Transported receive £1million Arts Council funding to provide arts and culture activities in Boston and South Holland

An arts organisation has been awarded £1,000,000 Arts Council funding to help create ‘high-quality, place-based arts experiences’ for rural communities in our area.

Transported will be running more arts and cultural experiences in Boston and South Holland after receiving a share of £42million Creative People and Places (CPP) Portfolio dished out by the Arts Council.

The team, which has been running in this area for 12 years, have been involved with a number of installations in the area including the willow sculptures along the banks of the River Welland, the tulip themed mural on Herring Lane, along with the cow and sheep statues in Spalding town centre.

Nick Jones, Transported’s director said, “Transported has opened up new opportunities for more people to engage with the arts, but there’s still more to do.

“Our new funding phase, ‘Mind the Gap’, is about consolidating our work across festivals, outdoor events, and all areas of our activity to reach those we haven’t yet connected with.

“We want to create high-quality, place-based arts experiences that truly resonate with our communities, and we’re delighted to have the support of Arts Council England to help realise the ambitions of Boston and South Holland residents and community groups over the next three years.”

Transported say the new phase ‘Mind the Gap’ aims to provide activities for the residents who are face challenges in accessing arts and culture.

A press release from the organisation states that the programme will follow a four tiered approach to consult residents on their cultural ambitions, ‘offering creativity for self-making’, to celebrate the area’s local identity and belonging for community making through events and festivals. It also aims to ‘curate creative spaces for civic pride and place- making’.

Liz Johnson, Midlands Area Director at Arts Council England said: “Creative People and Places projects bring organisations and communities together to shape the creative and cultural activities available in their local area. Funded by the National Lottery, we are investing more than £9.2 million in the Midlands, to ensure more people can experience, connect and take part in creativity on their doorsteps.

“Transported’s new phase ‘Mind the Gap’ brings rural and coastal communities together for a range of high quality creative and cultural experiences that are accessible, relevant, raise aspirations, and help the area to thrive through a collaborative approach to culture.”

Transported operates within the University of Lincoln’s College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. It says this partnership allows the organisation to deliver ‘research-informed, high-quality cultural programmes.

Dominic Symonds, Professor of Musical Theatre and Director of Research for the College of Arts at the University of Lincoln, and chair of Transported’s management board said: “The university is proud of Transported’s successful bid for this next phase of Creative People and Places funding. Transported was the only programme to receive an uplift from previous funding phases, a testament to the team’sdedication, expertise, and impact. Through initiatives like ‘Mind the Gap’, the University is able to place creativity at the heart of communities, transforming lives and fostering cultural participation across Lincolnshire.”