Arts in Slough to be given a boost thanks to Arts Council funding

A huge boost is to be given to the arts in Slough according to the CEO of an Asian theatre company which has secured over £600,000 in Arts Council England funding. 

Pravesh Kumar, who founded Rifco Arts in 1999, was part of the team which successfully applied for the arts council's creative people and places programme, which is designed to help communities fuel local art projects.

Pravesh, CEO and artistic director of Rifco, said: "Our application looked at how we will actually engage with the community in Slough.

"We made a short film with our partners using some Slough artists, who went around the town talking to the community.

"We wanted to say that they are the people who will benefit."

Now the funding has been secured a consortium will be formed which will decide what will happen with the money over the next three years.

Representatives from the British Asian theatre company along with partners Slough Borough Council, YES (Youth Engagement Slough), Creative Junction CIC, Aik Saath, Resource Productions, SWIPE and Arts Council England will be part of the group who will decide how the £625,000 will be spent.

Pravesh, who lives in Slough town centre, believes the money will help make arts accessible to everyone.

The 43-year-old said: "As a Slough-based artist myself I want to encourage new and emerging artists and I think the funding will give art in the town a huge boost.

"It will help to secure some great projects and give art a voice."

One main problem for Slough is it often loses out to London and other surrounding areas as artists migrate to the capital.

But Pravesh is hoping the new consortium and the upcoming opening of The Curve next year will help bring people back.

He added: "This is a great time for Slough."

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