Arts & Culture
West Somerset Council funds ARTlife to deliver its artistic and cultural services. ARTlife is a consortium of nine member organisations and has developed an arts service run for and by the people of West Somerset. It is responsible for the strategic development of the district’s art and cultural activities.
ARTlife provides a range of opportunities for artists from helping to get their work displayed in empty shops to running bursary schemes and projects to support creative pursuits. It also co-ordinates a programme of musical events in Blenheim Gardens.
Alongside its own projects, ARTlife frequently part-funds work delivered by the Somerset Key Strategic Organisations (KSOs). Previous projects have focused on world music for young people, and artists working alongside those in land-based industries like farming.
ARTlife works in many different ways. Here is a taste of what it does:
- manages a small grant scheme and a training bursary scheme
- fundraises for and delivers arts projects with local communities
- funds the work of arts organisations that deliver projects and develops professional arts practice
- provides advice and information
- joins projects with non-arts agencies like The Coleridge Way
- promotes the value of the arts
- commissions research in partnership with other agencies
- takes a strategic role locally and regionally to ensure that West Somerset receives and develops the highest quality of arts service
- aims to get West Somerset more creative by putting people in touch with each other and helping their ideas to flourish.