The investment will support Creative Playground Crawley over the next three years, ensuring the team can continue their mission to make arts and culture a bigger part of everyday life in the town.
Since 2023, the programme has offered inspiring creative experiences for local people, engaging over 40,000 residents by creating permanent murals, weekend long festivals and other creative activities all free for Crawley residents to attend.
Over the next three years the team will continue to support residents to get involved in all kinds of ways: as audience members, participants, artists, and producers. The focus will be on working with communities in Crawley’s most underserved neighbourhoods, helping to make the town a more vibrant and welcoming place to live and work.
Hazel Edwards, South East Area Director, Arts Council England, said: “Creative Playground is transforming lives in Crawley, bringing arts and culture to thousands and inspiring new creative journeys. We are proud to support this powerful, community-led programme through Creative People and Places.”
Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places (CPP) Portfolio sees £42 million invested in 45 programmes from 2026–29, to deliver more grassroots-led cultural
experiences in areas across England where involvement in arts and culture is below
the national average.
CPPs bring together community, grassroots and cultural organisations as partners to
take the lead in choosing, creating and taking part in creative and cultural activities.
CPPs are empowering local people to pursue the art they want, where they live.
This funding is made possible thanks to National Lottery players. Every National
Lottery ticket purchased generates money for good causes and enables people in
villages, towns, and cities up and down the country to get access to cultural
experiences where they live.
Alongside the news of the substantial investment from Arts Council England, Steve Sawyer and Manor Royal Business Improvement District will remain a Core Consortium member of Crawley’s Creative Playground. To honour the commitment this demands, Steve will step down as the Chair of Trustees of Creative Crawley – the charity that runs a range of different cultural programmes alongside Crawley’s Creative Playground. Other Creative Playground consortium members include Bewbush Freeshop, Crawley Community Action, The Hawth and Tamil Learning Centre.
Steve Sawyer, Executive Director, Manor Royal BID, said: “It has been a privilege to have been the founding Chair of Creative Crawley and to help lay firm foundations on which to build. Over the past few years, Creative Crawley has played a vital role in supporting a thriving arts and cultural scene of engaged audiences and developing artists.”
He added: “There’s more to be done and I look forward to watching Creative Crawley go from strength to strength as it embarks on an exciting new era. I am delighted Manor Royal BID will continue to be involved as a core consortium member on the Creative Playground programme.”
We are delighted to announce the new Chair of Creative Crawley is Lorraine Lecourtois, Managing Director of Battersea Arts Centre and Crawley resident. Lorraine will be supported by fellow Crawley resident Sophie Cornell, Deputy Head of Planning, National Theatre as Deputy Chair.
Lorraine said: “’I’m really excited to be stepping in as Chair of Creative Crawley. Having watched the organisation grow and champion creativity across the town, it’s a real privilege to be part of its next chapter. I’ve spent my career bringing people and ideas together through the arts, and I’m passionate about the power of creativity to connect communities and spark new possibilities.”
She added: “Creative Crawley has such an inspiring team and mission – I can’t wait to work with everyone to keep building opportunities for local artists, celebrate Crawley’s creative energy, and help more people discover the joy of getting involved.”
The funding from Arts Council England and the addition of a new chair and deputy chair of Creative Crawley means lots of exciting activities for the company lie ahead.
Louise Blackwell, Creative Director of Creative Crawley, said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to Steve Sawyer who has been essential in laying the groundwork for Creative Crawley as founding Chair. I’m so happy he’s staying part of the company and am completely delighted to welcome Lorraine and Sophie in their new roles. This new team will anchor Crawley in the national cultural scene.”
She added: “This change in leadership, and further Creative People and Places investment marks a new chapter, testament to how far we have come as we look forward with gratitude to all who’ve been part of our journey thus far. From our solid foundation, we now look forward to strengthening the presence of creativity across all aspects of Crawley’s future helping to bring joy, well-being and wonder to the lives of people in the town and beyond.”
Sophie Eustace, Co-Director of Crawley’s Creative Playground, said: “For the last three years we have been working to bring quality creativity for everyone, every day in Crawley. Today’s announcement cements our position as an organisation striving to create positive change for the town, and means we can continue to work with residents, businesses and other local organisations to truly put Crawley on the map, creating something wonderful whilst doing it. We’re immensely grateful to Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places programme for their vital support.”
For more information on Creative Crawley, go to www.creativecrawley.com.
Photo credit: Creative Crawley
