ESSEX County Council’s Arts and Cultural fund supports projects that engage communities and benefit residents.

A range of projects that will benefit local communities will launch this year thanks to Essex County Council’s Arts and Cultural fund.

The 12 successful Arts and Cultural fund projects include artist and storytelling walks, dance and performance programmes for disabled participants, theatre plays focusing on mental health issues and male loneliness, music festivals and more.

Taking place throughout the county, the projects will highlight issues, engage with groups and bring local communities together.

They include a community theatre performance exploring the impact of climate change and an African song and dance project for young people in Basildon.

Other projects involve a 217-mile (350-kilometre) artist walk to gather residents’ stories and explore Essex folklores.

Since launching in December 2021, the Arts and Cultural fund has supported over 80 county-wide activities and events.

The fund has seen artists, actors and musicians work with over 11,000 schoolchildren and perform to audiences of almost 400,000 people during the last four years.

Councillor Mark Durham, Cabinet Member for the Arts, Heritage and Culture, said: “This year’s applications for the Arts and Cultural fund were extremely varied, as demonstrated by the wide array of new projects.

“The fact we had so many high-quality applications for the fund again is testament to the amount of highly skilled and creative art and cultural practitioners we have in the county.”

For more information about the forthcoming Arts and Cultural Fund projects visit www.culture-essex.co.uk/projects.

The 12 Arts and Cultural Funded projects include:

Kenny Emson, Basildon: To research and deliver a new play. Working with community groups and mental health charities in the Basildon area the play will explore the male mental health crisis and loneliness.

The Flex Youth and Community Group CIC, Basildon: An African song and dance project designed to engage marginalised young people in Basildon.
Wise Ram Theatre Community Interest Company, Braintree and Tendring: ‘The Essex Sunshine Coast’, a community theatre project exploring the impacts of climate change on communities in the Braintree and Tendring areas.

Ingatestone Museum Trust, Brentwood: A project in the Brentwood area to establish an interesting and relevant history of Ingatestone and its environs to attract all ages and abilities.

The Minories, Colchester: ‘Art of the Roadz’, an urban youth, global majority music project at the Minories, Colchester.

Matthew Jewson, Colchester and Tendring: ‘Dyslexia and Me’ a creative project in the Colchester and Tendring areas that will engage young neurodiverse people on how to champion their identity of being dyslexic through creativity.

Jessica Pearce, county-wide: ‘Legendary Essex’ a project collecting and celebrating unique Essex folk lore stories, explored through storytelling and artmaking, concluding with a public exhibition.

Scott Hurran, county-wide: The research and delivery of two new short films with the LGBTQIA+ and youth communities in Essex. The films will be developed with the communities in creative writing and film workshops.

James Lawrence, county-wide: ‘Spirit of Essex’, a 217-mile (350 kilometre) walk through Essex, gathering stories from residents as well as of the county’s history, folklore and landscapes.

Find Your Voice Community Interest Company, county-wide: ‘Everyday People’, a multisensory music, dance and performance programme for disabled participants with social care services across Essex.

Eloise Pilbeam, Harlow: An interactive willow sculpture which the public will contribute to, that will be installed in Harlow.

Thaxted Festival: A project to enhance participation and enjoyment of music working with local primary and secondary schools with low-cost concerts for families.