Peak Village in Rowsley has announced that local arts organisation Level Centre will be its charity of the year for 2023.
As well as supporting Level Centre by collaborating on exhibitions and activities, Peak Village will be sponsoring Level’s public visual art event later this year.
Level Centre is a contemporary arts organisation located near Peak Village in Rowsley. As a charity, it celebrates ‘the art that difference makes’, producing and promoting high-quality contemporary work that is powerful and relevant. All of the work on display at the centre has been created by disabled artists or by artists who consider access to be at the heart of their practice.
Open to the public, Level hosts a year-round, inclusive programme of free digital, visual and performing arts, alongside artists’ residencies and creative workshops.
Peak Village centre manager Katayune Jacquin says: “We’re so pleased that Level Centre is our charity of choice this year, and hope to grow awareness of the valuable work they do. There are so many inspiring things happening at Level, and we have exciting plans to amplify these at Peak Village across 2023, starting with a month-long exhibition of works by Level artists from May 18th.”
Kerry Andrews, executive director at the Level Centre: “We’re thrilled to be the Peak Village charity of the year for 2023, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for us.
“As well as raising money for Level, Peak Village will be home to some of our digital, visual and performing art projects and we’re really excited to be sharing what we do with their customers. We can’t thank our lovely neighbours enough; their support will help us continue to deliver creative programmes that celebrate the Art that Difference Makes.”
Level Centre’s RIBA award-winning building opened as a contemporary arts centre in 2008. Designed to be accessible, light floods through the building’s 60 windows into an inspiring, creative space for visual, digital and performing arts.
As part of its ‘Level Makes’ programme, the centre hosts performing and visual art workshops for learning-disabled adults, offering them the chance to share their work at Level and in the wider community. Level has a national impact and is recognised as a pioneer in accessible digital practice.
Peak Village actively supports local makers, artists and producers, and regularly welcomes creative pop-up experiences and residencies to sit alongside the many independent brands and businesses that call it home. In the past year, Peak Village has added Coghlans Food and Wine Experience Centre, Wild Olive, Lambs Cakes and Bakes and food, drink and retail concept Chatsworth Kitchen, which have all proved popular with the local community and visitors alike.
Situated in the village of Rowsley on the edge of the Peak District National Park, Peak Village is home to nearly 20 retail and leisure businesses and employs between 80 and 100 people. Significant investment over the past two years has enabled the site to continue growing following its purchase in 2021 by the Devonshire Group, based at nearby Chatsworth.
