The South West Culture Digest - June 2021
In this second edition of the South West Culture Digest, we’re sharing good news and opportunities from the creative and cultural sector in our magnificent region; including Cornwall’s big moment with the world watching the G7 summit; Southampton’s cultural organisations buzzing with creative energy; south west individuals receiving support through our Developing Your Creative Practice Fund; and several organisations recruiting for dedicated new team members.
The sunshine has been a welcome addition to all of our lives these last couple of weeks. We remain committed to doing what we can to support the region’s artists and organisations as we navigate this bumpy road together. With summer just on the horizon, cultural activity is blooming across the south west as the sector continues to show astounding resilience and determination.
If you have a story you’d like to share with us, email us at sw.comms@artscouncil.org.uk and we’ll do our best to include it in a future issue.
Good news
Cornwall’s creative community
With eyes from across the globe focussed on Kernow this month, Cornwall Council have commissioned a cultural programme alongside the G7 summit with artists and creative organisations working together to showcase the Duchy’s creative, heritage and cultural sectors. Hall for Cornwall, Cornwall Museums Partnership, Cornwall Council, Wildworks, Screen Cornwall and Creative Kernow are among the key partners, working alongside local artists and community members.
The recently launched short film, Behind The Postcard, saw 32 local screen writers, over 65 performers and more than 300 workshop participants come together to form a series of poems that reflect the essence of modern-day Cornwall. The G7 cultural programme aims to encapsulate real-life Cornwall, creating opportunities for local communities, and promoting a greener, more prosperous future – the latter a key theme at the summit. Later in the year, several commissioning opportunities will be made available to artists, helping to form a legacy of the announcements made at the G7 summit.
Opportunities
New creative resources for children
Libraries Unlimited’s Evolve has launched Arts Award Discover at Home, a free online resource of creative activities for children made by south west artists. Arts Award Discover is the first level of Arts Award – a set of awards for children and young people that encourages cultural engagement whilst celebrating creative achievements. The new Discover at Home activities are specially designed to help boost children’s creativity with a fun selection of activities that utilise everyday materials found in most homes, and can be downloaded here.
Knowle West Media Centre’s new events programme
As we move out of lockdown, Knowle West Media Centre is exploring how we can create the shared spaces and experiences we need to connect with each other. Come Together is an exciting new programme of public events, training and commissions to support artists and communities to develop new skills and to co-create new inclusive spaces and experiences. Find out more, including call-outs for Artist Commissions and a Digital Storyteller here.
Jobs at Theatre Royal Plymouth
It is a particularly pivotal moment to join Theatre Royal Plymouth as a new Chief Executive will soon lead the theatre through a transitional period of recovery. Alongside a job vacancy for Head of Flys to assist the Technical Stage Managers in leading the stage team, the theatre is also looking for a new creative team towards their next production, NHS The Musical – including a Producer and Engagement Producer. Find out more and apply here.
Funding news
Diversifying the publishing industry
The Good Literary Agency, from the team behind the award-winning book The Good Immigrant, were recently awarded £95,550 through National Lottery Project Grants to develop early-stage writers and literary agents. The Bristol-based organisation will support and develop a quality talent pool of writers that reflects British society as a whole and offers under-represented people in mainstream publishing the opportunity to develop as creative practitioners.
Founded in 2018, The Good Literary Agency have helped create professional opportunities for writers, many of whom have gone on to win major awards, and now represents over thirty authors. This significant investment, made possible thanks to the National Lottery, will help The Good Literary Agency further its work in the diversification of the UK publishing industry.
Support for south west creative practitioners
Last month, we invested £1.5 million in over 170 creative practitioners across the South West through our Developing Your Creative Practice Fund. This included awards to:
- Katie Tokus - blues, jazz and soul singer and founder of Plymouth Barbican’s International Jazz and Blues Festival. Katie plans to work with esteemed mentors on music in the black oral tradition.
- Camille Aubry – live artist and cartoonist and permanent resident of the Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio in Bristol. Camille will be exploring ways to enhance her live illustration practice with the help of creative technologies.
- Rebecca Hulbert – actor, creative producer, director, writer and creator of national campaign, Language Creates Reality, which was awarded the Points of Light award by the Prime Minister. Rebecca will be combining Makaton with filmed theatrical storytelling.
We’re delighted to support these individuals, thanks to funding from the National Lottery, to take time to focus on their creative development.
South West Spotlight
Culture is alive in Southampton
The port city is buzzing with creative and cultural energy as organisations up and down the city – from theatres to dance organisations, art galleries to music halls – welcome audiences and look to the future. Check out our snapshot of just some of the exciting cultural activity taking place in this multifaceted city, including Southampton City Art Gallery’s partnership with The National Gallery, MAST Mayflower Studios’ opening season, ZoieLogic’s roving Grid Experience, the return of Art Asia’s annual Mela festival, the launch of ‘a space’ arts’ RIPE Summer Season, John Hansard Gallery animating the streets with films projections, and new rap and hip hop lessons for pupils in the city through the Southampton Music Education Hub.
From the Archives
Celebrating Pride month
To mark Pride month, we look back on our Five Questions blog with musician and writer, Elani Evangelou. Elani was commissioned as one of the four artists in My Story, a digital set of works by LGBTQIA+ creatives, for The Box in Plymouth. Elani discusses her work and how she adapted her creative process during the pandemic.
