It’s coming up to Hallowe’en and the end of October, and so you know what that means – it’s time for our monthly wrapup update! Read on to find out what happened at Wycombe Arts Centre in October and what we’ve got coming up in November and beyond!
What happened in October
October has been a busy month for us, mostly because we’ve been able to start expanding our programming and to book in numerous COVID-safe events for the final months of the year and into 2021. We’ve also been working on funding bids (read on for some exciting news about that) and getting all of the groundwork done for our Christmas Arts & Craft Fair!
Just a few of the other highlights for October 2020 include:
- Our friends at Social Link shared a short video showing some of the wyas that they adapted during lockdown. You can also see some of the fantastic work they’ve been doing in our gardens!
- #BreakingBarriers3 took place on Tuesday 27th October, with free creative workshops for young people in and around Wycombe. Hosted in partnership with Chiltern Rangers, Flux Photographic and Wycombe Youth Action, it’s the third (and hopefully not final) in a series of events aimed at encouraging creativity amongst local youngsters.
- We updated our website with a brand new “meet the team” page where you can get to know the names and faces of a few of the key people behind Wycombe Arts Centre.
- We’re also on the lookout for local companies that are interested in sponsoring or donating prizes to our Christmas Arts & Crafts Fair. If that sounds like something you’d like to get involved with, please email ruth@wycombeartscentre.com for more info!
- At the time of writing, work is just being completed on our new boiler system! This will allow us to much more efficiently heat the Old Church Space and be a huge help as we host more socially-distanced events in the larger space over the Winter months. We’re particularly excited because it’s going to be fitted with a Google Nest, which means we can adjust the heating from our phones. It’s hard to not be excited by a new gadget!
Arts Council Funding
Our biggest news this month is that Wycombe Arts Centre has been selected as one of 588 cultural and creative organisations across the country to be awarded a Culture Recovery Fund grant from the government.
Administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, this funding is designed to allow arts organisations to survive during these turbulent times. It will allow us to offset lost earnings due to the coronavirus pandemic and to reinvest in staff and infrastructure to better prepare for 2021 and beyond.
Here’s what Ruth Gunstone, our centre manager and trustee, had to say:
“We couldn’t be more thrilled for the support from Arts Council England at such a vital moment. The funding that we’ve received will allow us to continue hosting safe and socially-distanced performing arts events for the foreseeable future. It also ensures that we can provide paid job opportunities for local creatives to further support the creative industry and its people during one of the biggest threats it’s ever faced.
“The Arts Council England funding means that instead of fighting for survival, we can start working towards the future, reinvesting in our infrastructure and booking COVID-secure events for spring/summer 2021. We’re excited to be able to better serve our local community and proud of the role that the arts and the Arts Centre has played (and will continue to play) in these unprecedented times.”
You can find out more and read our full press release about the investment in here.
Coming soon…
- We’ll be hosting a Christmas Art and Craft Fair on the 14th and 15th November. Taking place from 10am – 5pm, over 27 artists and makers will be showing and selling their work.
- Films @ Wycombe Arts Centre will be launching on the evening of Saturday 21st November. Be sure to reserve your table in advance and to book in groups where possible, and feel free to join our Facebook group to have your say on which films we screen.
- We’ve recently announced a COVID-secure indie bands night to take place on the evening of Saturday 28th November. Please book your tickets in advance to guarantee entry.
- Singer/songwriter/motivational speaker BR James and friends are coming to Wycombe Arts Centre on December 5th for an evening of stories and songs. A limited number of tickets are available in advance, so be sure to book yours here to guarantee attendance.
- Humming Bee Yoga will be running sessions every Tuesday evening starting Tuesday 3rd November.
- Juliet of The Tired Dressmaker is gearing up for her free Bucks Sewing Bee taster session on Saturday November 21st.
- Artists Rupert (AKA Kalkalata) and Ruth October are working on setting up some screenprinting workshops, starting with a taster session where you can design your own unique Christmas cards. This will take place on the afternoon and evening of Friday 27th November.
Get involved
We’re always looking for people who are interested in volunteering or helping out, whether you’re interested in hosting events or whether you’re just looking to get more involved in the local artistic community.
Please do get in touch if you have anything to share! In the meantime, you can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for further updates. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
