Opportunity for local groups to celebrate CultureDale

In the run up to Calderdale’s Year of Culture in 2024, local groups and organisations are invited to apply for grants from a £50,000 fund, to support cultural opportunities.

The year 2024 marks 50 years since Calderdale became a borough. To celebrate, Calderdale Council is hosting a Year of Culture, to inspire, entertain, and showcase Calderdale by bringing people together through arts, heritage, sports, and culture in all its forms.

The Council is offering local groups the opportunity to apply for a one-off grant of between £500 and £8000. This work is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The ‘UKSPF CultureDale: Year of Culture 2024 Community Fund’ will support organisations to deliver a broad and exciting range of work and activity to engage people living in north and central Halifax. The purpose of this fund is to encourage collaboration and new partnerships between groups or individuals and bring residents together through cultural events, exhibitions or performances.

The grant application process is being managed by the Community Foundation for Calderdale. For more information and to apply, visit https://cffc.co.uk/ukspf-culturedale-year-of-culture-2024-community-fund/ The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Monday 16 October 2023.

The UKSPF funded programme is for events specifically in the north and central Halifax areas. From Monday 25 September, a further grant opportunity will open to applications looking to develop activities across the borough. The Activation Fund can be used for projects that bring people together for creative, cultural, sports, and wellbeing activities. More information will be available from Monday 25 September on CFFC website (cffc.co.uk)

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, Cllr Jenny Lynn, said: “Calderdale’s Year of Culture in 2024 will celebrate Calderdale’s incredible vibrant communities and bring people together over an engaging programme of events.

“We want events to be inclusive, ensuring that every individual can actively participate, contribute, and revel in cultural experiences. We also want the programme to provide a platform for our talented local groups and individuals, showcasing their creativity and the borough’s distinctiveness – something that makes Calderdale so special.

“This grant scheme is aimed at organisations with ideas to benefit the north and central Halifax area, with upcoming further opportunities for funding for those based elsewhere in the borough.

“We’re so excited about what’s in store for the Year of Culture, to work in partnership with organisations like the Community Foundation for Calderdale, and for local people to be at the heart of the programme’s development. We can’t wait to hear people’s ideas and support their creative ambitions to allow them to become a reality.”

The events planned as part of the Year of Culture are part of the CultureDale brand. They will play an important role in the Council’s priority for thriving towns, showcasing the borough as a destination and bringing subsequent economic and regeneration opportunities.

The celebrations for the Year of Culture are being guided by Where Creativity Flows, Calderdale’s Cultural Strategy, which was created in partnership with the borough’s cultural sector. To find out more about Calderdale’s Year of Culture, visit https://www.culturedale.co.uk/