UEA and Arts Council England sign shared commitment to arts and culture in Norfolk
By: Communications
The University of East Anglia (UEA) and Arts Council England (ACE) has forged a new agreement to boost creativity, research and cultural activities in Norfolk with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Prof David Maguire, Vice Chancellor of the University of East Anglia (UEA), and Darren Henley CBE, Chief Executive of Arts Council England (ACE), signed the MOU on Tuesday 21 May at the Sainsbury Centre on the UEA campus.
Prof David Maguire, said:
“We are really excited to extend our work, forging an exciting new partnership to champion greater public engagement in the arts and culture, particularly in areas of historic underfunding, rural isolation and socioeconomic hardships.
“Helping Arts Council England with their agenda to deliver impact in key localities whilst also tackling wider issues such as climate change through the humanities is playing to UEA strengths, and we hope to help develop new national delivery templates through this new joint working.”
Norfolk is acknowledged as a thriving regional hub for the arts and creative industries, enriching lives and contributing to health and wellbeing. Over its 60-year history, UEA has developed a global reputation for creativity, climate science and health research amongst many disciplines.
Darren Henley CBE, said:
“Norfolk is home to a vibrant community of artists and cultural organisations, whose work is both ambitious and of the highest quality. The stories they tell have the power to change lives here for the better.
UEA performs an important role in Norfolk and on the national and international stage in training the next generation of creative practitioners and in generating world class research that drives forward innovation in our creative industries. The University is also an important partner for us in investing in culture with the aim of making Norfolk an even more attractive place to live, work and study.”
UEA and ACE recognise the importance of creativity and culture in place-making and developing a sense of belonging and will draw on UEA’s international research strengths to work together towards the following goals:
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Developing the creative economy and cultivating new opportunities to support Norfolk’s creative sectors to thrive.
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Providing education and training opportunities for children and young people keen to work in the creative industries.
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Supporting the cultural sector to respond to the climate crisis by drawing on UEA’s globally renowned climate and environmental research.
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Drawing on UEA’s health research and its radical rethinking of the role of the humanities in healthcare, UEA and ACE will collaborate with the cultural sector to inform health and wellbeing policies and practices and improve outcomes for people.
David Ellis, Director of Development and Campaigns at UEA, said:
“This is a very important new strategic partnership we are delighted to celebrate through this agreement, supporting our future joint working, and builds on years of Arts Council England support for our Sainsbury Centre, including a generous £325,000 grant for urgent glass repairs in 2022.
“UEA's strategic direction focuses on areas of recognised excellence; creativity, health and climate, whilst engaging communities through a new civic agenda. As we celebrate our 60th anniversary at UEA we are pleased to develop our partnership working to deliver wider benefits for the people of Norfolk and our many visitors.”
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