Latest news with #NationalFestivalofMaking
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Arts grant drives culture drive 'from strength to strength'
Blackburn with Darwen's drive to become a North-West artistic and creative hub has been hailed as 'going from strength to strength' by its growth boss. The remarks were made by Cllr Quesir Mahmood as the borough's executive board formally accepted a £760,000 grant towards its Cultural Investment Plan from the Arts Council England. The cash will boost the borough council's £1,216,800 campaign to maximise its cultural assets including King George's Hall. It will help pay for the recruitment of 250 volunteers and 12 paid workers as the authority bids to keep creative young artists in the area. The grant will also strengthen the Creative Alliance partnership involving National Festival of Making, The Making Rooms, Super Slow Way, Culturapedia, The Bureau, Chip In volunteering and British Textile Biennale Cllr Mahmood told Thursday's meeting: "This is a really good news story. "The continued expansion of the cultural offer in Blackburn with Darwen goes from strength to strength from year to year." Cllr Mustafa Desai, leader of the 4BwD opposition group, said: "Well done to all the people responsible. "This is a great opportunity." Council leader Cllr Phil Riley said: "This is terrific. It's a really great, great story." The Arts Council award is for £760,000 to spend by the end of March 2027. Proposed improvements using the cash include: expanding the Creative Alliance programme with two new organisations and providing 12 new paid placements allowing for a diverse selection of candidates; addressing historic gaps in creative and cultural provision; developing creative learning and skills by recruiting 250 young cultural volunteers; exploring the narrative of the borough's industrial and post-industrial past for young people; piloting co-designed pop-up programmes in various spaces.
BBC News
09-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Blackburn and Darwen £760k arts grant to help young creatives
A £750,000 grant has been awarded by Arts Council England to help a borough retain its young creative fund will help pay for 250 volunteers and 12 paid workers in Lancashire, which has a historic reputation for with Darwen Council said it wanted to avoid "creatives having to move away to further their careers".Labour executive member Quesir Mahmood said: "This is an excellent opportunity for the borough to maximise the capital investment in cultural assets, including King George's Hall, and deliver the cultural vision for the borough." Darwen-born Gary Aspden is one of the area's success stories after designing the popular Adidas Spezial trainers but the opportunity only emerged after he took work in previously told council magazine The Shuttle that "growing up in Darwen, I never even considered working in a job like I do now"."I realised that there were jobs in clothing and trainer design but it's like they were for other people and not for working class kids from East Lancashire," he said. 'Historic gaps' Mr Mahmood said there would be "indirect benefits for everyone" from the grant but "the key focus is on nurturing and retaining the creativity of the borough's young people… rather than creatives having to move away to further their careers".The money would be used to develop skills and improve employability, and to set up pop-up events and school initiatives, he would be spent on the annual National Festival of Making in the town, he fund would also address "historic gaps in creative and cultural provision" and be used for "exploring the narrative of our industrial and post-industrial making", he plan to use the grant between now and March 2027. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram.
