Grassroots venues, theatres, artists and major cultural institutions will receive funding over the next three years...
Greater Manchester has announced more than £15 million of investment in culture over the next three years, with organisations across all 10 boroughs set to receive funding.
The Greater Manchester Culture Fund will provide just over £5 million each year between 2026 and 2029, supporting organisations ranging from grassroots music venues and community theatres to some of the city region’s larger cultural institutions.
Nine organisations are joining the Culture Fund portfolio for the first time, bringing work spanning youth engagement, disability arts, community music and grassroots cultural participation into the programme.
They include Rochdale-based production company Breaking Barriers, which will receive £40,000 a year, and Skylight Circus Arts, also based in Rochdale, which has secured £27,540 annually for its inclusive circus workshops.
In Wigan, documentary organisation Doc North has been awarded £42,000 a year, while grassroots music venue The Snug will receive £70,000.
Other first-time recipients include Trafford-based OT Creative Space and String of Hearts, alongside Reform Radio and Venture Arts in Manchester and Oldham’s Stand and Be Counted Theatre.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig said: “Shared cultural experiences are powerful opportunities to bring people together, create opportunities and build pride.
“We are investing more than £15 million for culture over the next three years, funding organisations of all shapes and sizes, in all 10 boroughs, so that everyone in Greater Manchester has access to an experience that speaks to them.
“Doorstep access to everything from theatre to live music, dance to documentary filmmaking, has the power to transform lives and shape communities. The Culture Fund is a key part of my commitment to putting things to do at the heart of our towns.”
Existing organisations including Oldham Coliseum, Bolton’s Octagon Theatre and HOME will also continue to receive support through the fund.
Karen O’Neill, CEO of HOME, said: “HOME is thrilled to be a recipient of GMCA’s Culture Fund, through which we’re able to attract more than 600,000 people from across Greater Manchester to engage with our cross-artform programmes both here at HOME and on their doorstep.
“This funding helps us reach under-served audiences across the region, engage up to 2,000 artists through our HOME Arches development studios, and work with over 100 schools across Greater Manchester, contributing positively to the health and wellbeing of residents, to our economy and to a thriving cultural scene in the North West.”
Roddy Gauld, CEO of Octagon Theatre Bolton, said: “We’re very proud and grateful to be part of GMCA’s Culture Fund portfolio. Greater Manchester has world-class cultural organisations, serving local communities and international audiences. This funding supports the Octagon’s ongoing work with young people, our health and wellbeing projects, the opportunities we provide for local artists, and the ambitious work we produce on stage, from local new writing to hit musicals.
“Every year people from across Bolton and the surrounding districts not only enjoy our cultural activities but benefit from the £10m of additional economic output the Octagon generates. As we approach our sixtieth anniversary next year and look to the years ahead, this investment will underpin future activities for residents and visitors to Bolton.”
The funding package also increases the annual Inspire Fund, providing smaller grants for freelance artists, creatives and smaller cultural organisations across Greater Manchester.
A new £100,000-a-year Structural Fund has also been established to support skills, leadership, partnerships and longer-term resilience across the cultural sector.
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