Last year (2020), Arts Taunton, launched a new grant fund scheme called Art at the Heart.
In 2020 two community arts organisations benefitted, Go Create with their Pride in Art initiative and the Bluebird Theatre with the Popera House.
“Both proved to be excellent investments, returning great benefit to the communities they were engaging with, and we couldn’t be more delighted with the continuing results,” said the Charity’s Chair, Tony Laurance.
This year the charity was able to build on the initiative with five lucky groups receiving grants to the total value of £12,000.
The successful community groups all fulfilled the requirements of the grant to bring something new to their communities, which successfully filled a gap in provision.
They were:
- The Milverton Trust for their Cultural and Heritage project
- Wassail Theatre for the Somerset People’s Theatre, Taunton
- Regal Theatre Minehead for diversifying their Forthcoming Attractions Project
- Southern Sinfonia for Call the Musician Project
- Moorvale Creative CIC for Hear Me Roar project
All projects had to be match funded and be deliverable within a year of receiving the funding.
“The projects are all extremely diverse and we are pleased that this year, with the help of Somerset West and Taunton Council, we were able to increase the value of the grants available,” added Mr Laurance.
Both of last year’s recipients of the Art at the Heart Grants continue to build on their achievements, with Liz Hutchin from Go Create saying:
“We are indebted to Arts Taunton’s Art at the Heart programme, which gave us half of the necessary funds.
“A really positive aspect of this ‘Pride in Art’ project being over time, was how the group’s sense of community strengthened as we have welcomed contacts and input from other LGBTQI+ arts projects.”
Sasha Herriman, representing the Bluebird Theatre told us:
“Arts Taunton part funded this project to bring you The Reduced Ring Cycle and The Musicians of Bremen. The shows are for socially distanced performance, with workshops, and we have been visiting schools and community spaces in Somerset in the beautiful and versatile Popera House theatre.
“We were extremely grateful and very happy to be able to work on this artistic project in these very uncertain times. It’s great to be able to keep live theatre going and create exciting new work for everyone to enjoy safely.”
