Homotopia Wins ACE Funding Following Complaint

The company, which runs an annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) arts festival, was the only one of 28 organisations that recently lost funding to have its complaint upheld (of the 28, only three applications were reassessed).

The decision means that Homotopia joins the other 695 National Portfolio Organisations that were unveiled earlier this year, and will have its funding of £70,000 assured for three years from April 2012.

Homotopia director Gary Everett said: “I believe this funding acknowledges the exceptional quality of the art we deliver and the valuable work we do to tackle Hate Crime, bullying and prejudice through our award winning Project Triangle. It reflects our commitment to increasing social cohesion through our engagement with diverse communities, young people and the elderly who would often otherwise feel excluded from arts venues or gay culture.”

“With this support and the continuing support of Liverpool City Council we can engage with more artists, writers, producers, dancers and performers to reach new communities … We will continue to bring audiences to Liverpool and to export Liverpool internationally. Our web-based tv service alone reaches 200,000 people a year from Australia to the Middle East.”

Homotopia, which was established in November 2004 with a handful of arts events, is the only LGBT combined arts organisation in the north of England. Previous participating artists have included Sarah Waters, Nigel Charnock, Sadie Lee, David Hoyle, Gary Clarke and Armistead Maupin.

A spokesperson for Arts Council England said: “Through our national portfolio Homotopia will make a valuable contribution to the vibrant festival offer in England, especially in Liverpool where they form part of a strong festival calendar which celebrates the diversity of the city’s communities.”