CultureDale, a celebration of culture in the borough of Calderdale, is as vast and diverse as its premise suggests, encompassing everything from sport and leisure to food and fashion.
There is a particular focus on the creative arts, one of the region’s richest sectors – according to research by Calderdale Creates, 11% of the borough’s working population is in the creative industry, compared to a national average of 8%.
With such an immensely broad scope, there’s enormous opportunity to get involved. You can apply for funding to run your own project, offer your services to an existing one, or simply enjoy some of the many workshops, festivals and public activities already lined up.
So how does it all work?
CultureDale has been allocated a chunk of public money to help fund and create a truckload of cultural events throughout the year. The fund is broadly split into two pots. One is for a series of key commissions with established organisations, the other is for smaller activities run by community groups and individuals.
Phil Stephenson, Festival & Outdoor Events Manager: “Our biggest commissions include Northern Broadside, based down at Dean Clough. They’ve performed all around the world doing things like Northern Shakespeare. They’re working on ‘Iron People’, an adaptation of Ted Hughes’ Iron Giant. We’ve also got Northern Rascals, Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, Arvon, a national organisation that works in creative writing, and many more.”
Key Commissions
When it comes to the second tranche, the variety is even more evident.
Jo Fullman, Community Engagement Officer: “We’ve got some funding that’s responsive to how people want to see themselves reflected and celebrated locally. People have got in touch to put on a local music event, to do something around fashion, there’s something around sewing, all sorts… We’ve also funded a project with the Calderdale Food Network who are doing a thing called Back To Our Roots, growing different vegetables from around the world – and there’s a cooking project alongside that.”
Phil: “We’ve also got Tinker, Make, Create, which is a family roadshow, going out to eight locations in the borough. We’re then working with Eureka! on a mini-festival for children up to 12, to come and just play, to make something, create something.”
The CultureDale team are planning a number of their own public events too, such as a People’s Park Festival in August – a multicultural two-day event with international film on the Saturday and a music-based family festival on the Sunday, in partnership with Radio Sangam.
Then there’s the Youth Music Takeover, which aims to create opportunities for young performers as well as those behind-the-scenes.
Phil: “The Grayston Unity have been on board since the beginning and they’ve already had some trainees funded through the programme. We’re also working with Andy Abbott and the grassroots music venues. We want to do more engagement in schools and youth groups as well. We’re at a time right now where Calderdale has some really great young bands, like The Caymans, The Incident and Grow.”
Many projects are at an advanced stage but, with another round of funding announced, there is still time to get your own idea off the ground.
Jo: “We did one activation fund in January. We had £50,000 in total available and we had £450,000 worth of applications. We funded the key projects through that, but we’ve decided for this next one we will reduce the maximum amount you can apply for so we can fund more projects.”
Head to the CultureDale web site for details on how to apply. There are very few limits to the scope of ideas that Phil and Jo consider, provided it reflects a community need.
Jo: “It could be that somebody working with families wants to put on, for example, forest school training. So long as there’s a skills development element and it’s community-led and collaborative.”
Funding is allocated according to a number of parameters. Some of it is postcode targeted, some is earmarked to support under-represented groups.
Phil and Jo are part of small team and are aware that, to make CultureDale a success, they are best taking the role of enabler, thereby unleashing the huge potential that is scattered throughout the area. CultureDale is ultimately tasked with supporting the ambitions of the Council and its Vision 2024 initiative – to be ‘a place to live a larger life’, where ‘talent and enterprise can thrive’.
Phil: “Calderdale is a melting pot of creatives. It has three valleys that all fall into one. It’s got one road that runs all the way through it. It’s got one canal that runs all the way through it. So it’s connected but also separate. We’ve got loads of great organisations in Calderdale, but knitting them all together can be difficult. Our role is about trying to connect people and get them working in partnership.”
So, of the many fast-evolving projects associated with CultureDale, which ones are Phil and Jo most excited about?
Jo: “For me, it’s all about the unexpected. We started out with a blank canvas, thinking ‘Well, there’ll be some poetry, some dance and music’. But it’s the things we didn’t think of that are the most interesting.”
How To Get Involved
Events timetable>
Funding opportunities>
Volunteering>
Meet the CultureDale team>
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