Leeds City College has launched round two for regional arts fund

@LeedsCityColl’ege has launched a second round of funding to support creatives across the district as part of a unique Arts Fund.

Funded by Luminate Education Group, the initiative was created to offer support to new and developing creatives across the region, who work in any of the disciplines covered by the School of Creative Arts at Quarry Hill Campus. As part of the fund, projects will be inspired by the rich history of Quarry Hill and nearby areas. College students will be encouraged to develop their learning through supporting the process and execution of the projects.

First introduced in March, the fund aims to bridge a gap in the system between leaving education and securing funding from national bodies for creative projects.

During the first round of funding, five local artists were chosen to receive £3k each for their projects. Leeds-based band Polo will be accessing the fund to create their first album with the help of college students. Local painter Lydia Blakeley has been chosen with her project ‘Vocation’, involving a student portrait exhibition at Quarry Hill’s public gallery BLANK_. The fund will also be supporting street literature group Found Fiction with its ‘Street Stories’ project, a female-led podcast and a visual performance based on Quarry Hill’s community living.

Richard Lee, Head of Media and Performance Production, said: “Following the success of the first round, we are incredibly pleased to extend the initiative for a second round. We saw some outstanding creatives apply for the first wave of funding and we were incredibly impressed by their inspirational projects, so we’re really excited to see the next round of applicants.

“We’re committed to raising the profile of new creatives across the district by giving them the opportunity to access a bespoke arts fund. We hope the fund will also raise the aspirations of our students, who will be participating in the selected projects.”

Creatives can apply through an online form which will then be shortlisted by the artist liaison and judged through an official panel of college staff and industry experts. The artist liaison will work directly with the successful applicants to execute and evaluate the project.

Steve Clarkson, founder of Found Fiction, said: “We were thrilled to have been selected for the first round of funding – it gives the local creative community a fantastic opportunity to thrive. Through our project, we aim to bring Quarry Hill to life by empowering and inspiring people in the community through the written word. Quarry Hill is a fascinating part of Leeds and we want to encourage people to discover its many stories.”

Applications for the Arts Fund will open on 1 July and will close on 31 July.