Three art and culture projects in Exmouth have received grants from the Creative East Devon Fund.

The grant scheme is part of East Devon District Council's Cultural Strategy, and the funding aims to support creative projects that also improve people’s lives in various ways; for example, by tackling environmental/social/economic issues or providing activities for young people.

The total funding amounted to £31,869, with 14 projects receiving grants ranging from £3,000 to £800.

A grant of £2,900 has been awarded to a collaboration project between Plastic Free Exmouth and the Chhaya Collective, a female-led dance and live music company. Waste material gathered from beaches will be used to make costumes for an outdoor dance theatre production of Ophelia - a feminist reworking of Hamlet - to be performed outside Exmouth Community College in March. Sections of the work will also be performed as part of Plastic Free Exmouth’s weekly beach cleans during the same month.

Exmouth Town Council has been awarded £2,000 for its Magpies Festival of Thrift in March. This event, held in partnership with Sideshore CIC, will encourage, demonstrate and celebrate upcycling, repurposing, mending and re-using, with a series of pay-what-you-can workshops, free activities and family fun days, teaching people skills and ideas for fixing old items or turning them into new ones. 

A grant of £1,500 will fund 12 music workshops for Deaf and Special Education Needs (SEN) young people at the Deaf Academy and Mill Water School, led by the Exeter-based Paddle Boat Theatre. The workshops will culminate in a celebratory end-of-term performance.

Councillor Nick Hookway, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Leisure, Tourism and Sport said: "The Creative East Devon Fund is a new initiative which was introduced as part of our wider East Devon Cultural Strategy. We are delighted to support these 14 new creative initiatives across East Devon. The funded projects will not only enrich the cultural lives of residents but also attract visitors to the area.

"We encourage culture organisations to look out for the next funding round this year and bring more East Devon creative projects to fruition.

"A second round of funding will open in April for longer term projects due to be completed by March 2025. For application details, please sign up to the ACED newsletter."