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Big Give Launches the "Arts for Impact" Campaign to Transform Stoke Lives Through Art
Stoke Creates are pleased to announce their participation in the “Arts for Impact” campaign, set to empower local arts and culture charities through an innovative match funding model. The campaign is aimed at harnessing the power of art and culture to make a transformative impact on society.
Arts for Impact is a pioneering collaboration between New Philanthropy for Arts & Culture (NPAC), Arts Council England, and Big Give.
Prof Carola Boehm, Stoke Creates Chair, said: “Stoke Creates has worked with key partners to explore new, innovative ways of fundraising for arts charities in the city, supporting their amazing work with our communities. We would love to see our local Arts for Impact campaign go from strength to strength, growing in reach and depth, and would encourage everyone to consider if they are in the position to donate to this investment-doubling, local initiative by heading to the below website.“
Sir Vernon Ellis, Chair of NPAC, said: “I am delighted that NPAC is partnering with Stoke Creates to develop opportunities for arts philanthropy in Stoke, and in particular on this new Arts for Impact matched funding campaign. We are grateful for Stoke Creates’ roles as a champion of this fund, and to Arts Council England for their support. NPAC’s focus is on building new philanthropic support for arts and culture, and I hope many philanthropists will join me in supporting this new initiative, and enable the powerful work of all these organisations to continue. I hope also that this will be the start of fruitful relationships between Stoke arts organisations and their supporters.”
Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director at Arts Council England said: “Stoke Creates has great impact locally, supporting cultural activity and development across the city, enabling more people to enjoy high quality creative and cultural experiences.
“Not only does Stoke Creates offer support to individuals and groups through their Exchange Forum, they’ve also led the development of CASCADE, a new city-wide arts and cultural programme that will create four new Cultural Action Zones across the next three years. Their cross-sector approach to championing the arts is a fantastic example of how Cultural Compacts can successfully drive change, make lives richer, and encourage pride in the local community.”
The "Arts for Impact" fund invited eligible local arts and culture charities to apply for match funding, which will be doubled by public donations during the special campaign week, magnifying the support for transformative projects that promote health, education, mental well-being, and social cohesion.
This year's campaign window is set from Tuesday March 19th to Tuesday March 26th, offering a unique opportunity for the selected charities to amplify their fundraising efforts and for donors to see their contributions make double the difference.
Here are the Stoke-on-Trent charities taking part in the Big Give Arts for Impact campaign, and details of the projects you can help support:
ACAVA - Art for all: Studios, Creativity, Community.
The Public Catalogue Foundation - Connecting every young person to the art they own.
B arts - Little School of Improbable Cooking.
The Clay Foundation - BCB - Making Change Through Clay.
The Foundling Museum - Creative Action for Children and Young People.
New Vic Theatre - Next Chapter, mental health project.
Rideout - The Social Agency: Autistic and Animated.
Look out for them campaigning on their social media accounts to donate, or find them on the Big Give ‘Arts for Impact’ Stoke Creates webpage here:
https://donate.biggive.org/artsforimpact24/stoke-creates
Double your donation. Double your difference.
Follow the hashtag #StokeCreatesBigGive on social media.
King Street Studios announces Staffordshire music development project
King Street Studios, renowned for its live music platform The Honey Box, has announced a pioneering project aimed at fostering the growth of Staffordshire's music talent. This initiative seeks to gather insights from local musicians to understand their needs better and provide them with the necessary tools and opportunities to advance in the industry.
The project will entail a series of free workshops and panel discussions, featuring industry experts, designed to equip local artists with crucial knowledge and skills. Additionally, it promises to open doors for budding sound and lighting engineers, offering them a chance to gain practical experience.
Co-Producer of The Honey Box, Peter Herbert, emphasised the project's potential to enrich Staffordshire's music scene: "This is a great opportunity to build on the Honey Box's efforts, to engage with local artists about their career aspirations, and support them in achieving their goals.”
Lee Barber, the project lead and Honey Box founder, expressed enthusiasm for the new venture: "‘It’s a great step for us at King Street. We’ve been running the Honey Box for eight years now, I’m looking forward to expanding on that work to help bands progress further. I think it’s important to recognise the fact that we aren’t claiming to know all the answers, we’re simply wanting to help musicians, to find those answers together.”
The Honey Box, a monthly live-streamed show, has been a staple in promoting local talent, offering a platform for artists to perform original music in front of a live audience. As the show concludes its seventh series, this new project aims to further enrich the supportive network for musicians in the area.
Musicians interested in participating in the project or attending the workshops can find more information and complete a survey at https://forms.office.com/r/60B98Xjgdf.
Honey Box is funded by Newcastle under Lyme’s UKSPF projects, and will run up to March 2025. For more information, please search King Street Studios or The Honey Box on social media. Alternatively, contact Lee Barber on lee.projects@phproductionservices.co.uk
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and RHS ask gardeners to make friends with molluscs
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are joining forces to challenge the negative perception surrounding slugs and snails in gardens across the UK. The ‘Making Friends with Molluscs’ campaign aims to encourage gardeners to reconsider the role of these often-maligned creatures in their garden ecosystems.
Slugs and snails have long been viewed as a gardener’s greatest foe, but this reputation isn't deserved. There are around 150 species of slugs and snails in the UK, and only a small fraction of these pose problems for gardeners. The majority contribute positively to the garden ecosystem in a number of ways. By learning to appreciate and coexist with these creatures, gardeners can adopt a more environmentally friendly approach to gardening.
Slugs and snails provide several important services in our green spaces. One of their most significant roles is as nature’s clean-up crew; molluscs feed on rotting plants, fungi, dung and even carrion, helping to recycle nitrogen and other nutrients and minerals back into the soil. They can also clean algae off the glass of greenhouses, leaving behind their trademark trails.
Many of our much-loved garden visitors, including frogs, song thrushes, and ground beetles, rely on slugs and snails as a key food source. They also make up part of a hedgehog’s diet. By supporting these molluscs, gardeners indirectly support a diverse array of wildlife. In addition, territorial slugs, such as leopard slugs, can be helpful in warding off other species of slug and therefore protecting plants from grazing.
Follow these five tips to live harmoniously alongside slugs and snails:
Provide shelter: Create habitats for slugs and snails by leaving log piles, mulch, and natural debris in garden areas. These spaces offer shelter and a food source for these creatures, and it may make them less likely to venture out into vegetable beds.
Selective planting: Choose plants that are less attractive to slugs and snails or are more resilient to their feeding habits, such as lavender, rosemary, astrantia, hardy geraniums, hellebores and hydrangeas.
Barriers: Implement barriers – such as copper tape and wool pellets – which may provide some protection for vulnerable plants from slug and snail damage.
Handpick and monitor: Regularly inspect plants for signs of slug and snail damage, and manually remove any found, relocating them to a compost heap or areas with less vulnerable plants. Consider evening patrols with a torch, as slugs and snails are most active at night-time.
Encourage predators: Create a haven for natural predators of slugs and snails, such as ground beetles, song thrushes, frogs, and toads, by providing suitable habitats, such as long grass, log piles and wildlife-friendly ponds. Predators help to naturally regulate slug and snail populations, keeping their numbers in balance.
Christine Harding, Communications Officer from Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Snails and slugs are fascinating creatures in their own right and an integral part of the habitats in our back gardens, compost heaps and green spaces around Staffordshire. What’s great about the ‘Making Friends with Molluscs’ campaign is that it provides free resource to people who want to learn about wildlife, but it also includes some well-informed research by expert gardeners at RHS who have studied the best ways to get the best results from your garden without harming wildlife.”
Kathryn Brown, director of climate change and evidence, The Wildlife Trusts, said: “I have always welcomed snails and slugs in my garden; they play such an important role in maintaining natural functionality. Many of them are detritivores, consuming dead plants, animals and fungi, recycling nutrients back into the soil and creating nutritious compost, great for growing vegetables, fruit and flowers.
“The Wildlife Trusts want everyone to avoid using pesticides which can indiscriminately harm other creatures too. You can grow a range of plants that snails and slugs tend to not eat, such as onions and hardy herbs, instead of trying to control them. These marvellous molluscs help to enrich and aerate the soil, and they’re also a great food source for other incredible animals such as newts and beetles.”
Helen Bostock, RHS Senior Wildlife Specialist, said: “The RHS wants everyone to help protect the plants, animals and fungi that benefit our gardens and protect the wider environment. While a small number of slugs and snails can cause damage to certain plants, overall they bring many benefits to the garden and contribute to a balanced ecosystem, whether that’s by clearing away rotting vegetation or providing a vital food source for more popular garden visitors such as frogs, hedgehogs and song thrushes. We hope that by highlighting the crucial work that molluscs do in our gardens we can help give them a well-deserved reputation makeover.”
For more information on the benefits of slugs and snails in gardens, download a free copy of the Making friends with molluscs guide. The public can find it on the charities’ joint Wild About Gardens website: wildaboutgardens.org.uk from Thursday 14th March.
'Operation Sparkle' Set to Transform City Centre for Fourth Year
Stoke-on-Trent's city centre is gearing up for a major facelift as the Business Improvement District (BID) launches the fourth year of its 'Operation Sparkle' initiative. The ambitious project aims to enhance the aesthetic appeal and environmental cleanliness of Hanley, targeting graffiti removal, litter clearance, landscaping, painting, and jet washing on an unprecedented scale.
In collaboration with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, which has secured UK Shared Prosperity Funding, the initiative will introduce two new roles, including an Environmental Ambassador. This role is crucial for overseeing hygiene and cleanliness efforts alongside the council's street cleansing team, promising a significant positive impact.
The highlight of Operation Sparkle is the 'Big Spring Clean' event, scheduled for 12 - 13 April 2024. The community-driven cleanup aims to address key problem areas with the help of volunteers from the public and local businesses. Last year's cleanup was a success, removing over 60 graffiti tags and collecting 103 bags of litter, alongside resolving several fly-tipping incidents.
The initiative has not only made visible improvements but also earned national acclaim, winning 'Best Environmental Sustainability Initiative' at the Savills Property Management Marketing Awards 2024.
Julie Davies OBE, Lead BID Director for Place Management, expressed confidence in the initiative's impact: “The BID is fully aware of issues in the city centre around cleaning and the look and feel of the area. We are committed to tackling these issues. We are confident that our collective efforts through Operation Sparkle will achieve our objectives in accordance with one of the businesses priorities. The employment of our Environmental Ambassador will enhance all our efforts which we welcome. We encourage all businesses in the BID area to support and engage Operation Sparkle for the benefit of all.”
Plans for 2024 include new efforts in areas like Etruria Road and Bethesda Gardens, alongside the introduction of greenery to combat traffic pollution and the beautification of vacant shop fronts. To participate or learn more, contact hello@stokeontrentbid.co.uk.
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