Previous Projects

In partnership with Ignite Imaginations, Darnall Well Being and Tickets for Good, we have been running a creative community research project in Darnall, to find out the kinds of creativity that local people would like to see more of; to consider how empty shop spaces could find new uses; and to find ways to link communities with city centre opportunities.  While the project was disrupted by Covid, we are applying for funding for a second, activity-based phase during 2021, based on community consultation.

Arts Council England funding to reposition culture as a key part of the visitor offer and local economic growth plans in Sheffield.  CD 2 built on the learning from CD1, drawing on the city’s distinctive cultural strengths of festivals, street art, beer, music and visual art. Our Favourite Places continued to be supported, with city marketing campaigns linked to both OFP and Marketing Sheffield. Three special events to bring people to the city were curated: Lush Spectra in 2017 by Mark Fell, in the Samuel Worth Chapel. Strong Language by Tim Etchells in 2018, in association with Off the Shelf Mausoleum of the Giants by Phlegm in 2019. www.mausoleumofthegiants.co.uk

Arising out of Sheffield Year of Making, the Consortium received £550,000 from Arts Council England for a programme to support and develop the careers of artists and makers in Sheffield; to listen to the voices of artists (including through an Artists Panel), develop audiences, and raise Sheffield’s profile as a nurturing centre of excellence for visual art.  Throughout the programme, 531 artists were supported; 887 young people participated; there were 45 new commissions; 329 workshop/education sessions; and 665 performance or exhibition days reaching audiences of 96,347.  A Visual Art Statement, Making Our Way, was drafted with wide consultation with the sector.

www.sheffieldcityofmakers.co.uk The Consortium coordinated Sheffield Year of Making, to celebrate all forms of making in the city, from advanced manufacturing to theatre, art and design, coding and bread making.  The Year of Making celebrated Sheffield’s past, present and future as a City of Makers.

What Next? is a national movement to make new alliances between arts, culture, education, politics, health and business. The Culture Consortium has supported What Next? Sheffield at various stages since 2014 to hold open meetings for the sector, to make connections across the city and to report back on the Consortium’s activities. A writing group drawn from What Next? Sheffield participants steered the successful Arts Council bid for Sheffield Creative Guild funding in 2015.  Since 2019, the Guild has hosted What Next? Sheffield meetings. www.whatnextculture.co.uk

Arts Council England funding to reposition culture as a key part of the visitor offer and local economic growth plans in Sheffield. Understanding the audience We worked with &Co to create visitor data to assist targeted marketing and promotion, to help visitors to come more often, stay longer and enjoy more. Creative signposting The project funded an expanded version of Our Favourite Places, to present the city’s cultural offer in an informed, independent voice and improve visitor information.  http://www.ourfaveplaces.co.uk/ Enhancing the destination We provided business support for a number of Sheffield festivals to help them become more sustainable and attract wider audiences.  Originally working with 5 festivals, the Sheffield Festivals Mentoring network has continued and expanded beyond the lifetime of the project, and now includes more than 20 festivals across the city.

The Culture Consortium obtained a £50,000 grant from the Arts Council in Autumn 2013 for Small Art Commissions for the Tour de France Yorkshire Festival (March – July 2014).  This was designed to highlight Sheffield-based artistic talent on a world stage. 30 commissions were made, involving more than 170 artists and performers, ranging from choral folk music to giant cycling puppets, brass band music, a unicycle display team, giant fabric flowers, poetry, land art and circus skills.