Creative Cullompton is delighted to reveal we have been awarded a £90,000 grant from Historic England as part of the Cullompton High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) to create and deliver community-led cultural activities on the high street over the next three years.

Cullompton HSHAZ is one of more than 60 high streets to receive a share of £6 million for their cultural programme. Grants of up to £120,000 have been awarded to local arts organisations for cultural activity on each high street.

The Cullompton consortium "Creative Cullompton" intends to revitalise the high street area by developing new and different activities that will increase use of the high street and create a greater sense of pride, community and wellbeing. Our project will:

• Encourage new and sustainable cultural activity in the high street area by adding more music and drama to the social scene and developing the current and very successful festivals.
• Help improve perceptions of the high street and its heritage by researching and celebrating its rich history.
• Restore and enhance the local character of the high street by designing and installing attractive permanent artwork such as a mural or mosaic.

The consortium is made up of 9 local organisations and is led by Cullompton Arts House. The consortium is supported by Mid Devon District Council as part of the wider HSHAZ project.

This is part of the four-year-long High Streets Heritage Action Zones’ Cultural Programme, led by Historic England, in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Cultural Programme aims to make our high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time.

Culture Minister, Caroline Dinenage MP said:

"High streets are often the heart of our communities and should be places we all want to engage with and enjoy. These grants will help transform high streets into thriving cultural hubs, encouraging us to embrace all the joys our town centres have to offer."

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Historic England, said:

"The high street cultural programme is a step change in the way we think about bringing high streets back from the brink. As we start to see these important historic spaces become regenerated through building work, it is the community-led cultural work that helps people to enjoy their high street again and also have a say in what the future of their high street might be."

Graham Sessions from Cullompton Arts House, said:

"We are delighted to have been awarded a grant of £90,000 to develop the arts and culture in our High Street. We will use this funding to reach out to our community and respond in every possible way to ensure that our High Street becomes the hub of the arts and culture in the town.

"We want to develop activities that appeal to people from all walks of life but to do this we will need the help and support of local people. We hope this will be the start of something unique and special that the local community will want to be part of. We will start by asking the local community for their views and then organise workshops such as photographic and art, music and drama so that everyone can join-in and feel that the high street is their high street."

To find out what is happening in your area and get involved, please follow @HE­_SouthWest #HistoricHighStreets and HistoricEngland.org.uk/HighStreetCulture