Grants are available to not for profit groups in the Spennymoor AAP area through Durham County Council’s Big Arts Project for projects working towards the promotion of good mental health, wellbeing and resilience through arts and culture.
Spennymoor AAP has £10,000 available, with a minimum grant of £2,500 per project for not-for-profit organisations including statutory providers, voluntary community sector groups and schools.
The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Wednesday 1 May.
Applicants will be encouraged to promote their projects to participants across their local AAP areas, with particular focus and promotion of their work during the week of World Mental Health Day, which takes place in the week of 7 to 13 October.
Good mental health and wellbeing is important for us to lead happy, healthy lives. It has a positive impact on our inter-personal relationships and how we cope and engage with the world around us.
Promoting mental health at the heart of communities in where we live and work will deter long term risk factors and nurture protective factors for better mental health and wellbeing.
Getting involved with culture and arts can have powerful and lasting effects on health.
Culture and arts for mental health includes visual and performing arts, such as traditional craft, sculpture, digital art, text, dance, film, literature, music, singing, gardening, and the culinary arts.
The joining in of arts and cultural projects and events has been associated with lower levels of mental distress and higher levels of life satisfaction.
Durham County Council is funding the Big Arts Project with the hope that the power of arts and culture will inspire creativity, spark collaboration and produce a vibrant and wide range of community programs which bring people together and enrich their lives by engaging in local creative sessions.
For further information, or to apply for funding, contact spennyaap@durham.gov.uk.
Spennymoor's local community newspaper.
