Bridport Town Council
Bridport 2024
The Town Council submitted a bid to the Arts Development Company in October 2023 to be the inaugural Dorset Town of Culture (ToC). On February 15th 2024 ADC announced that Bridport would indeed be the pilot for the Dorset Town of Culture initiative in 2024.
The Town Council is excited to accept this accolade and with support from the town’s creative organisations and groups, we will be developing ideas and funding to run an vibrant and inclusive programme of arts and cultural activities between July and December 2024. The programme will be badged as Bridport 2024.
The TOC proposal flows from the Bridport Investment Plan and is part of our ambition to embed young people into the future resilience of the town’s arts and cultural activities through co-curation/co-programming and event project management. Longer term, our focus on equipping young people with the skills and confidence to run arts and cultural activities aims to offer resilience to the creative energy of our ‘Eventful Town’.
Skills training and mentoring programmes delivered by the town’s arts and cultural groups will be celebrated through youth-led performances, festivals and exhibitions that will make up the bulk of the new works commissioned for Bridport 2024.
The delivery of Bridport 2024 will be led by Bridport Arts Centre. A Bridport 2024 Advisory Group has been established to encourage and support wide involvement in the development and delivery of the Bridport 2024 programme.
Bridport’s Culture Café
A space for anyone involved in the creative industries to come together share ideas, find collaborators and build a community of support.
During the advisory group meetings that took place as part of the planning for Bridport 24 – Town of Culture, and in the dialogue that has happened since, there has been an appetite from many people to continue a shared conversation about art and culture in Bridport. Additionally, a central ambition of the Town of Culture programme is to increase collaboration between creatives, artists and cultural organisations in the town and the wider West Dorset region.
We therefore delighted to share that we will be launching a monthly Culture Café, taking place in the café space at Bridport Art Centre starting in September. This is free to attend with no set agenda, but with the ambition to increase collaboration and build a community of support.
We hope to see you there.
Dates and time:
19 Sep, 7pm – 9pm
24 Oct, 7pm – 9pm
21 Nov, 7pm – 9pm
19 Dec, 7pm – 9pm
Notes from previous Advisory Group Meetings
| ToC Programme Development
During May the ToC Producer will be gathering proposals for the Main ToC programme – If you haven’t already presented your offer or idea then do send information (a side of A4) explaining your event/ activity, how it delivers for ToC – opportunities for young people/ new collaborations or just a great idea. Please make it clear what, if any, support or funding you are looking for from ToC. Email: Town of Culture [email protected] During May we hope to hear the outcome of the funding bids we have submitted and can start to draw on any new funding to support the ToC programme. A draft of the ToC programme will be circulated to Advisory Group members for comment in early June. |
Call Out for Mentor
We are looking for someone to coordinate the Young People Skills and Leadership Development Programme of work for Bridport 2024. Please see this document.
Exploring the meaning of ‘culture’ in Bridport during Advisory Group Meeting 2
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Advisory Group notes and actions will be reported into the Councils Environment and Social Wellbeing Committee.
County of Culture is an initiative created by Arts Development Company.
Bridport 2024 is funded by Dorset Council with match funding provided by Bridport Town Council.
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