Skylight Circus Arts has been awarded £125,990 from the Arts Everywhere Fund through Arts Council England to upgrade its Rochdale base and expand access to creative opportunities across Rochdale and Greater Manchester. For over 35 years, the organisation has brought people together through circus, building confidence, creativity and connection in one of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities.
This well-deserved investment will strengthen the organisation’s home at St Chad’s Fold, transforming it into a more accessible, sustainable and flexible creative space for local people. The funding will support a programme of improvements including energy-efficient heating, enhanced security, new aerial infrastructure, flexible seating and upgraded theatre equipment.
The funding will also enable the purchase of a small electric van to support outreach work in communities with low cultural engagement. Together, these developments will help Skylight reduce its environmental impact, improve reliability of delivery and open up more opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to take part in circus.
Martine Bradford, creative director at Skylight Circus Arts, said: “Circus brings people together, builds confidence and helps people discover new skills. This investment means we can create a space that truly matches the ambition of our work and the communities we serve. It will help us welcome more people in, reach further out across our communities and keep creating joyful, life-changing experiences through circus for years to come.”
Skylight Circus Arts works with children, young people, families and adults, including those experiencing disadvantage, disability or social isolation. From weekly classes and youth performance to outreach in schools and community settings, the organisation uses circus as a powerful tool for creativity, wellbeing and inclusion.
This investment will help secure the long-term future of the organisation while enabling more people to access high-quality arts and culture close to home. The project is also being supported by Rochdale Borough Council and Rochdale Development Agency.
Jim Riley, chair of the board of trustees, said: “This is fantastic news for Skylight. Each year we work with over 10,000 participants across local communities. Capital investment was urgently needed to continue to provide life-changing experiences for local people.”
Rebecca Ball, area director, North, Arts Council England, said: “Our museums, libraries and arts organisations have the power to change lives. They give us access to new worlds, teach us about our heritage and give us new perspectives on life. I’m so pleased that we’ll be supporting so many of our cultural organisations in the North with this capital investment, which will ensure that they can continue to deliver incredible arts and culture to their communities.”
