Peterborough Presents, a community-focused arts organisation, has welcomed £800,000 in funding to support its local projects and artists. The organisation collaborates with neighbourhoods across the city to develop creative activities and events, with support from partners including Nene Park Trust and the city council.
The funding comes from Arts Council England’s £42 million Creative People and Places portfolio, which aims to foster grassroots art in underrepresented areas. Sarah Haythornthwaite, the organisation’s programme director, expressed delight at receiving the support, highlighting that it will enable Peterborough Presents to expand its projects into new communities and neighbourhoods. Previous initiatives in Millfield, Eye, and Westwood have included the Eye Lantern Parades, the restoration of the Millfield Link mural, and the creation of craft and dance groups.
Over the next three years, the organisation plans to work closely with South Asian communities, young adults, and individuals who are deaf, disabled, or neurodivergent in areas such as Eye, Dogsthorpe, Welland, and Fengate. Haythornthwaite emphasized that Peterborough’s lower-than-average engagement in creativity and culture is often due to accessibility issues rather than lack of interest, and that working directly with communities ensures meaningful, high-quality creative activities.
Hazel Edwards, south east area director of Arts Council England, praised Peterborough Presents for empowering communities to shape their own creative futures. She noted that the organisation’s inclusive programming and collaborative partnerships are making culture more accessible, diverse, and locally driven, and confirmed Arts Council England’s support for this transformative work.
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