A LOVELY FUSION OF HERITAGE, ARTS AND CULTURE

Enjoyed meeting folk from Arts Council England,Heritage Lottery Fund and Essex County Council at the Essex Record Office this evening.  Earlier in the day I paid a visit to Chelmsford Museum in the quest for more information on my current writing topic - the upcoming commemoration of the L32 Zeppelin disaster on 24 September 1916. 

It's always great to meet like-minded people, especially those from museums in Essex, for as you know, our Cater Museum in Billericay is one of the town's precious buildings full of fascinating artefacts from a bygone age.

This evening's ERO event was packed and the enthusiasm was high. Didn't make the workshops aimed at voluntary groups involved in all kinds of cultural activities, but was pleased to discover more about what sources of funding are available and how best to apply. We listened to highly articulate representatives from the Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery, Big Lottery, SHARE Museums East and Museums Essex who offered guidance and advice on applying for funding through their organisations.

Cllr John Spence, Essex County Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for Heritage, Culture and the Arts, said: “Having lived in Essex for 36 years I have come to understand what a brilliant and diverse county it is. So often we underestimate the scale of our heritage, ranging from Colchester and St Peter's Chapel in Bradwell through our medieval towns and villages to the great symbols of human achievement such as optic fibres at Harlow, radio in Chelmsford and the Stow Maries airfield. Our intensely active culture and arts sectors add to the richness of the county and all of these help make Essex a better place in which to live, work and play."