Arts Council England and Julie’s Bicycle have announced applications are now open for the second cohort of the Accelerator Programme which aims to foster enterprise, innovation and future thinking on climate and the environment across the arts and cultural sector.
The programme provides space, resource, time and expertise that is necessary for organisations to develop their ideas around environmental practice into tangible projects. From April 2020 to September 2021, the successful applicants will receive support through tailored mentoring and one-on-one support.
Francis Runacres, executive director of Enterprise and Innovation, Arts Council England, said, “We developed the Accelerator Programme with Julie’s Bicycle to help shape the arts and cultural sector’s ambitious thinking around environmental sustainability into deliverable projects – and the enthusiasm, dedications and creativity that the first cohort have brought to the programme is truly inspiring.”
The first cohort helped develop a range of creative projects on a variety of environmental issues including a green touring model, new products generated from festival waste and a circular economy approach to artistic process and production.
Alison Tickell, director of London based environmental charity Julie’s Bicycle, said, “The Accelerator community – some of the most ambitious Arts Council England funded organisations taking climate action – has generated new and enterprising thinking from arts and cultural organisations as a result of the challenges, fresh ideas, peer support and powerful connections that have been made across disciplines. Action is contagious and we are already experiencing the energy and charge from the second cohort.”