History

Momentum Arts started life on Friday 11th July, 2003.

Momentum Arts was previously known as Eastern Touring Agency (ETA). ETA was established in 1991 with the aim of improving the quality and quantity of arts touring in East England. Over the years this original remit was expanded and developed to include work in audience development, research, and professional development.

Projects such as Map East (1994) established ETA’s reputation for producing research projects of national significance and publications such as Building Better Relationships With Schools (1998) are now recognised as standard texts. ETA also lobbied for and secured the Year of Opera and Music Theatre (1997) and ran the national Get Wired Conference Series (1999-2000) which explored the influence of new technology in the arts.

From 1999–2001 ETA ran an Arts for Everyone project called The Creative Promoter which involved work with twenty-five organisations in four areas of work: new technology, international work, large scale events and social inclusion. In 2001, ETA successfully completed a pilot project in cultural diversity called the Local Promoters for Cultural Diversity (LPCD).

Partly as a result of these latter two projects and also as a response to the changed needs of ETA’s stakeholders and partners, during 2001-2003, the organisation changed direction. Its touring work ceased and decided to concentrate purely on developmental work: working with communities, running projects, leading training, providing advice and information, nurturing artistic work, artists and arts organisations, researching and investigating new areas of work in the arts.

Such was the change in nature of the organisation’s work; it was felt that a change of name was appropriate. So, in July 2003, Eastern Touring Agency became Momentum Arts. Momentum Arts is now about the momentum of the people we work with; about the ideas resulting from the networks we bring together; and ultimately about transforming the cultural landscape of the East of England. This is reflected in the way we work with the arts in our two broad areas of activity:

• Diversity
• Inclusion and regeneration

For further information about Momentum Arts philosophy and aspirations as an organisation please see our Mission statement and aims.

Article printed from momentumarts.org.uk at 15:48 on 09 September 2010