Bury Council awards activities with funding in scheme to honour community's creativity

Poetry, storytelling, dance and crafting are among the dozens of activities which will receive financial support from the Bury Council Town of Culture community funding scheme.

The initiative was launched earlier this year, as part of the Town of Culture activity and reflects the role culture plays in Bury’s Let’s Do It strategy.

Tan Ahmed, Bury Adab's chief officer, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be awarded a Town of Culture Grant which will help celebrate ethnic-based arts and culture projects in Bury and promote greater cohesion. The project will give the opportunity for people to learn Indian classical music and strengthen groups and individuals to become performing artists in the future.”

Twenty-six 26 organisations have received more than £15,000 worth of funding in total.

The funds will help to support a wide range of activities, events and important areas, including celebrating South Asian music and building on the first digital MACFEST later this year.

Alan Beedie, chair of the Friends of Unsworth Centre, said: “The Friends of the Unsworth Centre are delighted to have been selected to receive this award from the Town of Culture programme. We will use the funding to support a range of creative and inspiring music and sensory sessions here at the Unsworth Centre.

“We are very much looking forward to the place being full of music and fun.”

Cllr Charlotte Morris, culture cabinet member, said: “We have been delighted to see breadth of creativity and inspiration from such an array of projects with bids received for over three times the amount of funding available. The submissions reflect the amazing creativity we have in the borough.

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to support these projects and hope this funding gives them the support they need to thrive and develop further.

“We’re all really excited to see how they progress in the forthcoming months and wish them every success with their project.”