We are very pleased to share that we will continue as part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio. We would like to thank Arts Council England for their ongoing support. 

This support, as part of the 2023-26 Investment Programme, recognises the role Book Works has within the contemporary art scene nationally and internationally, the importance of our focus on publishing, and the genuine opportunities offered through our commissions, education activities and through the Book Works studio.

Our approach is collaborative – working with artists, designers, writers, printers, libraries, project spaces and other institutions – both those supported by ACE, as well as those reliant on project funding or other sources of income. Many of our projects have been made possible with the support of these organisations and following the decisions in this funding round, we are concerned about the impact that some institutions and project spaces that we have worked with now face. Whilst we welcome the principle of decentralising funding from London, and the news that ACE have secured an increase in their overall budget, national arts funding has suffered from huge cuts over the last decade. The latest decisions are very likely to impact further on the sustainability of London’s art organisations, and on workers already facing inequality and insecurity resulting from the realities of the current economic crisis.

I would like to also thank all those that we work with: artists, designers, writers and editors, and project collaborators for their work, time and enthusiasm for our projects, and note the invaluable support from our publishing partners during the last two years: DACS, The Mosaic Rooms, Parallel Oaxaca, Focal Point Gallery, Bluecoat, and The Bower. We are very lucky to have the interest and ongoing contributions from Book Works’ Supporters and Readers Club. Special thanks to our Board of Trustees and to the team at Book Works who have invested a huge amount into the organisation, especially towards the success of this application. 

Gavin Everall, Director, Book Works publishing

Image: Youth Administrator by Sarah Tripp (2014)