Culture Within Newham, the Creative People and Places programme for Newham, has been awarded three more years of funding from Arts Council England.
The awarded funding, £918,000 across three years, will allow Culture Within Newham to work with more local people to develop the kinds of creative activity they want to experience on their doorstep, and will be used to support the organisation until March 2029.
Culture Within Newham plan to increase their focus on North East Newham where communities are most underserved with cultural opportunities, and to increase their spotlight on young voices, disabled communities, and Black, Eastern European and South Asian communities.
Creative People and Places is an Arts Council England-funded programme that focuses on parts of the country where involvement in creativity and culture is below the national average.
Since Culture Within Newham launched its activity programme in 2023, the organisation has commissioned 74 community-led projects, engaged 46,500 people in Newham with arts and culture, and worked with 5,300 community co-creators who have collaborated in shaping the outcome and direction of local projects.
Culture Within Newham’s resident-led Community Voices Panel and Children’s Board of 8-11 year-olds have allocated £315,000 of budget to 41 community-led commissions so far.
Projects commissioned since 2023 include PictureEast Film Festival by The New Black Film Collective in collaboration with FilmLondon; The Sound Hive interactive play-table by RiceBox Studio; and free community festivals such as Jamboree in the Park, produced by Learning Stages.
Culture Within Newham Programme Director Stella Toonen said:
“We’re delighted that Arts Council England sees the benefit of our work in Newham, and grateful for the support of our consortium members and wider partners in connecting us with the artists, communities and organisations that are Newham’s creative pulse.
“Since our programme began, we’ve seen so many people discover their creativity, participate regularly, and then step up to lead creative projects or join our resident voice panels. We’re proud to create impactful ways for Newham locals to take ownership of their borough’s culture.”
Michelle Walker, London Area Director, Arts Council England, said:
“Creative People and Places is about empowering people to bring creativity into everyday spaces in ways that are important to them. We’re thrilled to support a new round of locally rooted projects that reflect the energy and diversity of London’s communities, from citizen-led assemblies and eco-focused events to youth-driven initiatives. With National Lottery funding, these programmes will help Londoners shape the cultural life of their neighbourhoods.”