Nottinghamshire Community Foundation awards grants from the Arts Council’s Let’s Create Jubilee Fund

Beeston Rylands Community Association Jubilee Celebrations – plans to run three new groups, Creative Arts, Street Dance and Theatre and Drama, culminating in a 3-day celebration event.  Other activities include a tea and coffee morning with an art exhibition displaying of photographs of the local area from the Beeston Historical Society, a social dining club jubilee meal with entertainment from Jennie Barton, local singer and musician and a Jubilee Celebration Gala. There will be a programme of performances from local musicians, the Parky Players and the newly formed theatre and dance groups, with stalls and car boot, street performers, circus skills workshop and an indoor café area with art and historical photograph exhibitions.

Creative Paths project ‘Tales from The Jubilee Cloak’ plans to gather memories, stories, and opinions from 270 older people living in health and social care on the theme of the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II.  Working across ten care homes participants will be able to wear the cloak and wrap it around themselves as they tell their stories and memories for a final video piece to be shown to staff, friends and relatives.

The Living Room Project is a collaboration with several community groups led by Mansfield Museum and Palace Theatre.  Local people will come together to celebrate shared heritage in a replica 1950s living room which will pop up in community spaces in Bellamy, Oaktree, Bull Farm, Warsop, and Ladybrook during the Jubilee weekend. The ‘pop up living room’ will be a historically accurate replica of a typical living room of the time with a specially curated video of the Queen’s Coronation in 1952 which will play on a loop throughout the day.  The project also involves collecting 70 oral histories and make bunting with school children.  They hope to do door to door visits with people who cannot or are unable to leave their homes on the bank holiday weekend so that everyone in the area can celebrate the event.

The Muslim Women’s Network will host an event for all the family in Radford Park with stalls serving samosas, pakoras, chaat and drink. With bouncy castle, face painting, bran tub with prizes, guess the number of sweets in the jar competition and a cooking competition for the ladies where they will bring one dish, a Jubilee cake and a raffle.

When Women Gather are planning a Nottingham Jubilee Street Carnival – working with over 400 women and children from across Nottingham’s communities they will deliver weekly programmes of belly dancing, frame drumming and puppet making culminating in a street carnival with performances and workshops for all.

Freedom Foundation – a music and dance project for children, leaning music and dance spanning 70 years to include 50’s juke-box and jive, the twist, 80’s breakdancing and vogueing and 90’s hip hop through to modern dance from the 2000s.    They will then perform for the whole school community to mark the Queen’s Jubilee.

Friends of Warsop Vale – village picnic / garden party in the ex-mining village to take place on the Jubilee weekend with a steel band, children’s activities and food

Greyfriars CIC Social Club – ‘Our Multicultural British Home’ – a programme of musical events from different multicultural backgrounds, Irish, African, American, British and Northern Ireland, to play at the venue over the bank holiday

Movement for All – Collaborative Platinum Jubilee celebration afternoon tea party and exhibition.  Movement For All to perform a movement piece based on a 1950’s garden party.  The Eastwood Writers Group will research, explore, discuss 1950’s arts and the themes involved with the coronation and royal celebrations and The Brinsley Art group will create and exhibit their art works, inspired by the theme. The afternoon would include guests and participants contributing to a Memory Wall.

Nottingham Community Artist Network – Collaborating with partners and artists for a Jubilee themed celebration, with projects, audiences, and events, culminating with three themed exhibitions in the creative hub of Mimm Studio with Street Food vendors.

Nottinghamshire Clubs For Young People – Art, Music, Food and Fashion across the decades – 1950 to 2020s, engaging participants in three primary arts experiences: dance, visual arts and music with an event for 100 guests to mark the Queens Jubilee

Portland College – The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Street Festival @ Portland. The project will provide a fully accessible street festival, themed around the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, located at the historic 32-acre site in Sherwood Forest. The Big Lunch at the heart of its theme. Bringing communities together through providing an accessible, fun and vibrant environment for residents of Mansfield and Ashfield to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee together.

Southwell Tourism Partnership/ The National Trust:The Workhouse and Infirmary – Platinum Jubilee: Southwell Arts Beacon – To create a projection or piece of visual art/digital media to signify a beacon from 2nd June and through the other four nights of the Jubilee event. Working with the MHA East Nottinghamshire Live at Home and Reach UK, local schools and youth groups.  Community market stalls, late night shopping, music groups, street entertainers and a picnic will all be in and around The Southwell Minster throughout the four day bank holiday.

St. Andrew’s with Castle Gate Church – Mosaic Magic creative arts project.  Two workshops for the Youth Club called Saturday Club and adult Craft Club to work with an artist to produce mosaics and a bowl to use at The Big Lunch Street Party that they have planned involving both groups and a much wider community.

The Liz Winwood Foundation – A Party in the Rainforest children’s musical theatre developed in April and May and on tour throughout June with performances at The Meadows Children’s Centre, Sneinton Hermitage Community Centre, Crabtree Community Centre, St Ann’s Valley Centre, The Meadows Queens Walk Community Centre and culminating in a final performance at the Nottingham Playhouse.

Wollaton Arts – Community Fun day in Wollaton Hall grounds with workshops including local history, the arts, craft, performance and nature.  Holding workshops, picnics, story times, craft activities, singing aimed at all ages and storytelling from local residents with memories to share over the past 70 years.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive at Arts Council England said “The Let’s Create Jubilee Fund is a wonderful example of our ambition to give everyone the opportunity to participate in and experience the arts, culture and creativity – made possible thanks to National Lottery players. This June, we’ll see communities across England coming together to celebrate a historic milestone for this country. I’m excited to see these projects brought to life in villages, towns and cities across the country as our wonderfully creative communities celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.”

Nina Dauban, CEO, Nottinghamshire Community Foundation, said: “The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is a unique opportunity for people to get together and celebrate in their communities. We are proud to have connected Arts Council England with local organisations whose imaginative and exciting projects and collaborations with professional artists will bring communities together to enjoy marking this milestone moment in our history.”

HM Queen Elizabeth II is the first monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, having overtaken Queen Victoria as the longest reigning monarch in 2015.  Her reign has been marked by a commitment to public service, reflected by her extensive programme of engagements at home and abroad, and support for over 600 cultural organisations, charities, military associations, professional bodies and public service organisations.

For more information about events in your area please visit https://platinumjubilee.gov.uk/