Cultural cash boost for town projects

A project bringing alive the Roman history of Kettering, a record attempt and a drive to get more youngsters reading have been given a funding boost.

Kettering Cultural Consortium has agreed to fund a variety of projects to boost the cultural activity in the town.

The money has come from Kettering Town Council, which earmarked £10,000 for arts activities across the year. KettFest is getting £6,000 from the pot, with the remainder being shared between the following projects.

- Friends of the Art Gallery and Museum and Kettering and District Art Society is running the Romans in Kettering all-day event, with £1,160 for venue hire and speakers
- Kettering and District Art Society (KDAS) is getting £400 to produce artworks on the Roman theme to enhance the friends' project
- ISM Music Academy has been given £1,000 to stage a cup song event at Wicksteed Park
- And the Friends of The Library, the Library Service and Kettering Civic Society are working together on the Summer Reading Challenge and will receive £1,400 to run the scheme.

David Brown, chair of the consortium and from the Friends of the Art Gallery and Museum, said: "We are very pleased to be able to fund these fascinating projects which bring a real range and breadth of cultural experiences to the town.

"Special consideration was given to projects where two or more members of the consortium were working together and it's been great to see some groups coming together to work on bringing these projects to life."

Jason Redhead, of ISM Music Academy, said: "This will be the biggest music performance Kettering has ever had. We will be inviting local school children and they can learn the song in advance with my video tutorial. We will gather at Wicksteed and try to break some records – it's going to be a unique day and one we will not forget."

Chris Davison, from Friends of the Library, said: "Last year we had the highest figure in the county for children signing up to the summer reading challenge. Despite our temporary relocation to the Cornerstone building, we want to build on that and inspire even more children to get reading. The funding will help support free activities and outreach events to take part in over the summer holidays."

Kettering Town Councillor, Craig Skinner, said: "The council put aside £10,000 to fund arts in the town and these projects, along with KettFest, will bring a new dimension to activities in Kettering. There were some fantastic ideas presented to the consortium and I am looking forward to seeing these come to fruition and bring some unique experiences for people in Kettering."

The consortium is a group of arts organisations working together to deliver community-led cultural activities in Kettering, and is made up of:

Kettering Arts Centre
Kettering Library
The Friends of the Alfred East Gallery and Manor House Museum
Bonkers Playhouse Theatre
Wicksteed Park
Picture The Difference
The Yards Kettering and Horsemarket
Beccy Hurrell Voice & Arts (BHVA)
ISM Academy
Kettering & District Art Society
The Lighthouse Theatre
Kettering Civic Society
Kettering Town Council
North Northamptonshire Council
Pubwatch