April 2010 Artlink West Yorkshire is now at a crucial stage in the fundraising for our capital project. We have been successful with a number of grant applications and are awaiting the outcome of a number of other bids. By the end of May we will have a clearer picture of what works can proceed with the funds acquired. In the past year we have;-       Progressed RIBA stage D designs and have planning permission. Developed phased costings for the renovation of the building.  We now possess a 25 year peppercorn lease which will come into effect following completion of Phase 2 building works. Progressed Phase 1 of the building works (some of the funding secured was time limited so in autumn/winter 2008 we installed central heating).  Commissioned four vibrant pieces of stained glass from artist Jo-Ann Eisenberg. We have now successfully completed the development phase of this project in which Jo-Ann and creative writer Becky Cherriman worked with two groups of mental health services users to explore the themes of the four seasons. The stained glass window panels will be implemented as an final part of Phase 2. Commissioned an options study enabling us to adapt the initial sketch  designs so that the scheme could be undertaken in phases Fundraising So Far... As well as raising all the funds for Phase 1, we have so far raised over £245,000 towards Phase 2! This has been achieved through generous support from Arts Council England Yorkshire, Leeds City Council, Wolfson Foundation, Lankelly Chase Foundation, Trusthouse Charitable Foundation, the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, Leeds Social services, A. Ziff Charitable Foundation, Bramall Trust.Donations welcome!We are currently awaiting decisions from a number of funders and will be continuing our fundraising activities until May/June 2010. We are aiming to raise at least another £110,000 for Phase 2. If we can raise more than that we will be able to bring forward important parts of Phase 3. If you or your organisation would like to support our fundraising efforts with grants, sponsorship or personal donations, do get in touch. We’d be happy to talk to you. Timetable Our aim is to commission a detailed design scheme this summer and to get Phase 2 capital works underway over the autumn/winter. There’s going to be a lot of hard work but we know the results will be well worth it, giving the building a new lease of life, opening up new facilities and making it more accessible and welcoming to all our users. We’ll be planning celebratory launch event in early 2011 so everyone can come along and see the difference! What We Aim To Do Our aim is to transform this run down terraced property in inner city Leeds into a vibrant and sustainable centre of excellence for Arts and Health; it will be state of the art facility acting as a hub for Artlink’s work across the region, providing a creative arts venue which serves the local community and a wide range of vulnerable people. After refurbishment the building will be 341 m2 (gross internal floor area) on four floors comprising: a creative ICT suite, an additional flexible training / meeting room, a lettable art / design studio, ample storage and office space, an arts workshop with wet facilities, a lettable meeting space / exhibition area, an informal social/meeting area with associated kitchen leading into the rear garden, toilets on all floors, lift to all floors.   The People We Work With Artlink works with statutory and voluntary sector partners to provide creative arts activities and events for a wide range disadvantaged groups: We work extensively with groups within the local and neighbouring communities (Hyde Park/Little London/Burley). We also work extensively across the deprived inner city wards in Leeds. Artlink West Yorkshire has a strong track record of working with many of the most disadvantages groups in West Yorkshire with established partnerships in Huddersfield, Halifax, Bradford etc. In addition to practical work with individual groups we play an important strategic role in Leeds and in the region to raise the profile of arts and health, particularly arts and mental health, to train artists to work with special needs groups and to promote best practice in arts and health delivery.