Bexley is set to benefit from a successful bid to Arts Council England Creative People and Places programme, £1million over four years will fund cultural programmes designed to bring the community together, supporting cultural engagement, active participation and community-led production.
The bid was made by Council partners Peabody, The Exchange and the Thamesmead Arts and Cultural Office (TACO!) and Orbit Housing. The bid will fund the ‘Made in the Estuary’ project, which will focus on the northern part of Bexley which borders the Thames – including Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green and Thamesmead.
Cabinet Member for Places, Cllr Peter Craske, said; “This is great news for the borough. The prestigious Arts Council England award is not handed out lightly. It shows the real faith that they have in our partners to deliver an impressive community cultural programme. The opportunity also strongly supports the borough’s new Connected Communities Strategy launched earlier this year that focuses on empowering local people to develop and run their own community projects.”
Sarah Batten, Co-Director of The Exchange in Erith, said: “We are delighted to be part of such an exciting project that promises to put culture in the hands of our community in Bexley. There is so much creative potential in the borough and our job over the next four years is to find a way to support it, and the creators of it. It is really encouraging that the Arts Council is going to support Bexley, the people of Bexley and its emerging cultural organisations; it promises to be an exciting few years for culture, with a bright and lasting legacy.”
John Lewis, Executive Director Thamesmead at Peabody, said:
“The Creative People and Places funding is a fantastic opportunity to help us to unlock the huge creative potential of people in Thamesmead and North Bexley. Over the next four years, the team of local partners will be working closely with the London Borough of Bexley to deliver an inclusive programme of cultural activities to benefit everyone in Bexley, from a community radio station to festivals and craft workshops. We believe that culture is the heart of a community, and it plays a pivotal role in influencing our wider regeneration plans for Thamesmead.”
Further work will be done over the coming months to shape a detailed programme of events and projects with key partners, stakeholders and community groups.