St.Helens Council has been successful in securing £60,642 from Arts Council England to develop arts programmes within St.Helens.

The funding will enable the council to work closely with tenants and residents groups, community organisations, voluntary and third sector groups to empower the community to deliver their own arts projects.

It will start with a high profile conference planned for March and a ‘bitesize’ training programme.

In addition the funding will enable The St.Helens Creative Network to have a two year programme of high-quality trainers and speakers who will be able to enable its members to develop and deliver it’s own arts programme for the St.Helens Community.

The funding will enable the council to programme four exciting arts projects (one in each of the re:new areas), which will culminate in events as part of the new, enhanced StHelens town centre events programme.

People interested in finding out more about the conference or if you are a community group and want to find out how to take part in the training programme you should contact Owen Hutchings on 01744 674401 or email owenhutchings@sthelens.gov.uk

Says Councillor Barrie Grunewald, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Culture, Communications and the Town Centre: “This will empower communities to be able to vision and deliver their own arts programmes. The programme will engage with non-traditional participants in the arts in the four re:new areas. We will effectively engage with our neighbourhood areas in a range of creative processes and give them the opportunity to perform and exhibit at high-profile borough wide events