Wakefield District’s Culture Grants: Celebrating Local Landmarks and Coal Mining Heritage

The Wakefield Council has announced the latest recipients of the 2024 Culture Grants, a pivotal part of "Our Year – Wakefield District 2024." These grants are aimed at fostering innovative, high-quality creative and heritage projects, while nurturing the vibrant creative spirit inherent to the Wakefield district.

This initiative continues to uphold the district's rich cultural heritage and community spirit, especially through projects that celebrate the coal mining history and local landmarks.

Honoring Coal Mining Heritage

One of the prominent themes in the recent round of funding is the celebration of Wakefield’s coal mining history. Among the awarded projects is a podcast series titled "Culture of Coal: Wakefield’s stories" by Alfie Norris. This series explores how coal mining has shaped and continues to influence the culture within the Wakefield district.

The podcast looks into personal narratives and historical accounts, offering listeners a deep dive into the community's coal mining heritage.

Showcasing Local Landmarks

Several projects focus on local landmarks and community spaces, engaging residents in creative activities that enhance their environment.

For instance, the Friends of Normanton Library will host workshops to create a mural display in the Normanton Library garden. This project, in collaboration with Edgelands Arts CIC, will involve creating art that will be printed on circular aluminium panels to form a stunning mural.

Skills Workshops and Community Engagement

The Culture Grants also support skill-building workshops. One notable example is the lime mortar workshop at Waterton’s Wall, organized by the Friends of Waterton's Wall. This workshop aims to equip volunteers with the skills needed for future heritage restoration projects, ensuring that the district’s historical structures are preserved for future generations.

A Diverse Range of Cultural Projects

Made in Wakefield Grants

The "Made in Wakefield" grants range from £1,500 to £15,000, supporting ambitious new creative works and participatory projects. Some of the highlighted projects include:

• Actual Size Theatre - Memory Palace: An immersive musical performance about living with and caring for someone with dementia, in collaboration with Illuminos, taking place at Tileyard North.
• Bijan Amini-Alavijeh - A Slow Evening: A visual art project featuring new sculptures and a process film, culminating in an exhibition, artist talk, and open studio.
• Claire Walker - Altofts in Silk: Engaging the community in creating large silk paintings based on local landmarks in Altofts.
• CoActive Arts - Do You See Me? Pride and Protest: Exploring self-portraits through various media and performing with a dance company at events including Light Up 2024.
• Frankie Mazzotta - Unearthing Identities: A documentary about the 1984/5 Miners' Strikes and its impact on community solidarity, with a debut screening at The Empire.
• Inspiring Community CIC - Wellness Through Art: Weekly creative workshops focused on journaling and art making.

Culture Everywhere Grants

The "Culture Everywhere" grants, supporting smaller community arts and cultural activities with up to £1,500, include:

• Black Horse Poets - Writing For Wellbeing: A writing workshop and performance event in Wakefield city.
• Featherstone Male Voice Choir - Pontefract and District Choral Celebration Event: A free drop-in celebration event at Pontefract Town Hall.
• One Ummah Community CIC - Celebrating Cultures: A one-day event showcasing Sudanese, Syrian, and Kurdish cultures through traditional arts during Refugee Week.
• Pontefract Calligraphers: Delivering open sessions and a showcase at Pontefract Library.

Get Involved: Applications Open

Applications for the 2024 Culture Grants are still open, with monthly deadlines for Culture Everywhere grants and a specific deadline of June 10th for Made in Wakefield grants. Interested applicants can visit Wakefield Council’s Culture Grants page for more information or email culturegrants@wakefield.gov.uk.

Our Year – Wakefield District 2024

"Our Year – Wakefield District 2024" is a year-long celebration aimed at promoting culture, creativity, and community connection across the district. This initiative not only enriches the cultural landscape but also drives inward investment and boosts the local economy by attracting visitors. To learn more about the events and activities planned for this celebration, visit Our Year 2024.