Community arts organisation Peterborough Presents is delighted to announce that they have secured additional funding allowing them to continue working with communities and creatives across the city until March 2025. Their funding has been secured from Arts Council England after a competitive bidding process earlier this year.

Peterborough Presents, which is hosted by Nene Park Trust, works with communities and artists of Peterborough to create great art. By great, they mean art that is fun, diverse and, most importantly relevant to local residents. 

Sarah Haythornthwaite, Programme Director at Peterborough Presents says, “We are utterly delighted to receive this additional funding from Arts Council England. It allows us to confidently extend our programme through to 2025 and expand our programme into other Peterborough townships. We will be working with people with physical disabilities to create new, inspiring work and ensure that our programmes are even more accessible. We will also be creating opportunities for local creatives who would like to work with communities but don’t, as yet, have the experience to do so. It means we can invest in emerging local talent. We will create a ‘young producers’ group who will oversee a programme of events in Millfield and work closely with communities to create a very special birthday celebration to mark our 10 years of working in the city in 2024. This brings certainty to our programme for a further 3 years and we would like to say a huge thank all our partners and residents for helping us with our application.”

Peterborough Presents currently work in Millfield, Ortons, Westwood and Eye and over the next 3 years will move into 2 new areas. Recent Peterborough Presents projects include the restoration of the Link Road Mural in Millfield, Millfield Festival, working with new Mums to create a Lullaby for Peterborough, and Bretton Royalty: a creative project that connected with people struggling with isolation during covid and celebrated people’s generosity.

Charley Genever, Community Producer for Peterborough Presents says, “People and communities are absolutely at the heart of the Peterborough Presents programme. They share ideas and make the decisions about projects and artworks, and also get involved as participants and audience. What that means is we’re making creative things happen that are meaningful and relevant for their neighbourhood, as well as being lots of fun! It also means we get to do stuff right on their doorstep, learn about and celebrate stories in an area.

Together we have created festivals, virtual reality games, film-making courses and screenings, performances, cabaret nights, music workshops, den-building and murals. Over the next 3 years we hope to continue being inspired by the residents and creatives of the townships in which we work to bring you some fun and inspiring projects.”

This funding comes as part of Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places programme. Creative People and Places focuses on parts of the country where involvement in arts and culture is significantly below the national average. They believe that everyone has the right to experience and be inspired by art. With this funding they aim to transform the opportunities open to people in those places.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, said, “These projects change villages, towns and cities for the better, helping people to lead happier, healthier lives.  Our new investment means more people in more places across England will benefit from that magical spark of possibility, innovation and invention that only happens when culture and creativity becomes part of their daily lives.”

Arts Council England are investing £38.3 million in 39 Creative People and Places programmes as part of their Creative People and Places national portfolio 2022-25. All successful applicants have received funding between £750k to £1 million over the three-year period. The £38.3 million is made up of £25.3 million in new money and £13 million funding previously awarded, to cover part of this period.  These programmes cover 56 local authority areas including 11 areas entirely new to Creative People and Places.

Ensuring the Peterborough Presents programme is running through until 2025 allows for Peterborough Present’s community-focused way of working to be a key part of Peterborough’s new Cultural Strategy.

For more details you can follow progress on peterboroughpresents.org or follow them on facebook and instagram @PeterboroughPresents

Banner image credit to Leia Ankers