Celebrating Bury’s Community Culture

Dance, poetry, storytelling and crafting are just some of the activities which have been awarded Bury Council Town of Culture Community Funding to celebrate creativity across the borough.

The scheme was established to celebrate and nurture local creativity amongst individuals and community groups. It was launched earlier in the year as part of Bury’s Town of Culture activity and reflection of the role culture plays in Bury’s Let’s Do It strategy.

A total of 26 organisations have received over £15,000 in total, covering a diverse range of activities, events and areas of focus, including celebrating South Asian Music and building on the first digital MACFEST this year.

Tan Ahmed, chief officer at Bury ADAB, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be awarded a Town of Culture Grant which will help celebrate ethnic-based arts and culture projects in Bury and promote greater cohesion. The project will give the opportunity for people to learn Indian classical music and strengthen groups and individuals to become performing artists in the future.”

Alan Beedie, chair of the Friends of the Unsworth Centre, added: “The Friends of the Unsworth Centre are delighted to have been selected to receive this award from the Town of Culture programme – we will use the funding to support a range of creative and inspiring music and sensory sessions here at the Unsworth Centre – we are very much looking forward to the place being full of music and fun!”

Councillor Charlotte Morris, cabinet member for the culture and the economy, said: “We have been delighted to see breadth of creativity and inspiration from such an array of projects with bids received for over three times the amount of funding available. The submissions reflect the amazing creativity we have in the borough. I’m delighted that we’ve been able to support these projects and hope this funding gives them the support they need to thrive and develop further. We’re all really excited to see how they progress in the forthcoming months and wish them every success with their project.”

You can follow the progress of the successful projects and details of how to get involved over the coming weeks through the @BuryCulture social media channels.

ENDS

Issued: 8 November 2021.

Notes to Editor

The full list of successful applications is:

Small Grants

• Street Shakers – restarting of dance and cheer sessions in Radcliffe
• Holcombe Brook Primary School – Poetry workshops with Paul Jenkins
• Brandlesholme Incredible Edible Garden – to grow food and provide creative volunteering opportunities for the local community
• What is Drum - Drumming workshops for children aged 0-4 years old
• Little Britain Anglers – Fishing sessions for all ages
• Corrie Gardeners – Christmas Wreath making workshops
• Dingle Lane Allotment Association – Support community gardening activity including link to local schools
• Jigsaw – Christmas themed art and craft workshop for young disabled adults
• Bury2gether - Accessible, Creative Arts and Crafts Activities for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Children and Young People.
• Love Springwater Park – Brass band concert and activities to welcome local community back together
• Bury Choral Society – Choral Concert at Bury Parish Church in memory of those lost during the Covid Pandemic and to thank key workers.
• Brandlesholme Community Centre and Foodbank - festival of dance and food
• Organic Soul Food – Teaching drumming
• Friends of the Unsworth Centre – Creative music and storytelling sessions for the community
• Creative Living Centre – crafting sessions to improve wellbeing of men in Radcliffe
• Whitefield Painting Club – Open session for general public to take part in art drawing sessions
• Young People of St John’s with St Mark’s – Pantomime 21/22
• The Woodies Men in Sheds – Christmas Wooden Reindeer making workshops
• Space for Nature – Handweaving, art and storytelling workshops to connect the community with Bury’s rich heritage of yarn spinners and weavers
• The Earlybird Project - Creative workshops for children 0-5 years and families using paper, textiles and natural objects
• The Big Fandango – Christmas Crafting Sessions

Large Grants

• Sunnywood/ Friends of Burrs Park – Interactive History Trail
• ADAB – South Asian Music Sessions
• Simister Egypt Lane Allotments Association – Community space provision and making the pond more accessible for all to enjoy
• Growing Together Radcliffe – week of Christmas activities, crafts and music
• BAME Project - first face-to-face Bury MACFEST