Home Page Haverhill News

HAVERHILL’s Multi@rts project, led by Sally Roberts, has been awarded £1,000 to extend digital media access to a range of groups and individuals, including local artists.

Multi@rtsis one of eleven arts projects across Suffolk to benefit from the extra funding thanks to a county council scheme.

The Arts for All scheme supports projects that involve people in the arts, particularly those who find it difficult to take part.

The 11 projects supported by Arts for All over the next year will help to reach people all across the county and will enable over 18,000 people to take part in and enjoy the arts.

The county council has provided £12,215 for the projects which has also helped to attract a further £207,000 of external funding.

Kathy Pollard, member of the county council's executive committee, said: "By supporting these projects, Arts for All is helping to bring the arts to people who may not normally have access to them. These are all exciting projects and I am sure many people will gain a great deal of enjoyment from them."

Since it first launched in March this year the project has already provided the community with digital media access through Taster Workshops and Community Projects. They have worked with a group of teenagers to produce a short film, a women’s group to produce a mug design and worked with local schools to create a film which premiered at the Haverhill Festival.

Talking about the grant, Sally Roberts, Multi@rts digital media development worker said: “We are very pleased to receive this grant which will go towards giving digital media access to a local community group to produce a piece of digital art.”

The other successful projects were The East Anglian Traditional Music Trust which was awarded £1,500 to help bring traditional music, song and dance to a wider audience.

DanceEast was given £1,500 to encourage and develop dance for boys. They will be working with Michael Platt, a county council dance advisory teacher and composer Ian Dearden.

Rural Rock are to be given £532 to run accessible music training, practice and performance activities to help develop self-esteem, reduce crime and increase community involvement.

Suffolk Arts Marketing has been offered £1,200 to develop audiences for arts activities through rural communication networks and working with 10 volunteers across the county.

Red Rose Chain theatre group, creators of the highly acclaimed film, 'Moving on Up' which has been selected for the Los Angeles Short Film Festival, has been awarded £500 to work with pupils from Holywells High School. They will produce and perform a play based on the pupils' experiences. The play may also be the basis of a short film in the future.

'Music in our Bones', a community music project for the Shotley Peninsula has been offered £1,500 to work with pre-school groups, young musicians, community choirs and other groups.

The Aldeburgh Poetry Trust has been given £600 to support eight sessions within the Writer-in-Residence element of the Poetry Festival. This project is happening this month and includes sessions with East Suffolk Mind and at Highpoint Prison.

The 'Eyes of the Dead' theatre company has been offered funding of £1,500 to develop, produce and tour with their own production Sofia's Ankles to non-traditional venues. A video version will also be distributed to recovering addicts, and prison inmates.

Peppery Productions has been given £1,500 to provide quality world music productions. This will take the form of four events held in Ipswich between Autumn 2001 and May 2002.

Puppets Overcoming Prejudice has been given £1,034 to introduce young people of mixed race or heritage to puppetry and use it a way of addressing issues and concerns relevant to them.

CAPTION: Sally Roberts with some of the Mulit@rts equipment.

E-Mail Link: sally@multiarts.org.uk