Bury Council launches Town of Culture Grants for local creatives

Bury Council is launching a new Town of Culture Grants Scheme to celebrate local talent and nurture creativity.

The scheme which has been developed by Bury Council on the back of its Town of Culture Status for 2021 aims to provide financial support to enhance community creativity - which has been so important to many throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The borough has just hosted a fabulous Happy Festival and Burrs Live where thousands of people enjoyed music and entertainment including creative talent for the Borough.

There will be 20 small grants of up to £250 each available for community groups and local creatives to fund new equipment, run taster sessions, get a project off the ground or deliver a specific event.

In addition there will be 5 larger grants of up to £2,500 available for collaborative activity to promote community culture and creativity across our neighbourhoods.

Cultural and creative activity could take the form of art, dance, performance, writing, music, zines, mural, prose, poetry, photography, craft for both the small and large grants.

Applications can be from individuals, organisations or networks based in the Borough of Bury or that can clearly demonstrate impact specifically on local communities.

Councillor Charlotte Morris, cabinet member for the cultural economy, said “Bury’s cultural and creative landscape is made up of a rich tapestry of individuals, organisations and networks and as part of our time as Town of Culture we want to celebrate this talent as well as provide creatives with a platform to thrive and develop further. This scheme has been designed to support creativity at all levels and we are excited to see what proposals and ideas come forward to be part of the town’s cultural offer.”

The scheme is live as of today (Monday 6^thSeptember) and you can apply at www.bury.gov.uk/townofculture. The deadline for applications is Monday 27^th September.

Bury was chosen as the inaugural Town of Culture for 2020 by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority but sadly the majority of the programme had to be postponed due to the COVID19 pandemic. Officials have been working with cultural partners across the town to develop a new programme which kick started with the Happy Festival in May and saw thousands entertained at Burrs Live and Happy this September.