LONDON.- Eighteen projects in Birmingham and Solihull are amongst the 33 projects across the West Midlands that have been awarded a total of £679,010 in last month’s Grants for the arts awards from Arts Council England, West Midlands.

The Grants for the arts programme in the West Midlands awards over £5 million annually to arts projects and is open to a wide range of groups and individuals. The programme distributes money from the National Lottery and from Government.

This month’s successful projects cover a wide range of activity across the West Midlands, with a total of £200,838 going to schemes in Birmingham and Solihull. The Friends of Cotteridge Park have received a £5,000 grant for CoCoMAD 2007(Cotteridge Community Festival Music Art Dance). The event, which will take place on 7 July, will feature an environmentally sustainable carnival, with floats made from trolleys and instruments made from plumbing materials, and a series of artist led workshops in dance, spray art and singing.

Knowle based artist Robert Eaves has received a grant to allow him to show his work at the Contemporary Craft Fair. He exhibited his blend of traditional and modern techniques in contemporary furniture design at the event held in Devon from 8-11 June.

Sally Luton, Executive Director of Arts Council England, West Midlands said ‘We are pleased to be able to fund so many high quality projects across the region. Here at Arts Council, West Midlands we want to put the arts at the centre of people’s lives, and people at the centre of the arts. Projects such as these are helping us realise these aims.’

For more information about the Grants for the arts programme, including how to make an application, contact Arts Council England on 0845 300 6200 or visit www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding.