Grassroots creative projects across the Staffordshire Moorlands are set to receive a funding boost thanks to a community arts programme.
OUTSIDE has awarded more than £24,000 in funding to support 30 projects across the district, backing a year-long programme of activity designed to boost participation and engagement in the arts.
The Creative Community Commissions will see artists, community groups and organisations deliver a wide range of projects across towns, villages and rural areas, with funding decisions made by OUTSIDE’s advisory group and youth advisory group made up of local residents.
Projects include a dance festival in Leek, a drawing for wellbeing project taking referrals from social prescribers, cob making workshops and an exhibition of young people’s artwork in Biddulph Town Hall. An eight-week after-school knit and crochet programme in Cheadle is also among the projects to receive backing.
Katie Aldous, director of OUTSIDE, said: “Once again, the quantity and quality of applications received for the Creative Community Commissions this year was fantastic. It was wonderful to see how much thought had been given to community engagement and innovation particularly, something that the Advisory group was keen to see represented.
“Huge thanks to our advisory group and youth advisory group for developing and refining the application process to make it accessible and clear for applicants. They thoughtfully designed the call out, and deliberated and selected the successful applications with a huge amount of care, time and attention.
“The Creative Community Commissions are a big part of OUTSIDE’s ambition to support high quality creative arts activity across the whole of the Moorlands. The selected proposals ensure a wide range of residents will benefit from these projects.”
The successful 2026 Creative Community Commissions are:
| Artificial Silk – How I want my Planet to be (Ex Objects), Werrington | Autin Dance Theatre CIO – Autin Dance Theatre Workshops, Biddulph | Beau Pudsey – Folklore, Nature & Storytelling Workshops, Leek |
| Biddulph Methodist Church and Victoria Centre – Portable Histories | Biddulph Moor Community Association – Biddulph Moor Well Dressing | Biddulph Town Council – Young People’s Art & Photography Exhibition |
| Biddulph Youth and Community Zone – SEN Youth-led Creative Project | Bolton Gate Arts CIC – Bolton Gate Bloom | Borderland Voices – Pride Banners, Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Brown Edge Well Dressing – Brown Edge 80th Well Dressing | Caverswall Community Society – Creative Writing & Spoken Word Project | Cheadle Arts – Cheadle Arts Festival |
| Danielle Beardmore – Cheadle Young Makers | Endon Village Hall – Community Garden & Youth Arts Design Project | Endon Well Dressing Organising Committee – Create Your Own Well Board |
| Foxlowe Clay Collective – Foxlowe Clay Collective, Leek | Grindon Parish Council – Community Wall Hanging | Kate Dawes Studio – Pen Drawing for Wellbeing, Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Kingsley Holt Centre – Summer Community Event | Leek Yarn Bombers – Leek Yarn Bombers | Many Strands – Knit Network Skills Workshops, Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Staged CIO – Read to the Beat Flash Mob, Biddulph | Stephanie Akerman – Community Threads, Tean | Stockton Brook Time and Space – Big Draw Festival |
| Teresa Pattison – Teresa Pattison Dance Festival, Leek | The Happy Makers – The Happy Makers Community, Leek | The Leek Polish Connection – Polish Arch |
| The Navel of the Moon – The Navel of the Moon, Leek | Waymark Interpretation CIC – Centenary Hum, Staffordshire Moorlands | Victoria Motika – Cob Making Workshop, Leek |
OUTSIDE is part of the Creative People and Places programme, supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
