the Central England Law Centre, based in Coventry.

Each producer will work with service users and leaders to develop community-led, inclusive artistic responses to Coventry’s City of Culture programme.

“We’re really excited by Coventry’s vision for 2021: an arts and culture programme made for and by everyone in the city,” says Debbie Lye, Spirit of 2012 chief executive.

“Coventry’s drive to represent, include and excite a modern, diverse and youthful Britain chimes with our own funding mission, and we’re delighted to be on board from the start of what promises to be a thrilling journey.

“We were also a principle funder of Hull City of Culture 2017, joining the programme in its earliest stages, and we learned a great deal about how City of Culture impacts on individuals, organisations and whole communities. The key is inclusion: and this grant is designed to support the Coventry team as it puts that at the heart of all its plans.”

Martin Sutherland, chief executive for the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “Receiving this grant from Spirit of 2012 will provide a fantastic boost to our ongoing work with our communities, and is a real endorsement of our vision and mission.”