These awards celebrate the unsung heroes of Local Authorities who are championing the arts, often within a climate of severe financial challenges.
Good numbers of nominations were received for each of the four award categories: Best Local Authority Arts Initiative, Best Local Authority Arts Project Encouraging Community Cohesion, Best Local Authority Arts Champion – Councillor, and Best Local Authority Arts Champion – Officer.
The shortlist was judged by representatives from some of this year’s partners in the awards: Culture Counts, Local Government Association, National Campaign for the Arts, UK Theatre and Voluntary Arts Wales.
Samuel West, Chair of the National Campaign for the Arts, said:
‘We are always inspired by the efforts of local authorities and councillors to bring the arts to their communities in exciting new ways. In increasingly difficult times for local arts funding, these people and projects become all the more extraordinary. I am so happy that Hearts For The Arts is able to celebrate the creativity, ingenuity and tenacity of those on this year’s shortlists.’
The full shortlist:
Best Local Authority Arts Initiative
- Breckland Council: The Silver Social
- London Borough of Newham: Building Futures London Festival of Architecture Arts Award
- Torbay Council: Torbay Tattoo Tales
- Wakefield Council: Art in Mind
Best Local Authority Arts Project Encouraging Community Cohesion
- Essex County Council: Creative Journeys
- Middlesbrough Council: Erimus
- Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council: 1245 Sunflowers
Best Local Authority Arts Champion – Councillor
- Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council: Terri Reid
- Middlesbrough Council: David Budd
- Norfolk County Council: Margaret Dewsbury
- Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council: Rhys Lewis
Best Local Authority Arts Champion – Officer
- Durham County Council: Terry Collins
- Kirklees Council: Kath Davies
- Kirklees Council: Kirstie Wilson
- Stockon-on-Tees Borough Council: Neil Schneider
The winners of the Hearts For The Arts Awards 2019 will be announced on Valentine’s Day, Thursday 14 February. The winners will be selected from the shortlist by a panel of key arts industry experts and practitioners, including:
- Samira Ahmed: journalist, writer and broadcaster
- Les Dennis: actor, comedian, television presenter and NCA Champion
- Jude Kelly: producer, director, founder of Women of the World Festivals and The WOW Foundation, ex-Artistic Director of The Southbank Centre
- Kwame Kwei-Armah: playwright, director, Artistic Director of the Young Vic Theatre
- Lorna Lee: Head of Culture & Heritage Services, London Borough of Waltham Forest, and Winner of the 2018 Hearts for the Arts Awards for Best Local Authority Arts Champion – Officer
- Samuel West: actor, director and Chair of the National Campaign for the Arts
Hearts for the Arts is a National Campaign for the Arts initiative.
Delivered by UK Theatre
In partnership with Culture Counts, Local Government Association, Theatre NI, Voluntary Arts Wales, Wales Council for Voluntary Action and What Next?
