In April this year, Sussex Community Foundation along with 43 other community foundations in the UKCF network distributed over 700 grants totalling £4.58m to community groups throughout England from the Let’s Create Jubilee Fund, on behalf of Arts Council England, the national development agency for creativity and culture. In Sussex, that’s over £127,000 awarded to 18 local community groups. The funding helped to build community cohesion by connecting over 172,000 local people including artists and voluntary organisations that had not previously collaborated.  

Projects brought communities together through creative art activities that remain in local people’s memories long after the celebrations ended: 

Ensemble Reza received a £5,500 grant from the fund, the short film below tells the story of their Jubilee Project, which brought together over 180 participants from 7 years to 90+ years to create a Jubilee Song Cycle for choirs and their Community Orchestra.

MSL Discover received £9,918.00 to collaborate with Barefoot Opera to produce a special pop-up, flash mob, street performance event which took place on Saturday 4th June in Hastings town centre. There were two performances – in Robertson Street and Wellington Place in the town centre. As well as celebrating the Jubilee the project aimed to recognise and celebrate the diversity of the Hastings community. The head of the Queen formed part of the Old Town Carnival procession on Saturday 6 August and has been donated to the Carnival Association in perpetuity.

Siam Boxing Camp received funding towards a motion capture visual arts project to celebrate the Queens Jubilee culminating in a live public screening with music and dance performances delivered by local artists.

Sarah Hallworth, Co-Director of Siam Animate Project, said:

“I cannot tell you how AMAZING the project has been. The children were absolutely BUZZING and this type of work is just so incredible to do.” 

Southeast Communities Rail Partnership received a Let’s Create grant to work with local artists and a design team to produce the official Queen’s Jubilee Image and emblem onto a variety of materials, displayed at SCRP railway stations across Sussex.

Rowena Tyler, SCRP Community Development Officer said:

“This is a marvellous opportunity for station staff and local groups including schools to enhance their station with local memorabilia as well as being part of the bigger project for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. We are grateful to Arts Council England who funded the initiative, via Sussex Community Foundation”.

The Old Boat Community Centre, a community centre in Hollingbury (North Brighton), received funding for their project focussing on what it means to be British in The Queens Platinum Jubilee Year. For this, they have held a series of creative workshops with the local community culminating in a showcase performance which took place over the Jubilee weekend.

Ros Hanson-Laurent, Project Manager at The Old Boat Community Centre, said:

“The drama workshop discussed British Food and culture. The children acted out famous British activities as a freeze frames, wrote sausage roll skits and wrote their own Best of British TV shows! The art workshop made a British picnic complete with ice creams, cakes, tea cups.”

Kevin Richmond, CEO of Sussex Community Foundation, said:

“We are delighted to be able to provide these grants thanks to Arts Council England, to celebrate such a momentous occasion. The arts and culture can help to bring people together, provide new skills and support people’s mental and physical well-being, whilst celebrating Her Majesty’s life-long commitment to public service.”

The Arts Council England Let’s Create Jubilee Fund was made possible thanks to National Lottery players, who collectively raise £30 million for good causes each week.

Find out more about Jubilee events across the UK.