A leading organisation which supports and funds creative projects has visited Reading as part of a nationwide tour.
The Arts Council is a development agency for creativity and culture in England.
Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England visited the town where he was hosted by councillor Glenn Dennis (Labour, Kentwood), the mayor of Reading, and other borough councillors.
Giving an overview of the meeting, a Reading Borough Council spokesperson said: "The council was delighted to host Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, alongside other dignitaries as part of the Arts Council's tour of locations across the UK.
“Darren Henley previously visited Reading in 2016.
“This revisit is testament to the achievements of Reading's arts community and the Council’s ambition to further enhance what is already a thriving local scene."
The Arts Council is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Funding it provides Reading Borough Council has enabled a number of projects, including the successful Water Fest held this June.
The spokesperson explained: “Confidence in Reading is demonstrated by the Arts Council's investment in the town’s arts community: in the last two years alone local groups have secured over £4.4million of Arts Council funding through a combination of grants to the council for distribution locally and successful project-based bids including Water Fest, Reading Rep in Libraries, and the Cultural Education Partnership."
The visit took place on Friday, October 11.
The spokesperson added: “The visit included a roundtable meeting hosted by CultureMix Arts with representatives from key cultural organisations in the borough.
“Cllr Liz Terry (Labour, Coley), leader of Reading Borough Council, cllr Dennis, deputy mayor cllr Mpofu-Coles (Labour, Whitley) and relevant council officers also attended.
“They emphasised the community benefits of arts investment including the role the local cultural scene plays in closing health inequalities, a key priority for Reading Borough Council, and in promoting social cohesion.
“We look forward to many more years of working closely with the Arts Council to benefit our town.”
Culture Mix Arts is an international music and carnival arts company that also has artist development programmes.
October is Black History Month in the UK, with a number of events being held in Reading providing opportunities for learning. A programme is available on the What's On Reading website.
A series of events are also taking place for the Reading International Festival that runs until Sunday, November 10.
The programme involves a series of exhibitions and talks, with subjects addressing 'green spirituality', a celebration of 30 years of the town being twinned by San Francesco Libre in Nicaragua, and the quest for peace in the escalating Israel-Palestine conflict.
You can find the programme on the Reading International Solidarity Centre website.
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