WILTSHIRE Music Centre in Bradford on Avon is to receive £101,675 a year over a four period from Arts Council England.

The new funding has been awarded to the Music Centre as a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO), a group representing some of the best arts practice in the world.

The funding will be paid annually for a four-year period from 31 March 2018 to 2022 and will enable the award-winning concert venue and charity to continue to present over 120 live concerts and events a year, as well as its wide-reaching Creative Learning Programme for over 5,000 children in the region.

The announcement coincides with the arrival of new Chief Executive Maud Saint-Sardos on 3 July following the departure of Clare Jack after six successful years as Executive Director.

James Slater, Artistic Director of Wiltshire Music Centre, said: “We are delighted to receive the news of our NPO funding and are extremely grateful to Arts Council England for continuing to support Wiltshire Music Centre as a National Portfolio Organisation.

“We will maintain our commitment to present live music-making of the highest quality for our audiences and continue to develop our year-round programme of activity for young people and members of our wider community. We are particularly pleased that this announcement coincides with the arrival of Maud Saint-Sardos as our new Chief Executive.”

Maud Saint-Sardos brings more than 10 years’ experience in project and business management in both the financial and more recently the arts sector. She will lead Wiltshire Music Centre into its 20th Anniversary in 2018, celebrating two decades of music-making and opportunities for tens of thousands of young people.

She said: “I am thrilled to take up this role and to join a passionate and committed team at such an exciting time. I share the Centre’s vision that music is a powerful, inspirational and life-changing experience.

“I am looking forward to working closely with the Board, staff and all Wiltshire Music Centre supporters to build on the fantastic achievements of recent years and bring even more music to life for this 20th Anniversary year and beyond.”

The £101,675 is the same as for the current three-year period to 31 March 2018, and represents 12% of the Wiltshire Music Centre’s total income, with the remainder coming from fundraising, ticket sales and facilities hire.