New funding for projects celebrating the East of England's working class heritage
Historic England is funding five new projects in the East which tell the stories of the region’s working class heritage
Last updated 21st Feb 2024
Thousands of pounds are to be spent funding projects across the East which celebrate the region's working class heritage.
Historic England will be five funding projects over the next two years, among them, the untold stories of a 1970s Lowestoft paranormal magazine, the brickmaking and farming heritage of Eye in Cambridgeshire, and the 16th century Ipswich almshouses established by a wealthy merchant.
The money's coming from Historic England's Everyday Heritage grant programme.
They tell us they received over 380 applications and have narrowed them down to 56 community-led projects across England.
The total amount of funding awarded will be £875,000, ranging from £6,800 to £25,000 per individual project.
Tony Calladine, East of England Regional Director, Historic England, said: “There are so many hidden histories to uncover here in the East of England.
"Every community has a story to tell and we want to hear them. This is the strength of our Everyday Heritage grant programme, which funds projects that are community-led and really engage with local people by empowering them to research and tell their own stories.
"I’m excited to learn more about these fascinating projects as they shine an important light on our working class heritage.”
What projects will be funded in the East?
Gypsy and Traveller Tales in Greensand Country, Full House Theatre, Bedfordshire (£18,950)
This project is centred around the co-creation of a touring exhibition that tells the story of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities living in Greensand Country, Central Bedfordshire.
Full House is a child-focused charity and arts organisation that is based in the heart of Greensand Country.
The year-long project will take place on three local sites, where children and families from GRT communities will be creating content alongside visiting artists, forming a body of work to be shared with the public.
The final output will be an exhibition, co-created and curated with participants, that will tour three local libraries.
Lantern, The Seagull Lowestoft CIC, Lowestoft, Suffolk (£9,566)
Lantern, a locally-produced paranormal magazine, was an important part of the Lowestoft cultural scene in the 1970s.
In partnership with local people, the Seagull Lowestoft CIC will explore the buildings and stories that were featured in the magazine to draw out the history discovered from the paranormal investigations of the Borderline Science Investigation Group, who produced the publication.
Working with a professional writer and creative team, local people will then create and perform an original piece of drama exploring Lowestoft’s heritage.
Digging Down, Building Up, Peterborough Presents (part of the Nene Park Trust), Eye, Cambridgeshire (£19,600)
Digging Down, Building Up will explore Eye’s brickmaking and farming heritage, uncovering the stories and voices of people who lived and worked in those industries from the early 1900s.
Eye’s bricks were used in buildings across the country, including Westminster Cathedral, and continued in production until 1990.
Working with the local community, Peterborough Presents (part of the Nene Park Trust) will discover and share stories through workshops, an interactive heritage trail and a lantern parade.
Ipswich Caribbean Centre Project, SPILL Festival Ltd, Ipswich, Suffolk (£10,000)
This project will recognise and celebrate the former Ipswich Caribbean Association building and the role it played in the lives of the local Caribbean community.
A community centre and social club, it occupied the site at 15-17 Woodbridge Road from the early 1970s until 2010. The building was demolished in 2012 and the site is now a public car park.
Over its 40 years of community-led operation, the centre hosted a wide range of activities and was an essential local connection to Caribbean culture and heritage.
SPILL Festival’s Artistic Director Robin Deacon, whose mother emigrated to the UK from Trinidad and Tobago in the 1960s, has brought together a Steering Group of local community leaders to drive the project forward.
Oral histories will draw out people’s memories and experiences of spending time at the centre, new community artworks and heritage resources will be created, and a public event will celebrate the cultural and social impact of this much-loved community space.
Tooley’s Almshouses, Red Rose Chain Theatre Company, Ipswich, Suffolk (£9,889)
Tooley’s Almshouses will tell the story of the Ipswich almshouses, established by the estate of wealthy merchant Henry Tooley in 1552, which transformed the lives of disadvantaged people.
The project will be co-created with the Chainers youth theatre, an inclusive group for young people aged 13 to 21, run by Red Rose Chain Theatre Company.
In heritage workshops, archive materials and the stories of people who lived in Tooley’s Almshouses will be used to create the script for a new play, in collaboration with a professional playwright and local historian.
The group will perform the play in public performances at The Avenue Theatre and will create digital resources and an exhibition based on their research. T
he young people will also engage with residents living in supported housing at Tooley Court, on the site of the Tudor Almshouses, and Ipswich Family Bank, a volunteer organisation supporting local families.