Peterborough arts group receives more than £650,000 of new funding

A Peterborough arts organisation has received more than £650,000 of funding from Arts Council England.
Synchronised swimming dancers Yorkshire Life Aquatic performing in Wet Sounds at the Lido. Photos by: Leah Barfield PhotographySynchronised swimming dancers Yorkshire Life Aquatic performing in Wet Sounds at the Lido. Photos by: Leah Barfield Photography
Synchronised swimming dancers Yorkshire Life Aquatic performing in Wet Sounds at the Lido. Photos by: Leah Barfield Photography

Peterborough Presents will use £679,980 over three years to produce more arts activities away from the city centre and encourage greater participation.

The organisation was set up two years ago and has put on a number of events in the city, but its biggest success is the young people it has helped start a career in the arts.

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Charley Genever has become the Peterborough Poet Laureate and has been awarded further funding by Arts Council England to produce the ‘Freak Speak Poetry Night’, while Charlotte Barlow has been awarded a scholarship to the Slade School of Fine Art and artist Michaela D’Agati is about to launch her latest exhibition in Norwich.

Josie Stone, Peterborough Presents programme manager, said: “We have had a fantastic two years building Peterborough Presents, and we’re excited to move on to the next stage.

“We’re going to make the programme city wide, so moving our activity out of the city centre and into different communities across the city, putting great art on their doorsteps.

“Everything we do will be shaped and developed with local residents to ensure that our activities are relevant and appealing.

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“We’ll be creating new spaces for art, more opportunities for people to participate in creative activities and more events for people to attend and enjoy.”

Peterborough Presents will be working in Millfield, Bretton, and Hampton in 2017, and in six new areas from October 2017 which have not yet been confirmed.

The arts organisation has already put on a number of events in Peterborough, including a ‘music takeover’ of the city centre in April 2015, and ‘Wet Sounds’ - an afternoon of underwater music, performances, and a chance to play with cutting edge digital technology at the Lido.

Previously funded projects also include ukulele-making workshops and a pedal-powered open air cinema.

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Kevin Tighe, CEO of Vivacity, Peterborough Presents’ lead partner, said: “The past two years have been an incredible learning experience and we’re delighted to be able to put all that we’ve learnt into practice with a new programme that will go even further in engaging Peterborough residents with the arts.”