By Huge funding boost for Grimsby’s history and culture grants!
An exciting development sees three local projects showcasing Grimsby’s rich history and culture have received a significant boost in funding.
The grants are known as “Heritage Starter” grants, these are secured with £250,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. North East Lincolnshire was selected due to low heritage investment and high levels of deprivation.
North East Lincolnshire Council has now announced the latest projects to benefit from this scheme.
Local Legends – Rod Temperton is run by the Culture House in partnership with Trinity Sounds, Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education, NEL Music Hub, and Creative Start.
They hope to collaborate for visual and digital artwork and a live music event celebrating the life of Cleethorpes born songwriter Rod Temperton. Rod was known for writing a selection of Michael Jackson classics.
Becky Darnell, from The Culture House, added: “Through this project we’ll be working with young people to understand how we can open up access to our heritage to a younger audience. Additionally, we want to use this project as a springboard with the aim of creating an annual event celebrating local legends.”
Grimbarians x RNLI is another project set to be supported by the grants and is looking to document the current lifeboat station and it’s team of volunteers ahead of the new station.
Dan Clarke, from the Grimbarians CIC, said: “Through this project, we plan to document the changing landscape and heritage that’s happening in Cleethorpes.
“We hope to do this through the build of the new RNLI station and build up an archive ready for use as a physical exhibition in the new station once it’s opened. We want to celebrate the wonderful volunteers, past, present and future, as well as explain about the people who have and will keep our residents and visitors safe.”
We are the Docks research and development project, aims to move forward for a piece of community theatre based on the real stories of those impacted by Grimsby Docks.
The grant will enable research, interviews and two research and development performances followed by Q&A sessions to inform the further development of the script.
The project is being led by freelance journalist Rosanna McGlone. She said: “We’ll be working in partnership with retired fishermen to conduct the research for a piece of theatre that will capture the essence of the docks and those who worked there.
“We will then be looking for local amateur actors to do rehearsed readings and members of the public to come and provide feedback. We think it’s vital that the community life, as it was, is recorded and remembered.
“It’s integral to Grimsby’s recent history. It is hoped that this will then lead to the development of the full length play in the future.”
Cllr Tom Furneaux, Cabinet member for heritage, also commented: “These are some really great projects, which alongside others already underway, will help show others the pride we have in our place, our towns. Though these are relatively small individual projects, collectively, alongside the others, there will be a huge bank of local knowledge built up. Congratulations to all those that have worked hard to secure the funds.”
