New resourcing digital home for Reading’s cultural and community announced

A NEW addition to the well-known What’s On Reading website aiming to better serve the local arts community has been announced by Reading UK and Reading Borough Council.

The cultural and community resources hub will see a new section of the site dedicated to featuring the latest news and blog content from contributors across Reading’s cultural sector, as well as a host of resources and opportunities, from funding and development opportunities and job adverts, to venue and equipment hire.

For the wider community of Reading, there will be access to smaller community events, plus information on volunteering – created in partnership with Reading Voluntary Action – which will highlight other ways to get involved in the wide range of arts and culture opportunities that Reading has to offer.

The new hub was created in response to Reading UK’s survey of how best to support the arts and cultural community post-COVID. Greater shared resources, insight and networking opportunities were high on the respondents’ priority list.

Cllr Karen Rowland, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Culture, Heritage and Recreation, said:

“I’m thrilled this new resource will continue to support our vibrant arts and cultural community by providing them a real “go-to” space to more easily access the resources they need to continue to offer brilliant cultural value to Reading.

“This is a great example of partnership work between Council, Reading UK and the voluntary sector that will benefit our cultural community. COVID has had an immeasurable impact on the Arts worldwide, and I am therefore delighted this new resource has been informed by community feedback and as a response has been   brought forward to help them begin to recover, grow and adapt in our post-COVID world.”

Nigel Horton-Baker, Executive Director of Reading UK, said:

“We’re delighted that What’s On Reading’s new resource hub addresses some of the themes emerging from last year’s survey of Reading’s arts and cultural organisations.

“As Reading’s arts and cultural sector continues to adapt to the ongoing effects of COVID-19, we will ensure that the new resources and opportunities are made available to our creative sector and wider arts, cultural and heritage community through this new hub.”

Steve Hendry, Volunteering Development Manager at Reading Voluntary Action, said:

"We are very excited to be working with What's On Reading to help promote opportunities to volunteer in the local arts, culture and heritage sectors.

“We know that volunteers play a massive part already and are keen to connect with a wider audience to get even more people involved."

The new resources hub can be found at: https://whatsonreading.com/cultural-community-resources-reading/.

ENDS