Culture, creativity and heritage makes Torbay a better place in which to live, work, learn and visit. Torbay Culture was set up with support from Arts Council England to provide strategic leadership for the local culture sector, and progress the cultural strategy which is focused around people and place.
INVESTING IN CULTURE
The work of Torbay Culture has been supported by grants and funding programmes. This page explains who has supported our work, and why.
COMMUNITY GRANT - The National Lottery Heritage Fund
We set up the Torbay Local Heritage Grant Scheme in 2023 to increase access and participation in local heritage and to increase awareness and celebrate our UNESCO designation as a Global Geopark. The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded us £250,000 to resource this scheme from Summer 2023 - December 2025.
CULTURE RECOVERY FUND FOR HERITAGE - The National Lottery Heritage Fund and DCMS
The Culture Recovery Fund was set up by the government to support culture across the UK during the 2020/21 period. The funds are distributed through a range of programmes by four Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) arms length bodies - Arts Council England, the BFI, Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Torbay Culture was among the first group of Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage awards announced on 9 October 2020 by Historic England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and the DCMS. At the same time DCMS and arms length bodies jointly promoted the #HereForCulture campaign. You can read more about this here.
The GREAT PLACE SCHEME a national programme to test new ways of working
The Great Place Scheme was a programme co-sponsored by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, supported by Historic England. It was initiated by the government’s Culture White Paper published in 2016. The Scheme has invested in locations where there is a commitment to embed culture, creativity and heritage in local plans and decision-making. By strengthening links between culture, civic and community organisations, and involving citizens and local businesses, each of the 16 projects across England have been enhancing the role that culture plays in the future of each place. The Scheme has also been extended to other nations of the UK. In Torbay our Scheme operated between 2017-20 and reported in 2021.
At the start of Torbay’s Scheme, Nerys Watts, then Head of the south west region of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said:
‘From the exceptional Torre Abbey to Paignton’s Pier, from its important collections and archaeology, to Agatha Christie, it is clear that Torbay stands as one of our national jewels. Working in partnership, openly listening to communities, will see Torbay use its extraordinary heritage to drive regeneration and reduce wellbeing inequality. Our heritage can provide routes to improved health, skills development, and create a sense of place, providing a stake for all in a better future and to have pride in, and love where we live. By investing in and maximising Torbay’s special heritage and culture Torbay can flourish and be everything it deserves to be.’
Project funding and strategic support - Arts Council England
Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. The Arts Council has invested in the creation and development of the cultural strategy here in Torbay (2014/15), and funded programmes of work, notably the culture, health and wellbeing activity (2017-19).
Darren Henley, Chief Executive of the Arts Council, said:
‘Torbay is a place of great potential with a stunning natural landscape as well as a wealth of cultural and heritage assets. Investment in Torbay Culture over the last few years has given shape to this potential; working with a range of partners and local people, Torbay Culture has developed and delivered projects and activities that are working to make Torbay a great place to live, work, play and visit by promoting health and wellbeing, developing civic pride and making the most of the area’s natural beauty and rich heritage.’
During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the Arts Council awarded Torbay Culture an emergency response grant to provide support for creative practitioners in the bay - see ‘Create To Recover’
Between 2015-21 TDA was the accountable body and host organisation for Torbay Culture
In 2014, TDA, in partnership with Torbay Council, commissioned Torbay’s ten year cultural strategy ‘Enjoy, Talk, Do, Be’ a cultural strategy for Torbay and its communities 2014-24. TDA was the accountable body for Torbay Culture, its team and financial management 2015-21. It employed Torbay Culture’s Executive Director, and worked in collaboration with Board members of Torbay Culture and partners to implement the strategy to transform cultural provision and engagement in the area. From 1 December 2021 this function moved into Torbay Council.
“As we came to the close of the Great Place Scheme, Stuart McLeod, (Director of England, London & South, National Lottery Heritage Fund) made the following observations:
‘It has been a privilege to work with the Great Place Scheme partners in embedding heritage, arts and culture into a wide range of activity across Torbay, as part of the project itself and in planning for the future. The 3 year programme has delivered some notable highlights, including the Wavelength celebration, The Shorely digital guide, as well as skills and development training for local art practitioners and organisations.
The impact of the programme with the future Towns Fund investment, Think Place initiative, and culture and health advocacy work with Torbay Hospital, will continue to contribute to the development of Torbay into the future, celebrating the identity and significance of the area and enabling a prosperous future for everyone in Torbay to be delivered’. ”