Art project aimed at boosting community confidence around Warwickshire towns gets cash boost

At their meeting this week (Thursday) cabinet members approved £150,000 of funding for the Art Challenge for Economic Recovery project with the money coming from a £20m fund set up earlier this year to provide opportunities to run initiatives to help tackle a range of issues including climate change and the economic recovery post Covid-19.

A cabinet report explained that the latest art project would link the county to events taking place in 2021.

It said: “The project aims to enliven and provide creative ways to support safe movement, social distancing and community confidence around our town centres and outdoor spaces, to encourage shoppers and visitors back to the high street and to support active travel.

“The project will also create linkages with initiatives being delivered as part of Coventry City of Culture, strengthening Warwickshire’s contribution to 2021 and to the celebration of art and culture in public spaces.”

Cabinet members backed the scheme along with a series of other projects previously approved under delegation to the council’s chief executive.

Cllr Les Caborn (Con, Budbrooke and Bishop’s Tachbrook), portfolio holder for adult social care and health, spoke in favour of the various projects.

He said: “We are well aware in public health about the effects of Covid on mental health. Art is a great medium for dealing with mental health and people’s isolation and gives them confidence.

“I know our staff have put a lot of work into these projects and I’m really pleased that we are able to move them forward for the benefit of our communities and particularly mental health. Everything we can do to help those troubled by Covid is exactly right.”

Council leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe (Con, Stour and the Vale) added: “These are exactly the sort of schemes that we should be supporting particularly now when we are trying to recover the economy, trying to get people back into our communities and particularly trying to help people with their mental health at times like this.”