Selby has been awarded a £89,500 grant from Historic England as part of the Selby High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) It will be used to create and deliver community-led cultural activities on the high street over the next three years.
Selby HSHAZ is one of more than 60 high streets to receive a share of £6 million for their cultural programme. The funding means a programme of cultural events can take place in the town. It will be delivered by a consortium of organisations led by Selby Abbey, and will include live performance, exhibitions and events.
This is part of the four-year-long High Streets Heritage Action Zones’ Cultural Programme, led by Historic England, in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Cultural Programme aims to make high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time.
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Historic England, said: “The high street cultural programme is a step change in the way we think about bringing high streets back from the brink. As we start to see these important historic spaces become regenerated through building work, it is the community-led cultural work that helps people to enjoy their high street again and also have a say in what the future of their high street might be.”
Cllr Tim Grogan, Selby District Council’s Lead Member for Housing, Health and Culture, added: “I’m delighted that Selby has won this major funding award. The programme of events will be a rich variety of new and engaging cultural activities which are rooted in the heritage of Selby. There will be a range of cultural events and activities that our residents will be able to enjoy.”
The funding builds on the success of a series of pilot cultural projects that have run since last August across 43 High Street Heritage Action Zones. The Heritage Action Zone cultural consortium in Selby has already hosted popular Minecraft building sessions which allowed young gamers to explore a version of how Selby looked in the past, as well as create buildings to show how it might look in the future. It has also organised a competition for residents to choose their favourite historical objects for a special online exhibition.
To find out what is happening in your area and get involved, please follow @HistoricEngland @HE_Yorkshire #HistoricHighStreets on Twitter and visit: www.HistoricEngland.org.uk/HighStreetCulture