Corby and Wellingborough community groups urged to cultivate new art and culture to delight and inspire helped by Made with Many

People who belong to community groups in Corby and Wellingborough are being invited to dream up artistic and cultural events to access a world of funding.

With help, guidance and expertise provided by Made With Many - a community-led arts programme - residents of the two boroughs are being asked to get involved with the arts.

In order to get as many people as possible taking part and accessing cultural activities the Made With Many team have launched the Cultivate programme to reach even more punters.

Tom Briggs, community engagement coordinator for Made With Many, said: "Through Cultivate, community groups and local artists will be working together to create great art experiences for our communities in Corby and Wellingborough to produce events and activities designed to surprise, delight and inspire.

"We can offer information, advice and guidance that will enable groups and people bring their project to fruition."

The Made With Many team does not give out grants but can help community groups who have ambitious artistic dreams.

To access funding, community groups or artists with an idea for an artistic or cultural event can pitch their idea to the Made With Many team by talking it through on the phone or on a video call.

If successful after the first informal chat, people are invited to a further one-to-one 'surgery' to look at the different funds where funding might be obtained.

Mr Briggs said: "We won't write a bid for you but we can help read it and give notes and direct you to the different funds.

"We're happy to support you with the project - as little or as much as you would like - with three surgeries available over six months."

The Made With Many team can help groups to identify and apply for funding from trusts and foundations, and get in-kind support for work.

They can also help with project development and planning, project management, budgeting, audience development, marketing, PR and social media, project monitoring, sustainability planning, signposting to other training, and other advice and support,

Tom said: "Made With Many aims to work with as many communities as possible in both Corby and Wellingborough, prioritising those least likely to engage in arts and culture.

"Whilst we do not have the capacity to deliver every single project our communities can imagine, we do have expertise to share with people who want to grow their own project ideas through the Cultivate programme.

"When we say arts and culture we mean any creative activity, from drawing and crafts to street art, music, dance, poetry, singing and performance.

"So, if you have an idea you'd like to develop please get in touch."

The Made With Many Cultivate programme will also give groups access to a network of artists and community bodies to offer support and knowledge sharing.

Tom added: "To be eligible for support, proposed projects must meet our aims and ambitions for the Cultivate programme to benefit the community, attract new audiences for art, include artistic or cultural activity, be based in the borough of Corby or Wellingborough, be developed with a community group or include a community group in project delivery, engage with the public as audiences, participants or beneficiaries and strive for artistic excellence."

Anyone interested in applying to the Cultivate programme can do so at any time with the support being given to as many projects as possible that best meet the criteria, aims and ambitions set by Made With Many.

To join in the Cultivate programme, contact Tom on [email protected] or 07923 221759 or leave a message and contact details on 01536 267895.

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