WIREDGOV

Five bold arts and heritage projects are set to bring people together as part of Herefordshire’s a Great Place ‘Hidden Gems’ grant scheme.

The creative projects, which will each receive £12,000, are part of the UK wide Great Place Scheme, co-funded by Arts Council England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with support from Historic England and local partners.

Painting with Light – Polaroid work of Sidney Nolan. Courtesy of Sidney Nolan Trust.

From poetry and photography to virtual reality and projection mapping, all five projects will use the arts and creative digital technology to place Herefordshire’s heritage at the heart of communities.

The projects are:

• Painting with Light -  the Sidney Nolan Trust, culminating with open air projection mapping onto buildings on the Herefordshire/Welsh border.
• Inside Out - Herefordshire Museum Service will bring objects from the Museum Resource & Learning Centre into non-museum spaces in unusual and unexpected ways.
• The Stories of Ella Mary Leather - MASH Cinema will see history groups, students and artists create 360 audio-visual experiences inspired by Herefordshire folklore.
• Gilpin 2020 – the Wye Valley Learning Network (a collaboration between primary schools in south Herefordshire), featuring new artwork and a new virtual tour of Wye Valley.
• Our Man in the Moone -  Everybody Dance will feature an updated and accessible production of a sci-fi adventure book written by a Bishop of Hereford in 1638.

Our Man in the Moone – Everybody Dance's Jess Allen and Rachel Freeman in Lovely Bugs. Image by Dave Provis.

Peter Knott, Area Director for Arts Council England, said:

“The money we invest comes from the government and the National Lottery, so as taxpayers and National Lottery players, we’re all helping great things like Hidden Gems to happen in communities all over England.

“We’re really proud to support this work through the Great Place scheme, giving people across Herefordshire the chance to express themselves, and celebrate their villages, towns and cities.”

Lauren Rogers, from the Great Place team in Herefordshire, said:

“One of our main aims is to put arts and heritage at the centre of people’s lives and the Hidden Gems projects are at the heart of that.

“They are proof that good access to arts and heritage has a direct impact on how we feel about where we live, on our identity, our economy, and our well-being. Culture is crucial.”

Find out more.