Art gallery secures future with factory purchase

Bosses at a Nottingham art gallery said they have secured its future after raising £884,000 to buy the Victorian factory where it is based.

The Backlit Gallery, in Sneinton, is home to 75 studios within a former textiles factory, and has been run as a hub for artists since 2012.

The gallery's directors said they raised the money in a year after the building's owner, Nottingham City Council, put it on the market.

They said a deal to buy the factory for £625,000 had been completed and that they planned to invest the rest of the money in improving it.

The factory, called Alfred House, was built by the anti-slavery and education campaigner Samuel Morley in 1872.

Backlit said it wanted to improve disabled access while preserving many of the original features.

Co-directors Matthew Chesney and Suzanne Golden said they also wanted to create a new community garden and ground-floor gallery.

In a statement, they said: "We are home to many artists, collectives and community groups from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

"The investments from our funders will allow us to continue this work in the future.

"We're here to ensure that people in St Ann's and Sneinton have a platform and access to cultural and creative opportunities."

The Arts Council and grant-giving charity Garfield Weston Foundation provided donations of £480,657 and £150,000, respectively towards the project.

Other donors include the Architectural Heritage Fund, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), The Foyle Foundation, and the Clothworkers' Foundation.

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