Torbay's Great Place Scheme

Torbay’s Great Place Scheme aims to grow and celebrate our local area as a great place to live, work and visit. Through a series of projects running until March next year, Torbay Culture is striving to put arts and heritage at the heart of the Bay’s bright future. We are doing it by working with local residents, businesses, cultural organisations and assets; and with creative practitioners from Torbay and around the world. We have partners across the public, private and voluntary sectors.

The work is focussed on four themes: shaping place, changing lives, engaging audiences, and building resilience across the cultural sector.

SHAPING PLACE

‘Eyeview’ – we are creating a new, Torbay-wide, approach to cultural programming that supports and grows Torbay's cultural assets – especially the hidden gems. This programme is called Eyeview and it will light up 2019 and beyond with cultural projects, events and happenings, working with artists and our communities to offer fresh perspectives on what makes Torbay unique. We also have a shop on Winner Street!
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Town centre regeneration – working with TDA and Torbay Council to put heritage and art at the heart of the design process for two proposed schemes: Paignton Station Square and Torquay’s Strand. Interactive workshops allowed the local community to work on the plans with the designers. Artists are part of the design team and are drawing on this local knowledge to ensure the schemes are authentic and unique.
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Cultural tourism – we have supported the set-up of a new Destination Management Group and are working with the tourism and culture sectors to develop new products that will attract cultural tourists to the English Riviera. Think itineraries, guides, tours…
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CHANGING LIVES

Arts, Health & Wellbeing – We’re investing in developing partnerships which improve the quality of residents’ lives through culture, health and wellbeing projects for the long-term. Pilot programmes included Singing For Wellness choirs, ‘Best Foot Forward’ dance for preventing falls, and mental health.
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Care homes and beyond – with Torbay Council, we commissioned Encounters Arts to work with residents of care homes to develop the inspiring Torbay Care Charter. We’re building new partnerships to develop new creative projects that change lives in Torbay.
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Creative Community Building – learning from our work developing Eyeview, we are about to begin a new project with Torbay Community Development Trust’s community builders, celebrating Torbay’s communities through creativity. More soon!

ENGAGING AUDIENCES

The Shorely – Aiming to raise the profile of arts, culture and heritage in the Bay, The Shorely is a digital “insiders’ guide” to all the creative goings-on in Brixham, Paignton and Torquay. We’re putting Torbay on the cultural map.
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The 99 – Data shows that a high proportion of local residents don’t attend arts or heritage activities in Torbay. We put together a panel of 99 locals to find out what they really think, to learn how we might do things differently.
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Torbay Culture Ambassadors – harnessing the power of our local culture buffs, we are growing a pool of volunteers to support events and spread the word. If you’d be interested in being an Ambassador, or your organisation needs volunteers, find out more

 Audience Evaluation – we are working with South West Museums Development to support all local cultural organisations to roll out simple, sustainable ways to get to know their audiences. Pooling the information collected will also give us a reliable Torbay-wide understanding about who engages with arts and heritage here and who we’re missing.
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BUILDING RESILIENCE

New models of governance – we have supported arts and heritage organisations at the point of transition into new models of operation that would help them to become more resilient. This includes Doorstep Arts, Palace Theatre, Paignton Picture House, Torbay Culture & Arts Network (TCAN), and Artizan Gallery. We are looking forward to sharing the learning widely.
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Skills Development – Aiming to build knowledge and confidence across Torbay’s cultural sector, we will shortly be announcing a programme of skills development for those working in arts and heritage. Keep an eye on your inbox for more news coming soon!

Anna Matthews, Great Place Scheme Programme Manager says:
“The Great Place Scheme gives us all the chance to be ambitious, to think differently about Torbay and to test new ways of doing things. It is important in achieving the aims set out in Torbay’s cultural strategy, Enjoy, talk, do, be. Our ambition is that everyone – starting with residents and extending to our visitors – has the chance to participate in culture and creativity in ways which are meaningful to them.” 

The Great Place Scheme is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England and provides £1.6m investment in Torbay from 2017-2020.