New 'Sutton Stories' project to launch at Meridale Youth and Community Hall this February

A new creative, community-based project is set to launch next month with a day of arts, performances, and demonstrations at Meridale Youth and Community Hall in Sutton-on-Sea.

Sutton Stories will get underway on Monday 12 February, from 2pm to 7pm, as part of the National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) programme awarded to the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, and is being produced by Sessions Arts, the creative arm of Spilsby Sessions House.

On the day a variety of artists and arts companies will be in attendance with workshops and performances for visitors to enjoy, including:

•           Fettle & Fable - presenting a special, mini-shadow puppetry show.

•           MBD - presenting a range of virtual reality experiences.

•           Fabuloso Organ - offering their unique music and sounds.

•           Rhubarb Theatre -creating their own Sutton-on-Sea story to perform on the day.

The event is free to attend and is open to all ages, interests, and arts experiences, to help create the most rounded story of Sutton on Sea possible.

In the build up to the event, Sutton Stories is working to engage the local community and groups to help create special artwork displaying the unique views and experiences of Sutton-on-Sea shared by its residents. 

The project, led by local artists Spectrum Arts and Lumo workshop, will work closely with Sutton Primary School, local community groups and families to collate a variety of different stories about Sutton-on-Sea, before turning them into a range of unique pieces of arts consisting of light, images and sound that will be on display on the day.

The project is part of the Partnership's NPO project through funding from Arts Council England, which looks to support arts, culture, heritage and creativity across the whole of South and East Lincolnshire, providing meaningful opportunity and programming for residents, developing the sector and helping to build our arts, culture and heritage offer.

Sutton-on-Sea was identified as East Lindsey's creative hub site to deliver creative activity as part of the funding, supported through the new Colonnade building currently under construction, with the programme being supported by an eight-member culture board which draws experience from a variety of sectors.

MBD will be returning to Meridale Youth and Community Hall to deliver a drop-in workshop to help young people learn basic skills in 3D design, world building, game development, visual storytelling and more through the Unreal game engine. The workshop will take place on Wednesday 14 February from 12:30pm to 3:30pm, anyone aged 8 to 16 is welcome.

Councillor Graham Marsh, Deputy Leader at East Lindsey District Council and member of the culture board, said: "We are delighted to get this exciting project underway, and can't think of a better place to look to launch our NPO work than in Sutton-on-Sea.

"We want to make sure that the work taking place is really driven by our local communities and residents, and best reflects their stories and experiences of the place they live. Sutton Stories is a great concept, and has the potential to serve as a lasting record of the immensely rich heritage of the area. I hope residents will be able to join us for this first event, learn more about it, and help shape the future of our history."