NEW funding from Arts Council England aims to "increase cultural engagement for communities" in Sedgemoor. 

The council announced this morning it will invest £1.8 million in two Creative People and Places projects in Sedgemoor and the New Forest, Hampshire, over the next three years. 

The funding from the National Lottery will deliver grassroots-led cultural experiences in both districts, where research has found involvement in arts and culture is below the national average. 

In Sedgemoor, the funding will be invested in Seed. 

Since 2019, Seed has worked to develop cultural engagement in the district through a community-driven approach. 

Seed works in partnership with Homes in Sedgemoor Limited, Bridgwater Senior Citizens Forum, Bridgwater Town Council, Somerset Community Council, Somerset Film, and Young Somerset. 

With this funding, Homes in Somerset will lead a programme to create new opportunities for communities in Sedgemoor to participate in arts and cultural activities, with a focus on reaching communities with low cultural engagement.

The Seed consortium also aims to deepen its engagement in Bridgwater over the next few years through a community-led festival, and extend its hub development model to communities in Cannington, North Petherton and the Quantock Hills.

The New Forest's funding will be invested in the Culture in Common scheme. 

Bridgwater Mercury: ART FIRST: Seed artists Karl Bevis, Fiona Campbell, Sharon Jacksties and Jem Dick in front of a bus featuring artwork co-created by the community (Image: Laura Hylton, Arts Council England)ART FIRST: Seed artists Karl Bevis, Fiona Campbell, Sharon Jacksties and Jem Dick in front of a bus featuring artwork co-created by the community (Image: Laura Hylton, Arts Council England)

Phil Gibby, south west area director of Arts Council England, said: "From Sedgemoor to New Forest, these ambitious consortia of organisations have one main goal in common: to increase cultural engagement for communities that need it most.

"This principle is at the core of our 10-year strategy, Let’s Create, which believes every person in England should have the opportunity to experience and be inspired by creativity and culture.

"Thanks to investment from the National Lottery, we’re so pleased to have Culture and Common and Seed in our CPP National Portfolio to help us achieve that goal."

Arts Council England's active lives survey found Sedgemoor and the New Forest to have low levels of cultural engagement due to their rurality and limited cultural infrastructure. 

Sedgemoor is one of 124 priority level one districts listed in the Government's Levelling Up Fund index, meaning that it has been designated as one of the local luthorities most in need of investment across the country.

Bridgwater Mercury: PERFORMERS: Journey Exchange perform on the Moorland Estate in partnership with Seed, Take Art and RIOTE (Image: Len Copland, Arts Council England)PERFORMERS: Journey Exchange perform on the Moorland Estate in partnership with Seed, Take Art and RIOTE (Image: Len Copland, Arts Council England)

Claire Tough, Homes in Sedgemoor's director of neighbourhoods, said: "As one of the newer Creative People and Places projects, we faced the many difficulties posed by Covid and not working face-to-face throughout our first 18 months of operation.

"This extension funding is a real vote of confidence in Seed and a wonderful opportunity to grow and progress our work into new areas of Sedgemoor. 

"Thanks to this funding, we now plan for much more activity in Bridgwater and its surrounding villages than we originally planned for 2023, including a festival across the summer months. 

"In 2024-25, we will focus our attention on working with the people of North Petherton, Cannington and Quantock Hills."

Across England, 39 Creative People and Places projects will be supported, 11 of which are new, taking total investment in them to £38.3 million for the period 2022 to 2025. 

Since 2012, Creative People and Projects projects have brought together communities, grassroots, and cultural organisations to choose, create, and take part in arts and cultural activities. 

Culture secretary Nadine Dorries added: "Everyone, no matter where they are from, should be able to experience arts and culture.

"The fantastic Creative People and Place projects help make culture more accessible and strengthen bonds in local communities.

"I'm delighted that this £38.3 million funding will make sure more people across the whole of England have access to brilliant cultural and creative activities on their doorsteps."

By 2021, there were over 7.4 million people engaging in with Creative People and Places projects. 

Over 17,000 volunteers and 1,000 local partners help put creativity at the heart of local communities across the UK.