Help us to celebrate Councils, Councillors and Council Officers who are doing exceptional work to keep the arts at the heart of community life.
The National Campaign for the Arts brings you the second round of the Hearts for the Arts awards, which is an initiative to reward and thank Councils, Councillors and Council officers who are overcoming financial challenges to ensure the arts stay at the centre of community life. You can make nominations for four Awards categories:
1. Best Local Authority Arts Initiative
This is a really broad category that includes any sort of project or programme led by a Local Authority or where the Local Authority is a crucial and fully engaged partner. This could be anything from a new classical concert programme to a project using the arts to increase levels of household recycling.
We are looking for initiatives that demonstrate:
Evidence of need for the initiative
Strong leadership from the local authority
Effective communication and engagement with the community in the development and delivery of the project
Effective partnerships, including with other local authorities, professional arts organisations and other voluntary sector organisations
Innovation, particularly in ways that maximise resources
Sustainability of initiative
Demonstrable impact for the community involved
2. Best Local Authority Arts Champion- Councillor AND Officer
Leadership is critically important to keep the arts at the heart of local communities. Sometimes things happen thanks to active championing from Council Leaders and Mayors. More often its other Councillors and Council Officers who work passionately and tirelessly on arts projects and programmes in their communities.
We are looking for individuals (for two categories, Champion Councillor for elected Councillors, and Champion Officer for members of Council staff) who:
Are excellent advocates for the arts in their areas
Have had an impact - both within the Council and outside - in moving the arts up the agenda
Have brought together and supported partnerships to develop and deliver arts projects in their communities
Can point to positive change in their communities thanks to their intervention and leadership
3. Best Local Authority Arts Project encouraging community cohesion
The arts can be very effective in bringing us together. They help us explore difficult issues in a safe space, and increase mutual understanding.
We are looking for arts initiatives specifically designed to increase community cohesion, that demonstrate:
Evidence of need for the initiative
Strong leadership from the local authority
Effective communication and engagement with the community in the development and delivery of the project
Effective partnerships, including with other local authorities, professional arts organisations and other voluntary sector organisations
Innovation, particularly in ways that maximise resources
Sustainability of initiative
Demonstrable impact for the community involved
Please complete this nomination form and submit by Monday 20th November. Please include a separate form for each nomination.
