Creative Burntwood Partners
Creative BurntwoodDaniel Buckroyd, CEO & Artistic Director of Lichfield Garrick Theatre, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to have worked with Burntwood Town Council & Lichfield District Council to secure this funding from Arts Council England to deliver Creative Burntwood. Burntwood is a brilliant community, full of untapped creativity and potential, and this project is about opening doors for people of all ages to get involved, try something new, and feel part of something special. During our community consultation, 64% of respondents told us they don’t currently take part in any creative activities. That shows just how vital this investment is and how much opportunity there is to make a real, lasting impact.
At the same time, Creative Burntwood will also create exciting opportunities for professional artists to connect with new communities, collaborate, and develop their own practice. A big part of this project is about upskilling, from young people finding their voice on stage, to volunteers stepping into leadership roles, to artists expanding their toolkit. It’s about nurturing creativity at every level, and we can’t wait to get started.”
We also hope to be working with brilliant regional partners like Lichfield Festival and Fuse Festival, plus amazing local organisations including schools, Spark Children’s Centre, the library, and Burntwood Memorial Hall.
In Partnership with Burntwood Town Council
Cllr Laura Ennis, Chair of Burntwood Town Council said:
“It’s fantastic news that the Lichfield Garrick Theatre has received funds from the Arts Council for the Creative Burntwood project that we have been working in partnership on. I can’t wait to see all of the plans and activity that the Garrick have planned over the next 3 years come to life. We at Burntwood Town Council look forward to continuing to work with them, so that our community can enjoy the opportunities this exciting project will create here in Burntwood.”
In Partnership with Lichfield District Council
Cllr Doug Pullen, Leader of Lichfield District Council, said:
"This is fantastic news for Burntwood and for our district as a whole. Creative Burntwood is exactly the kind of community-driven project we want to see more of, giving people of all ages the chance to connect, learn new skills, and discover the power of the arts right on their doorstep.
“We’re proud to support this partnership and I’m excited to see how it will help unlock talent, inspire confidence and create opportunities that last well beyond the next three years. I can’t wait to see Burntwood’s creative spark shine even brighter."
Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director at Arts Council England said:
“We’re pleased to be investing almost £300,000 into Burntwood and Litchfield through our Place Partnership programme, which uses money from the National Lottery.
We know that creative and cultural activities can make us feel happier and proud of the places that we live. This funding will support large-scale cultural projects connecting people to local heritage, workshops and performances, improved creative education, a brand-new youth theatre programme and more. It will mark a real step change in the area, helping more people to experience, connect and take part in creativity and culture on their own doorsteps.”
About Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Our vision, set out in our strategy Let’s Create,is that by 2030, we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish, and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. Between 2023 and 2026 we will have invested over £467 million of public money from Government, alongside an estimated £250 million each year from The National Lottery, to help ensure that people in every part of the country have access to culture and creativity in the places where they live. Until Autumn 2025, the National Lottery is celebrating its 30th anniversary of supporting good causes in the United Kingdom: since the first draw was held in 1994, it has raised £49 billion and awarded more than 690,000 individual grants.
Visit their website to learn more about Art's Council England's work.