We were relieved and delighted to have our 2018 – 2022 NPO funding confirmed yesterday. While that’s worthy of celebration, we’ve been reflecting on how remarkable it is that our building is now host to a total of nine NPOs. We’ve also been loving seeing brilliant organisations around England expressing their delight and relief on social media!
The Nine
The Family Arts Campaign has become a brand new NPO as a Sector Support Organisation. It’s a consortium of ten organisations, led by the Albany since April 2016, and one of only a small number of new Sector Support Organisations announced within ACE’s NPO structure.
The Family Arts Campaign’s role as an NPO is to work to help deliver ACE’s national priorities under Goal 2: giving everyone the opportunity to experience and be inspired by the arts, museums and libraries.
Leading the campaign feels like a perfect fit for us, especially having launched A Theatre Trip For Every Child, Lewisham last week – a campaign to provide a free theatre trip for every 5 year old in the borough.
The Albany are also now home to seven remarkable National Portfolio Organisations who are resident organisations, based in our Deptford building. They are Heart n Soul, Entelechy Arts, Spread The Word, Spare Tyre, Apples and Snakes, Kali Theatre and brand new NPO, Yellow Earth.
They’re a diverse bunch, each with a distinct mission and contribution to make across art forms, audiences, participant groups and artist development. They all share one thing – brilliant, dedicated and passionate people working at all sector levels to champion accessible arts.
We feel so privileged to share our building with them, have partnerships with many and get to witness their superb work on a daily basis.
Oh, and we’re the ninth – the Albany.
Thank you Arts Council England for helping this corner of south east London to make waves locally, nationally and beyond.
By Kate Farrell
The Albany, Deptford 