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School of Arts & Creative Industries

MIMA’S investment in connecting art, people and ideas acknowledged through continued Arts Council England funding

04 November 2022

 

Vital work by MIMA (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art) in social impact and connecting communities though the arts will continue with funding from Arts Council England.

It was announced today that, as a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO). MIMA, part of Teesside University, will receive Arts Council England (ACE) funding totalling £1,560,465 over the next three years to enable it to deliver its internationally renowned programme of exhibitions and community engagement.

MIMA’s pioneering work to use art to empower people and make a positive contribution to society has seen it firmly established as a key part of the North’s cultural landscape.

Since 2018, when the last NPO awards were announced, MIMA has helped to attract millions of pounds of funding to the region while significantly contributing to Teesside University’s mission as an anchor institution for the Tees Valley and a driver for social inclusion.

Furthermore, reflecting MIMA's role as a catalyst for regional growth, Arts Council England’s announcement today confirms that the Tees Valley as a whole has seen a major increase in funding with arts and culture organisations across the region receiving a total uplift of more than 60%.

MIMA 1 Download Continued funding from ACE will allow MIMA to build upon and further develop recent ambitious initiatives. Projects in development include an extended artistic programme with ambitious exhibitions and commissions supporting and showcasing artists working internationally and in the Tees Valley. The organisation plans to consolidate sector-leading work with local communities and to continue with its commitment as a changemaker in the creative field.

Recent highlights include the award of £4.25m from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, delivered through ACE’s Cultural Development Fund as part of an investment in Middlesbrough which sees cultural projects at MIMA, Central Library, Middlesbrough Railway Station and The Auxiliary realise ambitions to support Middlesbrough as the most creative town in the UK. MIMA was also successful in securing funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, making the extraordinary Middlesbrough Collection more accessible for the public and researchers. The Collection comprises 2,350 works of art and craft made by artists based in the Tees Valley and internationally from the 1870s to today.

As well as holding the town’s artworks, MIMA has a dynamic public programme and seasonal exhibitions which form an important part of the Tees Valley’s tourism offer, drawing an average 89,000 annually since opening. The gallery and museum works closely with some of the most influential artists working internationally such as Sonia Boyce, RA OBE, who is currently representing Britain at the Venice Biennale – as well as investing in the Tees Valley’s creative infrastructure and artists through commissions, acquisitions and support. The organisation works through deep relationships with its local communities to develop a wide range of activities with communities and a dedicated learning programme with local families, schools and young people, engaging 10,000 people annually through sessions.

This latest award is deserved acknowledgement of the important role MIMA plays in our communities and will enable it to continue to deliver vibrant and inspiring programmes that bring in visitors from far and wide.

Councillor Stephen Hill, Executive member for Culture & Communities, Middlesbrough Council

As a part of Teesside University, MIMA enjoys a close relationship with the School of Arts & Creative Industries, within which it is a cultural hub and creative resource providing opportunities for students to access real-world briefs and experiences. At the same time, MIMA offers a forum for members of the wider community to interface with the higher education sector. This pioneering approach has seen MIMA and Teesside University cited as exemplars in the way in which the arts can work with the higher education sector to drive community impact.

An example of this relationship can be seen by the University and MIMA launching the UK’s first Higher Degree Apprenticeship and MA in Curating, which offers people from all backgrounds an accessible route into employment in the museum sector.

Laura Sillars, Dean of the School of Arts & Creative Industries and Director of the MIMA, said: “We have built a high calibre programme of activity for the next five years which offers rich cultural value to our local communities, to the region and internationally.

“We are extremely happy that our work has been recognised as locally, nationally and internationally relevant.

“Furthermore, we are delighted that the collaborative creative working environment across the Tees Valley has been recognised.

“MIMA has worked closely with partners across the Tees Valley over the last few years and welcomes the more than 60% uplift to established networks and the creation of new NPOs.”

Professor Mark Simpson, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) and Chair of MIMA’s Oversight Board, said: “Investment from Arts Council England reflects MIMA's work with communities and publics.

"The Let's Create strategy is embedded into the organisation and we are grateful to all of our funders for their ongoing support.”

Councillor Stephen Hill, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive member for Culture & Communities, said: “MIMA has long been at the heart of cultural life in Middlesbrough and the wider Tees Valley, but that can only be maintained with the right investment.

“This latest award is deserved acknowledgement of the important role MIMA plays in our communities and will enable it to continue to deliver vibrant and inspiring programmes that bring in visitors from far and wide.”


In the News

All-important funding for Teesside arts organisations
Evening Gazette, p.2, Print and Web, 05/11/2022
Teesside is about to benefit from a step change in Arts Council England investment.


Art and culture gets funding boost
Northern Echo, p.2, Print and Web, 05/11/2022
Arts and culture venues across the North East have been given a much-needed boost from £1.3million of extra funding to support some of the region's biggest arts organisations.


Why arts and culture across the North East will get a £3m boost
Yahoo! UK and Ireland, Web, 05/11/2022
Arts and culture venues across the North East have been given a much-needed boost from £1.3million of extra funding to support some of the region's biggest arts organisations.


Arts Council's £3.3m boost to Tees region's culture sector
Tees Business, Web, 04/11/2022
The cash uplift will make the region's culture scene more representative and accessible – with a number of these organisations now working together to help improve the sector.


£383 million new funding for the North
Arts Council England, Web, 04/11/2022
This investment builds on the work done to strengthen the North's cultural sector in previous years.

 
 
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