Lending Support

Last spring, when it was apparent how the arts were impacted through the pandemic, we announced the inception of The Arts Society Community Grants. Sue Herdman explores what happened next

Illustrations by Claire Nicholas

‘The great doesn’t happen through impulse alone,’ Vincent van Gogh once wrote to his brother Theo; it was more, he said, ‘a succession of little things that are brought together’. For the arts in recent times, we’ve seen the biggest need since World War II for small but significant acts of support. Following redundancies and budget cuts we know the arts have been compromised. The threats have been especially felt by local community initiatives and our smaller independent museums, galleries and venues. Such places and projects are gems in a nation’s cultural story and are a focus for local pride and identity. 

They play a vital role in unifying our communities, offering inspiration and communication. Research underlines how exposure to, and participation in, the arts improves academic performance, lifts wellbeing, drives tourism and has social impact. So, in the face of challenges brought by the pandemic, how could The Arts Society support arts in communities? 

Digging deeper, we discover who those recipients have been. They include young carers supported by Societies in Wylye Valley, Farnham, Epsom and more to experience the fun – and release from responsibility – of art-led workshops. The Arts Societies at Turners Hill, Hull and East Riding, Rickmansworth, Huddersfield, Oakham and Severn Valley have donated funds to prisons and charities, working with them to enable those within to engage with the arts. Refugees have also benefited, with The Arts Society Bristol, Malvern Hills and Tyneside all seeing their grant go to inspiring activities with displaced peoples. Societies at Southport and Formby, Medway, Pantiles, King’s Lynn and Grampian have all used the grant to donate art packs to food and baby banks as an additional offering for families in need. 

‘TO DATE, SOME 270 OF THESE COMMUNITY GRANTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN, TO THE SUM OF OVER £47,500’ 

Organisations in the performing arts, such as those providing school holiday theatre programmes – with a meal thrown in for children on free meals during term time – are also on the list of recipients. And those local museums, galleries and community centres, from Sidmouth to Speyside, have had a boost as a result of this grant. The funds have supported projects ranging from the digitising of precious paper records to the development of garden spaces. The ongoing work by Societies in enabling access to arts in local schools – including those for children with special needs – has been helped, too, seeing donations of arts supplies and musical instruments continue. Finally, intergenerational projects have had support, among them Age Exchange in Blackheath. This hub offers community activities specialising in reminiscence, particularly for people living with dementia or loneliness. From supporting young offenders to helping choirs with an age range of three to 90, the initiatives and places assisted by the grant have been uplifting to discover. Here are just three examples. 

SPEYSIDE SPACE 

The Arts Society Speyside chose to donate its grant to Elgin Museum, which not only plays a key role in the community, but is a source of local pride. ‘It’s the oldest independent museum in Scotland,’ says Chair Sarah Fennings-Mills. The museum is a precious resource that ‘provides the public and tourists with a wonderful collection of Moray artefacts. They range from dinosaur remains found in Quarrywood to hordes of Roman coins found in Birnie and more.’ The museum opened in 1843, founded by the Elgin and Morayside Scientific Association, and its collection numbers some 36,000 items.

Among the pieces are works by Turner, Constable and Epstein, and silver, costume and textile collections. The Elgin is not just a source of wonder for its visitors, but a valuable hub for the area. ‘It is particularly proud of its engagement with young people through a variety of programmes,’ says Sarah, ‘and is a valuable exhibition space for local artists.’ 

SEEKING SANCTUARY 

The plight of refugees continues to be a major UK news story and several Societies have used their grant to help local projects working with displaced people. The Arts Society Bristol donated its grant to help a musical initiative with the Somali Youth Project in the city, enabling the purchase of musical instruments. The Arts Society Malvern Hills saw its grant go to Hereford City of Sanctuary, to ensure that isolated women refugees and their families could attend art workshops. 

The Arts Society Tyneside donated its grant to Stories of Sanctuary, a community story and songwriting and performance project, which emerged from friendships between Durham residents and Syrian refugees. ‘The workshops were started,’ says Stories of Sanctuary (citizensongwriters. org) ‘to enable people to share their struggles.’ As one of the group, Sabah, said of an uplifting tour the project has done: ‘Music is the language of the world... and sometimes you just need to hope and have faith that things will work out.’ 

SUPPORTING YOUNG CARERS 

For many Societies, the grant has represented an opportunity to do something for young carers. It is well known that participation in artistic activities can provide a vital break from responsibilities for such children. The Arts Society Epsom used its grant to work with the charity My Time for Young Carers, which provides inspirational activities for young carers aged between seven and 16 who live in and around the area. ‘Every donation, big or small helps us to give young carers some fun and time to be carefree,’ says the charity. ‘We appreciate every penny that is given to us.’ 

My Time knows that young carers can be less likely to achieve their potential, may be bullied, and can have difficulty in making friends as a result of what might be happening at home. The grant gave a group of such children the chance to experience an inspiring half-day graffiti workshop – a brilliantly messy opportunity to express themselves through art. 

FIND OUT MORE 

For more on The Arts Society’s grants, visit theartssociety.org/grants