Nineteen creative groups have been awarded funding to support creativity across Cheshire West and Chester - from Malpas to Northwich and Ellesmere Port to Chester, these grants are helping choirs, crafters, theatre groups and festive events to take place, reuniting communities creatively, many for the first time since the pandemic began.

More funding is also available for groups developing creative activities in the run up to the festive season, whether lantern festivals for the dark evenings or other forms of connection and creative cheer in communities and highstreets across Cheshire.

Activities being supported from October to January include outdoor workshops in Tattenhall and The Spinney, producing graffiti murals and woodland workshop with artist Tim Pugh and mosaic workshops in Countess of Chester Country Park with Aleta Doran, Artist in Residence at Chester Cathedral, during November and December ahead of the Constellations exhibition which she is curating at the cathedral in Spring 2022.

Community productions; such as Minerva Arts storytelling youth project ‘Streets though time’, Fallen Angels Dance Theatre led shows at the Storyhouse on 24 November and 15 December and Mid Cheshire Youth Theatre’s concert at the Plaza Norwich on 10 December, Kingsley Players and Youth Theatre’s festive pantomime, Peter Pan, staged 26-29 January; will offer the chance for public audiences to come back together.

Alongside these, a wide array of crafts workshops will be happening, to create window displays, decorations and cards to be shared within the community, between schools and care homes, within supported housing, and with new mums and wellbeing groups, led by variety of arts organisations such as Radiate Arts, Passion for Learning and community centres and groups in Blacon, Hoole, Kingsway, Newton and Wolverham.

Young people will take part in Arts Award workshops and visits, dance coaching and expressive music sessions. The Old School House Community Choir will be supported throughout the winter in Northwich and 'Kickstart Voluntary Art' microgrant funding will also support the creative production of the volunteer run Frodsham Christmas Festival.

Here's the full list of supported projects:

• 55 and Over Club - craft workshops in Hoole Community Centre
• Arts Award And Families - exploring a variety of arts across Chester
• Blacon Action Team and Blacon Beacon - visual arts workshops to create festive window displays
• Cornwall House - offering crafts for wellbeing 
• Fallen Angels Dance Theatre - group performances in Storyhouse, Chester
• Feel Great... Create! - Radiate Arts creative wellbeing sessions in Chester
• Friends of the Countess of Chester Country Park - Community mosaic workshops
• Friends of Wolverham Community Centre - art sessions with the supported learning group
• Frodsham Christmas Festival - creative production for the free annual festival 
• Kingsley Players and Youth Theatre - rehearsals relaunching the local pantomime
• Mid Cheshire Youth Theatre - musical performances in Northwich 
• Minerva Arts - youth-led scratch performance and local history on Malpas' high street
• Music sessions for local autistic youth - connection and expression in Northwich
• New Mums of Newton and Kingsway - craft sessions with new mums
• Share a Smile Project - linking with schools and care homes through craft and song across Cheshire
• Shadazzle School of Performing Arts - coaching course for young people in Ellesmere Port
• Tattenhall Youth Council - Graffiti workshops to renovate the local shelter
• The Old School House Community Choir - sessions and performances at the Food Hub in Northwich
• The Spinney Project - woodland workshop in Tattenhall

Cheshire West and Chester’s Kickstart Voluntary Art microgrant scheme will be distributing a further £9,000 of funding to groups during November to support the diverse communities and creative pastimes enjoyed across the borough. Full application details are available here.