Exeter’s National Portfolio Organisations
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Exeter is buzzing with enthusiasm and passion for its arts sector, making the cultural ecology of the city particularly fertile. For a relatively small regional city, Exeter has five National Portfolio Organisations, demonstrating the Arts Council's commitment to supporting the city's growth in this area.

 

Exeter’s NPOs:

  • City of Literature

  • Exeter Northcott Theatre

  • Libraries Unlimited

  • Phoenix Arts Centre

  • RAMM

Learn more about each with these brief summaries or by clicking on their titles to head to their websites.

City of Literature

Exeter was awarded UNESCO City of Literature designation in 2019 in recognition of “outstanding contributions to culture and creativity” and the wealth of literary heritage in the city, thanks to a city-wide multi-partner bid.

As the local authority, Exeter City Council officially holds the designation, and initial operations took place from a base at the University of Exeter.

In late 2021, they became an independent charity supported by Arts Council England and, with support from other partners, they are poised to become an integral part of the cultural and creative landscape.

Exeter Northcott Theatre

The Northcott Theatre is a theatre situated on the Streatham Campus of the University of Exeter. It opened in 1967 and became a registered charity (no. 1151620) in June 2013.

The Northcott is all about people – their staff, their trustees, their volunteers, their industry colleagues, their community partners – working together to make extraordinary cultural events happen.

They also recently took over the management of city-centre Barnfield Theatre to protect the venue and unleash its potential as a vibrant creative and community hub.

 
 

Libraries Unlimited

Libraries Unlimited believes in enabling everyone to connect to and explore the wider world. They offer welcoming spaces throughout Devon and Torbay which give everyone access to books and a wealth of digital resources, as well as free computer use and WiFi connection.

With hundreds of active groups and a year-round calendar of events, they encourage and support everyone to realise their potential and improve their health and wellbeing. By supporting their customers they build communities, enriching lives with ideas, information and inspiration.

Phoenix Arts Centre

Exeter Phoenix is a vibrant, world-class multi-artform venue in the heart of Exeter's city centre. Each year we host hundreds of events and artistic activity spanning many disciplines. Live music, theatre, cinema, contemporary art, DJ events, dance, comedy, talks, creative courses, classes and workshops, family events ...and everything in between.

They are not just an events venue. They nurture a thriving arts scene through their Creative Hub, supporting artists, musicians, theatre companies, filmmakers and creatives at every stage of their career and practice.

Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM)

The RAMM’s world-class collections and ambitious programming ensure that the museum is a place of discovery which encourages everyone to be curious, and inspires us to shape a better future.

Their world-class collections are at the heart of everything they do. They have been collecting since the 1860s – and will continue to do so – to record the natural and cultural history of Exeter, its region, and its place in the world. They collect specimens and artefacts in a thoughtful way, recognising their environmental and ethical responsibilities. They manage and care for collections for present and future generations.

 

Our collaborators
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A number of our collaborators across Exeter and Devon are comprised of alternative funding and investment models other than Arts Council England.