Six Lincolnshire heritage sites share £250,000 grant from National Lottery Heritage Fund

Following a highly successful pilot project, Future of the Past focuses on rekindling passion and appreciation for heritage.

Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will see six heritage sites across Lincolnshire - Spalding Gentleman’s Society, Gainsborough Heritage Centre,

Baldocks Mill in Bourne, Fydell House in Boston, The Joseph Banks Centre in Horncastle, and Sleaford Museum - and one peripatetic Eastern European community group - Boston Lithuanian Community Group - enable young people to engage with heritage groups, develop skills and grow confidence. With support from Cultural Facilitators, these young people, aged 11-25, will work together with the heritage volunteers to create things based upon the venue’s assets and ambitions, to attract and retain younger and more diverse audiences to the heritage sites.

There is an increasing recognition of how important culture, the arts and local heritage is for the regeneration of our towns and communities.

Future of the Past is a partnership project that brings together the arts and heritage organisations in Lincolnshire, led by soundLINCS, with partners Taylor Made Arts, Paradigm Arts, Cultural Solutions UK, and Lincolnshire County Council Historic Places Team, Heritage Lincolnshire, South and East Lincolnshire Council Partnership, University of Lincoln, Zest Theatre and Transported Arts. This diverse skill set is envisaged to allow delivery of a dynamic and engaging project for the communities of Lincolnshire to ensure the continuation of heritage venues, by creating the volunteers of the future and guaranteeing long term sustainability.

Commenting on the award, soundLINCS CEO, Nikki-Kate Heyes, said: “We are thrilled to have received this support and have the opportunity to realise and continue this fabulous project. We are very excited to be working with such amazing organisations and communities and confident the project will support young people to be active citizens with pride in their Lincolnshire heritage.”

Rob Pitman, Director of Paradigm Arts, commented: “It’s so exciting to be able to build on the work done during the pilot phase of this project, which delivered significant results during COVID, and be able to throw forward that learning within a time frame of the next three years. It’s a privilege to be a part of a collaboration of so many partners united by passion and endeavour and to the able to draw on the knowledge and expertise of such a talented group. We can’t wait to get started!”

Sarah Grundy, Senior Historic Environment Officer for Lincolnshire County Council, stated: “This is fantastic news for Lincolnshire’s heritage. We are very much looking forward to working with partners to make this exciting project a reality.”

Leanne Taylor of Taylor Made Arts mentioned: “We are delighted to be able to continue work in Gainsborough supporting young people to develop new skills through engaging with culture and heritage using drama as a tool to

bring heritage to life.”

David Lambert, Director of Cultural Solutions UK, commented: “Working with a group of first and second generation Lithuanian, Ukrainian and Polish young people, this edition of the project will explore notions of identity, friendship and how young people can engage and influence the collections and programming policies of some of Lincolnshire’s finest, traditional heritage sites, in so doing attracting and developing younger visitors.”

Mark Bamford of Sleaford Museum added: “"The Sleaford Museum is one of six heritage locations around the county that has been involved in the Future of the Past project from its beginning. This new funding is extremely welcome and chimes with one of the major objectives of the Sleaford Museum Trust - sharing the stories of the people who have lived, worked and played in the Town.

"Future of the Past will engage the younger members of our community and will enable them to shape their take on Sleaford’s past and what it might mean for them today. What they produce will be their vision and not that of the museum; their angles are often innovative and inspiring. This also taps into the wealth of creative talent which we have amongst this age group and with the guidance of the professionals who will assist with this project and the volunteers from the Sleaford Museum, we look forward to exciting and fascinating outcomes."