News on HS2 in Warwickshire

Warwick Arts Centre has been successful in its bid to our Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and has secured £250,000 towards its Warwick 20:20 project.

Based within the main campus of the University of Warwick in Coventry, the project involves relocating the Mead Gallery and replacing the existing cinema with new state-of-the-art facilities. The upgraded venue will offer the opportunity for the public to engage with Warwick Arts Centre as a community hub for the arts in a range of ways, including volunteering, participating in programmes and projects and attending events.

The grant will help transform the entrance and foyer and replace blockwork with large expanses of glass to create a light, engaging and welcoming space for visitors, creating a new three screen cinema where a diverse range of films can be shown, and also relocating the Mead Gallery from the first floor to the ground floor, improving visibility and accessibility.

Accessibility will be enhanced through new accessible toilets, a gender neutral toilet and the installation of an evacuation lift. The building will also be environmentally sustainable, with the introduction of LED lighting, improved heat recovery and a connection to the district heat network, reducing carbon emissions.

The new Arts Centre is a major statement of investment in the arts that will last for decades to come. Communities and audiences will be able to experience the works of contemporary international, national, regional and local artists through more than 2,500 individual events and performances each year.

To celebrate the opening of Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture, this summer Warwick Arts Centre will be presenting some events to kick-start a year of big moments for the city. Social distancing measures will be in place and visitors will receive a warm welcome and the chance to experience some much-missed live theatre. In October 2021, the Centre will fully re-open, with a full programme of events, many rescheduled from last year, and continued City of Culture celebrations.

Our Community and Business funds were launched in 2017 and have to date supported 23 projects in Warwickshire which have shared over £1.3million. Projects have ranged from community facilities upgrades, sports programmes, to programmes to provide transportation for people to access community and healthcare services.

Community and Business Funds

With construction of HS2 underway, applications for the funds are still being welcomed. Our Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and the Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) for Phase One are worth £40 million. They give local communities and businesses disrupted by the construction of HS2 the opportunity to receive funding of up to £1 million for projects to improve their local area or support their local economy.

The Funds for Phase One, independently administered by community charity Groundwork UK, support urban and rural, community, environmental and business projects. For more information on Groundwork and the funds, including how to apply, visit https://hs2funds.org.uk/ . You can also watch our short videos which explain how to best demonstrate that your project meets the criteria for the Community, Environment or Business Funds.

If you have any questions about the Community and Business Funds, HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .