Funding for Creative Projects Across South Yorkshire

Seven voluntary and community projects from South Yorkshire were delighted to receive a combined total of £131,000 worth of funding from the Creative Exchange: South Yorkshire (CE: SY) programme last week.

The projects, based in areas of Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley have each received Innovation Fund grants to cover activities such as feasibility studies and business planning to enable them to purchase and renovate community buildings, which will be turned into enterprise centres for new creative and digital businesses.

During a briefing meeting at Sheffield Technology Parks, representatives of the projects received guidance on monitoring their grant as well as having the opportunity to meet each other; creating links and networks that are vital for creative projects to flourish.

At the briefing Tracey Johnson (see image) received a cheque for Creative Barnsley who are renovating part of Elsecar Heritage Centre into a hub of creative workspace and activity called the CB Hive.

The CE: SY programme, funded by Yorkshire Forward and Objective 1, and supported by BBC Radio Sheffield, Sheffield Investment Bond and the Arts Council, is working in partnership with communities and the creative and digital industries to build the creative economy in South Yorkshire and beyond.

Projects supported so far in Sheffield include, Heeley Development Trust, Burton Street Foundation, Harmony Training Ltd and Little Sheffield Development Trust. Rotherham Open Arts Renaissance and St Sepulchre Gate West Regeneration Forum in Doncaster are also developing exciting capital projects that link disadvantaged communities to the creative and digital industries – the fastest growing economic sector in the U.K. Through the partnership with CE: SY, all projects are drawing employment, training and networking opportunities into the sub-region.

Now these are underway the CE: SY team will continue to scope out further projects to receive funding. If you are a community organisation interested in developing a building that can be used for creative workspace then please contact Amy Carter, Creative Exchange: South Yorkshire tel: 0114 275 2622 or email amy.carter@ciq.org.uk.