Make a donation TODAY to support our centre and you'll receive a special reward! Your donation will help transform LEVEL Centre and allow us to grow, offering more support and opportunities to our wonderful community, now and into the future.
Who are we?
LEVEL is a contemporary arts centre working across visual, digital and performing arts, located in Rowsley on the edge of the Peak District in Derbyshire. We’re a vibrant hub for creativity and community engagement, dedicated to fostering inclusivity and artistic expression for people of all abilities. We work with disabled and learning disabled people, SEN schools and day centres, professional disabled artists and the wider community. Through our Youth Programme, we deliver projects for young people who are autistic and/or neurodivergent, and home schooled/out of mainstream education. Our centre is open to the public year round with a packed programme of visual arts exhibitions, digital installations, artist residencies, events, open days and workshops!
Living rurally can be isolating, so our location in the Derbyshire Dales is vital in supporting wellbeing, combating loneliness and giving our community a safe and welcoming place to feel part of.
LEVEL Centre is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. We may only be small, but we are mighty!
Our mission and vision:
We celebrate the art that ‘difference’ makes. We unlock the unique talents of disabled creatives and show the world how powerful ‘difference’ can be.
Why are we crowdfunding?
First and foremost, the upgrades to our building and facilities will allow us to build on the brilliant work that we already do here - transforming the lives of our participants, their families and carers. But that comes at a cost - in total a huge £225,339! So far we've raised around 80% of our total through funding from Arts Council England and other sources, but we still have another 20% (£45,000) to go. Our Crowdfunder is just a small part of our overall fundraising effort, that we hope you can help us with.
LEVEL Centre is registered charity. Almost all our income comes through fundraising, including from national organisations and central government, trusts and foundations, and donations from the public. Fundraising is vital to help us keep doing what we do!
During the terrible flooding of 2023, our centre was badly damaged. This meant not only doing emergency repairs, but also sadly having to shut part of our building. Our art block, where we run all our messy workshops and sessions, could no longer be used. Losing this resource made it hard for us to grow and deliver more for our community. It's also one of the only sources of income generation for our centre, through hires to local artists and groups.
The flood damage, coupled with the rise in the cost of living, made us think about our environmental sustainability, and futureproofing our centre. That's why alongside our vital repair work, we've also embarked on a programme of upgrades including an air source heat pump, LED lighting throughout the building, new doors which won't rot, repairs to the roof of our main building and improved technology with lower running costs. All these repairs and upgrades will help safeguard LEVEL Centre and allow us to transform and grow, offering more support and opportunities to our wonderful community, now and into the future.
Our Impact
We support:
- Disabled and learning disabled people to flourish through creative groups and workshops
- Young people who are neurodivergent, have autism and /or ADHD
- Young people who are home schooled/out of mainstream education
- Professional disabled artists through our residency programme, developing their artistic practice and supporting the wider arts ecology.
- People with profound multiple learning disabilities through GLISTEN Fest, our annual sensory festival
- Families and carers
- The wider community through our volunteer programme
- Our rural community as a uniquely located arts centre
- Everyone to feel safe, welcomed and valued
Our participants and visitors say:
- "I feel happy at LEVEL all the time. I’ve made lots of friends – I would say everyone at LEVEL is my friend."
- "Finding LEVEL has been like a weight has been lifted from our family."
- "Everything was so accessible for my daughter who is physically disabled and has profound learning disabilities."
- "I feel very excited to come to LEVEL, and I feel this way every week. I don’t know why, I just do."
- "Participating and feeling welcomed and comfortable, and having the opportunity to be fully involved in means so much."
- "My son had an absolutely amazing time, they were buzzing! They instantly felt seen, heard, and appreciated as an individual."
Please help us to continue supporting our community by making a donation TODAY!