STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
We have been working to find solutions to the Trust’s financial challenges and to secure the future of the Trust’s legacy programme, including The Reel Store. Despite the efforts of all involved, we have made the incredibly difficult decision to move to the appointment of administrators today.
We know that this news is devasting for many, particularly for team members and partners. We are also regretful of the impact this will have on the organisations and businesses involved.
We are grateful for the support of partners, funders and audiences, from the initial bidding stage through to today. Without the support of these people, we would not have been able to deliver the extraordinary yearlong celebration of City of Culture 2021. That wonderful year was delivered against all odds, and we could not be more proud of the City.
We have not been able to find a solution to secure the future of the Trust. However, we have continued to work closely with those who had pledged legacy funding, to try to protect those funds for the city and its cultural organisations. Details of these arrangements are not finalised, but we expect this to be clearer in the next few weeks.
Although the Trust’s activities have come to an end earlier than anticipated, Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture has had a huge impact on the city and its positive influence will be felt for many, many years to come. The legacy includes increased levels of civic pride, volunteering, and active citizenship, transformed public realm and cultural facilities and a strengthened and more connected cultural sector.
Creating the legacy of Coventry City of Culture has been a shared endeavour and we know that the City will continue to build on the impact of the title well beyond the existence of the Trust.
Lastly, we would like to ask for kindness towards the staff team at this incredibly difficult time. We thank them for their incredible commitment, ingenuity, and achievements in delivering an extraordinary programme of activity at an unprecedented time.
The Trustees do not intend to comment further at this time. Once appointed, the Joint Administrators will issue a further statement.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Further details on the programme and impact of Coventry City of Culture can be found within the many evaluation reports: Monitoring and Evaluation - Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 (coventry2021.co.uk)
QUOTES FROM FUNDERS
A spokesperson from The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We are saddened by the news regarding Coventry City of Culture Trust. We worked closely with the Trust on the Green Futures programme, successfully engaging and connecting communities in Coventry with nature, landscape and parks around them. Our £3million funding enabled Coventry 2021 to give its communities the opportunity to become greener and more environmentally conscious. It raised the bar for Cities of Culture, supporting over 170 partners and artists and reaching an audience of over 150,000 people with its green initiatives. We hope a way forward can be found for the Trust and would be happy to work with the City Council and others to support the legacy arising from Coventry City of Culture.”
Moira Sinclair, Chief Executive, Paul Hamlyn Foundation said: “We are understandably disappointed for the staff, partners and practitioners involved in the work of the Trust and for the audiences and participants who have enjoyed the arts and culture they produced. Coventry delivered such a successful year as City of Culture and the legacy of that will be harder to achieve as a result of this news. We are working closely with other partners to explore options for funding in the future, to help sustain the legacy of place-based cultural investment in Coventry.”
Ruth Hollis, CEO, Spirit of 2012 said: “The Spirit of 2012 Board and executive team are deeply saddened by today’s news. We are extremely proud to have funded the Caring City programme led by Coventry City of Culture Trust as part of Coventry UK City of Culture. The evidence from across the projects demonstrates the difference they’ve made in widening the reach of City of Culture, and engaging people that might otherwise be excluded from large scale events. Our subsequent legacy grant was awarded to ensure that this fantastic work and community engagement could continue after the City of Culture year closed, and the recent Cosy Creative project showed the potential impact and the need for this work to continue.”
Skinder Hundal, Director of Arts at the British Council said: “We are saddened to hear of the news regarding Coventry City of Culture Trust and are thinking of the those who will be negatively affected. Coventry has used the City of Culture to strengthen its international links as well as improve sustainability, tourism and heritage, helping to make the city an attractive place to live and work. I’m sure the impact could well be felt for many years to come.
“We look forward to continuing our longstanding support of UK Cities of Culture with Bradford for 2025 as a chance to celebrate a city’s unique qualities and showcase its cultural life to the rest of the world.”
