Fantastic news for Nottingham’s creative community as Sneinton’s Backlit Gallery is set to receive Arts Council funding to secure and develop their building.
Just behind Sneinton Market, the warehouses that used to be part of the area’s thriving manufacturing industry may seem quiet to the unassuming passerby. But behind the imposing Victorian brick walls, people of Nottingham are dancing, recording, practising martial arts, brewing local ale and creating art. Artist-led public gallery and studios Backlit is one such institution that has had its home in the area, and has been garnering an internationally renowned reputation since 2008.
This is one of many of Nottingham's thriving cultural institutions that have been put at risk by the City Council's Section 114 situation and budget cuts. You might think that the council selling off some of their assets to cover the funding gap might not be a big deal, but once these places are gone, they’re often gone forever. With new funding from Arts Council England, however, Backlit hopes to buy their building Alfred House and ensure many more years as a sanctuary and service to our creative community.
In a statement today, Backlit have announced they will receive £480,657 from Arts Council England, thanks to its government-funded Capital Investment Programme, and hope to use this award to purchase and re-develop their building, enhancing accessibility, sustainability, digital innovation and community engagement of the space. Awards from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme go towards building works and the purchase of equipment and other assets to improve access, seize on technological opportunities, and reduce environmental impact.
"Backlit is led by a LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent team,” Co-Directors of Backlit Matthew Chesney and Suzanne Golden explain. “Engaging and connecting with underrepresented groups within our communities is at the heart of what we do. This investment will allow for the building to belong not just to BACKLIT, but to the people.”
Having been tenants for thirteen years, we have deeply invested in preserving the building's unique heritage, which holds significant historical and cultural value locally, nationally, and internationally
The building, which was constructed in 1872, currently houses over 120 artists, collectives, and associate members. “Having been tenants for thirteen years, we have deeply invested in preserving the building's unique heritage, which holds significant historical and cultural value locally, nationally, and internationally, particularly in the realms of adult education, industry, and human rights. This rich and dynamic past is embedded in our future.”
Labour's Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome said Backlit had been ‘instrumental in widening access to the arts for Nottingham residents of all backgrounds’ and that she was ‘thrilled’ at the funding “which will help it to support even more emerging local artists and create welcoming spaces for our community to use.”
Since their inception, Backlit has supported local communities, schools and the public through their annual free programme of exhibitions, events, and workshops, presenting more than 100 national and international exhibitions, and continuing to support significant discussions around contemporary art.
Neelum Aftab, an artist and studio holder at BACKLIT, shares how BACKLIT furthered her art career and provided opportunities for working in the Nottingham community: "Backlit has been a stepping stone for my art career. It was the place where my art practice got recognition with wide options for further progression. Working as a studio artist I have run workshops for schoolchildren and community groups which has been a joyful experience for me."
The arts are all around us and have something to offer everyone at all levels; this isn’t merely paintings hung in galleries, but intricate set design on stages, music at our festivals, spaces to hold community workshops and studios where crafts can be honed. Most importantly, spaces like Backlit are where many communities are formed, places where anyone can come together and express themselves. Granting Backlit more autonomy over its building and its future, the funding is great news for the creative community and Nottingham as a whole, and we look forward to a bright future for the space.
To find out about the variety of exhibitions and workshops at Backlit visit backlit.org.uk
@backlitgallery
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