Get connected!

Ever wanted to create or perform? Do you have something great to offer, but struggle to find your audience? Or perhaps you want to be that audience, and experience something fresh and new that was created right here in the city? Connection Culture, supported by Peterborough City Council, aims to make these things happen. We talked to Vivacity’s Arts Development Officer Kate Hall about this exciting and potentially game-changing new programme

First of all, what exactly is ‘Connection Culture’?
It’s part of a pilot scheme by the Arts Council using National Lottery funding, whose aims are to develop art activity and get more people engaged with the arts. The programme in Peterborough is to be called Connection Culture and, as the name suggests, it’s all about building new relationships between organisations, artists and communities and growing expertise and skills.

So what does this new programme actually mean for the people of Peterborough?
It’s huge… It basically means more art, more creative possibilities, and more entertainment for the city. It means more work that is directly relevant to Peterborough and the experiences and aspirations of the people here, more visiting artists – some of whom will be of international stature – as well as more opportunities for the artists who are already here to make their mark, and find their audience. And when I say ‘artists’ I mean that in the broadest sense – not just painters or sculptors, but performers, craftspeople, musicians, writers…

‘We’re looking at all kinds of projects, big and small’

Can you give examples of creative projects we might expect to see?
The funding for Connection Culture began in April, but we’ve seen several such projects already as part of last year’s Creative City programme. This is how we know that people really do want and appreciate them. Dark Earth at Flag Fen, by Eastern Angles, was a good example Who would have thought that a new play, about draining the Fens, performed in a tent in late September, would sell out? But it did. Audiences had a great time, and the Guardian said it was ‘stunning’. That involved a professional theatre company working with local amateur practitioners to reach new audiences. Another example was the Lantern Parade at ArtsFest last year. The Liverpool Lantern Company worked with local artists, and some of those artists have gone on to make beautiful lanterns on their own. On a smaller scale, we did a project with the New Ark adventure playground, who wanted to do something about their archive. We commissioned a writer to write it up, but also got a local illustrator, Laura Barnard, to do some interpretive boards. It was all about bringing those artistic skills into other environments. So, we’re looking at all kinds of projects, big and small.

So it’s about encouraging local artists?
Yes, but we’re also saying to national artists and organisations: ‘Come and work in Peterborough, and leave something behind that makes a difference – invest in local artists’. It will work at all different levels. We’ll have some young people who will go on paid internships in professional art settings, for example. Then we’ll also be investing in community groups, so people from the many diverse communities in Peterborough will be supported to put on events, work with artists and reach new audiences.

So it’s led by what the communities themselves want?
Sometimes things are also led by the consortium – Vivacity, Metal, Creative Peterborough, Step Up and Voluntary Arts – because there’s a sense of ‘this might work here’. But then there’s close monitoring of the audiences. Often, it’s obvious when people are loving it, as with Creative Peterborough’s Find Me, Keep Me project last year. That was 52 local artists working together, creating a crazy treasure hunt across Peterborough. It got people incredibly excited. They were running across Cathedral Square, hunting around the Museum to try and find the hidden pieces of art. That shows there is real enthusiasm – and what I loved was that the artists had such a great time working together. We had international artists who had been leading the national Free Art Friday programme saying ‘Wow – they took Free Art Friday and made it into something new!’ And that’s what we should be aiming for.

‘If what you are doing is high quality and you believe in it, there will be an audience out there for you’

How do you ensure those audiences will come?
It’s not about making people come to the arts, it’s about sparking people’s interest and finding what’s relevant to them. And that work has to be of high quality, otherwise people won’t come back. Eastern Angles are returning to do River Lane, not at Flag Fen this time, but in the heart of the community at Hampton in Serpentine Green. I‘m confident that many of those people who came to Dark Earth will also come to see that. If what you are doing is high quality and you believe in it, there will be an audience out there for you. It’s about finding them, and we want to make that easier. Part of that is having a marketing strategy and communications in the programme to highlight the amazing level of skill in the city.

How can people follow what’s going on and get the latest news?
Via the IDEA1 website. There will be a tab for ‘Connection Culture’, and all related public events will go on the IDEA1 calendar. So, sign up for that, and keep an eye on the Vivacity website as well. Ultimately, all the organisations that join in will become part of that Connection Culture, and will feel ownership of it. There will be lots of opportunities for training and development, too – what we’re calling a ‘Chamber of Culture’, run through Metal. That’s the first port of call for those wanting to get involved. Local people are really central to it, and ultimately they are the ones who will make this work.

If you are

1. An artist looking for support
2. An arts or community group looking to do more
3. Someone with an idea of doing something creative

then take a look at www.idea1.org.uk and www.vivacity-peterborough.com