The South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership's Story Tellers programme has secured a further year of National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funding from Arts Council England, extending their support for arts, culture and creativity across the region until March 2028.
It was recently confirmed that the project would be part of the 2027/28 National Portfolio Extension, providing an additional year of investment to build on the success of Story Tellers and continue to bring high-quality cultural opportunities and a celebration of local heritage to communities across Boston Borough, East Lindsey and South Holland.
The announcement marks another important milestone for a programme that has grown significantly since becoming an NPO in 2023, securing an initial ÂŁ1.95 million of investment. Since then, Story Tellers has helped deliver a wide range of projects, events, training and funding, celebrating the area's unique heritage, stories and communities.
Through festivals, performances, community-led projects, heritage programmes, artist development and innovative creative experiences, Story Tellers has brought tens of thousands of residents and visitors together to demonstrate the power of culture to connect people, support local pride and create new opportunities, whilst uncovering and sharing the unique stories of the area.
The months ahead will see further work with partners MBD and Session Arts on the pioneering Infinite Museum, an immersive virtual reality experience capturing and preserving local stories. Popular events like Lightwaves and Illuminate will also return, developing in new ways and building on their previous success to be bigger and better than ever. Another unforgettable showpiece event is also planned at Ayscoughfee Hall in early 2027, delivered with partners Squid Soup and Chainbridge Forge.
Entirely new initiatives will also be announced soon based on the learnings and community engagement from the programme so far, bringing exciting activities, workshops and creative partners to the county for the first time. Story Tellers will also continue its work with Paradigm Arts and the Young Journalist Academy to support their fantastic programme, as well as the next round of Arts in Heritage, which provides vital investment and creative opportunities to heritage organisations, artists and communities across Lincolnshire.
A third Cultural Conference is also planned for next year to connect local organisations together, along with ongoing development pieces with Paradigm Arts and the Young Journalist Academy to support their fantastic work, and the next round of Arts in Heritage, bringing new investment and creative opportunities to heritage organisations, artists and communities across Lincolnshire.