Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation

East Lindsey and Boston have been designated as Priority Place by Arts Council England (ACE). We have received ACE support to create a Cultural Framework for Boston and East Lindsey; and are also working on an extension to reflect our Partnership with South Holland, also funded by ACE.

Our commitment to culture, led to an ambitious application for the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership to become an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO).

What does this mean?

• Arts Council England invest public money in nearly a thousand arts and cultural organisations through their National Portfolio. These organisations deliver Arts Council England Lets Create Strategy aims and objectives on a localised level.
   
• The Partnership has been allocated NPO funding of £1,955,799 for 2023-2026
   
• The funding was awarded to the Partnership to deliver an ambitious project which uses culture to strengthen area's heritage.

Project details:

• We will use culture as a way to celebrate and regenerate the heritage of our partnership area, to engage communities and to develop local talent to bring a stronger sense of place and identity. We will reimagine our heritage and natural assets as spaces for cultural production and expression.
   
• We will create three creative hubs which will drive our programme, with Boston Guildhall, Ayscoughfee Hall in Spalding and the Colonnade (once complete) in Sutton on Sea providing safe and accessible spaces for creative education activities, socially engaged practice and production and presentation. These hubs will catalyse activities across our area, partnering schools and colleges, cultural and community organisations to champion local creative talent, support participation and skills, and re-shape the area as a place where creative talent can thrive.
   
• We will run a 21st Century Digital Assets Collecting Programme capturing today's stories around cultural diversity, migration and inclusion. This element is the backbone of the project and will provide structure and content for the following artistic commissions.
   
• We will develop a programme of interactive commissions which reignite heritage, driven by an engagement programme with schools and in community settings. It will champion a STEAM agenda, with artists and technologists working with the education sector and communities to develop new site-specific work that revitalises heritage assets and perceptions of local places.
   
• Alongside this we will introduce stronger cultural programming through working with partners to develop touring and visitor experiences to enhance and increase the reach of activities into our communities.
   
• We will work in collaboration to develop exchange programmes across the Midlands to provide access for young talent to other NPOs in the region, and to provide mentoring opportunities with cultural professionals. This is to validate the idea of creative occupations to local people, build their networks and confidence, and, longer-term, to provide career path opportunities into the regional cultural sector. We will support and encourage applications to ACE funding to ensure our area is maximising on opportunities.

In summary what are we likely to see?

• Immersive artistic commissions
• Cultural touring programmes
• Opportunities for young people and hard to reach communities to engage with culture
• Digital skills development and asset colleting
• Opportunities to bring together different sectors to capture heritage assets and stories.
• Cultural collaboration and exchange programmes
• Sector learning experiences and mentoring

How will this be delivered?

A Culture Board of 16 representatives from across the area is being established as a steering group for the project. In addition to this localised groups and working groups will be created for different project strands.

How do I get involved?

• Please sign up to our newsletter to hear the project and exciting opportunities (sign up below)
   
• If you would like to apply to be a member of the Culture Board please email Samantha.phillips@e-lindsey.gov.uk for more information and we will send you a Person Specification for the role.
   
• As the project progresses there will be a dedicated website and social media platforms. The links to these will be provided on this page.