Support
Investing in creative futures.
The 2023 funding uplift established Peshkar as the largest National Portfolio Organisation in Oldham, enabling us to deepen our work with marginalised communities and strengthen our role as a catalyst for creative opportunity.
A foundation of public support
Peshkar Productions' funding story reflects over two decades of sustained public confidence in our mission to amplify young voices through digital arts and participatory practice. Since the early 2000s, Arts Council England has recognised our vital role in Greater Manchester's cultural ecosystem, with our elevation to National Portfolio Organisation status in 2010 marking a transformative moment in our journey. The 2023 funding uplift established Peshkar as the largest National Portfolio Organisation in Oldham, enabling us to deepen our work with marginalised communities and strengthen our role as a catalyst for creative opportunity. Alongside this national investment, Oldham Council's regular funding demonstrates crucial local government support, while the former Associated Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) recognised our regional significance and ability to deliver impact across borough boundaries.
Broadening our partnerships
The past twelve months have seen remarkable success in diversifying our funding base, with National Lottery Awards For All and People's Postcode Lottery awards providing vital support for community programmes. Most significantly, our Historic England award represents groundbreaking recognition of our heritage work - the first such award in England's North West. Our international funding history demonstrates remarkable achievement through Erasmus Plus and Creative Europe programmes, securing over £370,000 between 2010 and 2023 for transformative collaborations across Europe. While Brexit has changed the funding landscape, we see this as a challenge that will drive us to develop new and innovative international partnerships, actively exploring alternative routes to ensure Oldham's young people continue to benefit from world-class creative opportunities.
Building the next chapter
As we approach our 35th anniversary in 2026, we're developing an ambitious new fundraising strategy that will carry us toward our 40th birthday and beyond. Our planned private giving and corporate sponsorship scheme represents a strategic evolution - not replacing public investment but building additional capacity to innovate and respond to emerging opportunities. By maintaining strong relationships with public funders while developing earned income, corporate partnerships, and individual giving, we're building resilience for the decades ahead. Every pound invested in Peshkar generates multiple returns - social, cultural, educational, and economic - creating pathways to employment in creative industries, building digital skills, strengthening community cohesion, and positioning Oldham as a centre for cultural innovation.