WHAT IS TORBAY CULTURE?

This page provides information to frequently asked questions. If you want to email Torbay Culture please use the contact form below.

Torbay Culture was established in 2015 to lead Enjoy, Talk, Do, Be - the ten year cultural strategy for Torbay and its communities. The strategy is focused around people and place-shaping, with a mission to enable the cultural and creative development of our home, designated as the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark; and to make Torbay a better place in which to live, work, learn and visit. From our inception in 2015, until 30 November 2021 TDA was the accountable body for Torbay Culture, its team and financial management. This function is moved to Torbay Council on 1 December 2021. Torbay Council and TDA have worked in collaboration with the independent advisory Board of Torbay Culture, and partners across the bay, to implement the strategy.

Torbay Culture has an independent advisory Board, an Executive Director, supported by additional contractors when required. Our Board members are volunteers who are residents in Torbay who impart knowledge and skills from different sectors including creative industries and culture, health, enterprise, education, architecture, and young people. All are committed to the contribution of culture to life in Torbay. We work with creative practitioners and freelance specialists to help us deliver specific programmes. You can find out more about us here. Torbay Culture does not manage venues or services, our remit is to help support and develop local collaboration, and advocate for the value of culture. You can contact us using the form below

WHY DO WE NEED TORBAY CULTURE?

Because it matters to local people. For example, we know that when people engage in high-quality cultural activities their health and well-being improves. Torbay has severe health inequalities, and, historically the bay has received lower levels of investment in culture, and experienced less engagement than average in England. We work to change this and increase the social and economic impact that creativity, heritage and culture can have.

WHY DO YOU FOCUS ON TORBAY, AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ‘TORBAY’?

Torbay Culture was established in 2015 as an action arising from the cultural strategy for the local government area of Torbay Council. Our remit is to develop and progress the priorities in that strategy.

The geographical area of Torbay covers the towns of Brixham, Paignton and Torquay. Torbay, like Plymouth, is a unitary authority area, not a district council of Devon county. The cultural strategy and subsequent investment was focused on improving culture and the quality of life in Torbay because it is one of the most deprived local government areas in the country. In some cases, funding programmes stipulate the specific area in which we have to work (for example where funding is to address social inequality, or previous lack of investment).

Whilst our focus and remit is Torbay, we do work in partnership with others beyond the area where this helps deliver the aims of the strategy. Because of the geography of Torbay, often people may work in the bay, and live outside, and of course we work with them. The emphasis is on benefiting the Torbay area, so projects usually need to be taking place in the locality, even if delivered in collaboration with those from further afield.

HOW DO I SEND YOU AN EMAIL?

Please use this contact form

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WHO FUNDS TORBAY CULTURE AND WHAT IS IT FOR?

Torbay Culture received investment from Arts Council England to develop and progress Torbay’s ten year cultural strategy, as well as grants from other organisations - like The Health Foundation - to deliver specific programmes of work that improve the quality of life in the area. During 2017-20 we were awarded funding from the national Great Place Scheme which was co-funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Arts Council, with support from Historic England. We have also received funding from programmes like the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage (2020/21) Read more about our funding here. From April 2021, TDA and Torbay Council committed to support the role of the executive post which moved to the Council from 1 December 2021.

I AM A LOCAL CREATIVE PRACTITIONER AND WOULD LIKE FUNDING, CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THAT?

Torbay Culture is not a grant giving organisation. However, we often work with commissioners and creative practitioners to create and deliver innovative programmes such as the culture, health and well-being activities. We may be able to advise or signpost you to sources of funding. Get in touch using the form below. Subject to the rules of our funders we have made awards (such as bursaries for professional development). During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic we set up a creative emergency response programme ‘Create to Recover’ funded by the Arts Council COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund; and we continued our recovery work through the government Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage. When we are able to provide this support we advertise under opportunities.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO DELIVER THE CULTURAL STRATEGY?

You can find out about our different projects and activities here.

WHAT WAS THE ‘GREAT PLACE SCHEME’?

The Great Place Scheme (2017-20) focused on using arts and heritage to deliver social and economic outcomes, maximising the value of cultural engagement to increase community well-being. Torbay's Great Place Scheme was made possible by National Lottery players through £1.2m awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England.

WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THE GREAT PLACE SCHEME 2017-20?

Torbay’s Great Place Scheme was managed by Torbay Culture at TDA, and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England as part of the Great Place Scheme (England).

Over the course of our Great Place Scheme we have been supported by numerous individuals working across cultural practice, sectors, and areas of interest. We are very grateful to everyone who has made so much possible. Our local evaluation was published in March 2021.

Individuals, organisations and creative partners are acknowledged in the various individual project evaluation reports. You can also find more about our partners on the respective project pages of this website.

Among the many partners we express our thanks to the following. They have enabled, supported or in some cases co-funded aspects of work during the Great Place Scheme:

The project team for Torbay’s Great Place Scheme were: Anna Matthews, Programme Manager | Claire Gulliver, Project and Evaluation Consultant | Tom Littlewood (Ginkgo Projects) Creative Direction (with Nathalie Palin) and Think Place/Town Centre Development Lead | Karen Marshall, Cultural Tourism Product Development |Nathalie Palin, Creative Direction, Great Place Scheme (with Tom Littlewood) | Clare Parker, Creative Producer, Eyeview cultural programme | Cat Radford, Creative Commissioning Lead | Gillian Taylor, Communications and Advocacy | Anna Gilroy, Laura Carus and the late Debbie Hyde, Cultural volunteering - Torbay Culture Ambassadors

Additional project funders for Eyeview cultural programme: Canada Council for the Arts | Halifax Professional Arts Grants Program (Canada) | The Arts Development Fund of the Home Affairs Bureau, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | National Arts Council Singapore | The National Lottery through Arts Council England | Torbay Medical Research Fund

If we have missed anyone from this list, please let us know and we’ll correct it.

Lead image: Lightplay at Royal Terrace Gardens (Picture by Kathy Coley Photography)