£100k awarded as culture prioritised in Mid Suffolk

Preserving East Anglian traditions, supporting dance-based dementia sessions and getting children involved with theatre and the arts are among the ways Mid Suffolk District Council is investing in the district’s culture.

Thanks to the new Mid Suffolk Culture Fund, nine organisations have received a share of £100,505 for projects that contribute toward Mid Suffolk’s cultural scene.

Recipients include DanceEast for its dementia support classes – encouraging those affected by the condition to share in the joy of dancing, as well as East Anglian Traditional Music Trust, who promote the region’s musical roots through traditional instruments and dance.

There’s also an opportunity for the district’s youngsters to discover a new passion, with grants given to the Stowmarket Culture Group for the “Jubilant” youth summer arts festival, which involves 10 schools, and to ERD Connection for the “Thrive and Flourish” youth theatre group, also in Stowmarket.

Further funding has been awarded to the John Peel Centre and the Food Museum as part of their long-standing partnership with Mid Suffolk District Council, ensuring that these important hubs of art and creativity can continue to provide unique and exciting experiences in the future.

Other organisations have also benefited from a contribution to their core costs, such as the Association of Suffolk Local Museums, Stowmarket Arts CIC and Suffolk Artlink, with each now able to appropriately recruit and resource in order to continue their work in the community.

Tim Weller, Mid Suffolk District Council cabinet member for Environment, Culture and Wellbeing, said: “We are incredibly proud of our district’s cultural scene, so it was important to us that we ring-fence a portion of our available funding to benefit the organisations that contribute towards it.

“Thank you to all of the organisations that applied for and received this funding. You are helping Mid Suffolk to remain a vibrant and exciting place to live and visit.”

The next application window is set to open in October 2025, with another £100,000 available to be applied for.

To find out more information about the Mid Suffolk Culture Fund, as well as a full list of available grants, visit the ‘community funding’ page on the Mid Suffolk District Council website.

Mid Suffolk Culture Fund recipients: