Gosport Cultural Consortium (GCC) and Gosport High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) have teamed up to fund a range of creative projects up to the value of £1500 in its third and final round of creative grants.
Led by Hampshire Cultural Trust, the Gosport Cultural Consortium (GCC) consists of representatives from Bridgemary School, Gosport Heritage Open Days, Gosport Discovery Centre, Gosport Voluntary Action, Gosport U3A, Motiv8 and the Gosport Diving Museum. It works with Gosport Borough Council on providing arts and culture projects and events in the area.
Thanks to funding from Historic England, HM Government, Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as part of the Gosport High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ), for the last three years, the GCC have offered grants of up to £1,500 per project to a number of groups and individuals in Gosport. Previous grants include £1,500 to the Big Noise Community Samba Band for a series of drumming workshops and showcase for young people, £1,500 to the Elson Community Library and Hub for a mural project created by a local artist, chosen by the library community and co-creation of an exhibition with Year 6 children from Brockhurst Primary School inspired by the natural habitat collections from Gosport Museum and Art Gallery (GMAG).
Gosport Cultural Consortium supports projects of all shapes and sizes to help create a more vibrant and engaging cultural scene in Gosport. Any type of creative project can be supported, from events and performances through to artworks and exhibitions, but the projects must have a public outcome, be focussed on the high street and be completed by 31 December 2023. The funding is available for a whole project, or for a portion of the overall budget, up to the value of £1,500.
In the last grant round projects supported ranged from a STEAM (science, technology, arts, engineering, and mathematics) project exploring maritime transport and its links to the heritage of Gosport with the Federation of Bedenham and Holbrook Primary School, to community lead projects for people suffering with dementia and the delivery of a series of cultural activities with Gosport’s Women Supporting Women culminating in a showcase event.
Helen Ellis Project Co-Ordinator for Gosport Cultural Consortium said:
“The creative grants are a joy to run. We see organisations and community groups that are truly deserving of the grant, and it is a pleasure to be able to help them on their journey. Increasing the cultural offering in Gosport is a top priority for the consortium and this is a true representation of the support and outcome that is available when we support one another”
The final round of grants for 2023 is now open and applications must be submitted by 5pm on 31 March 2023. All applications will be assessed by a community panel with shortlisted applicants being invited to interview. Successful applicants will be announced in May 2023.
More information on the grants and the application form to apply can be found at Creative Grants - Gosport Heritage Action Zone (gosporthaz.org.uk).