More Communities Set to Benefit as Creative Grants Go Borough‑wide

(Copyright text and images, Maidstone Borough Council, reproduced with kind permission)

From an improv festival and community quilting to painting sessions aimed at tackling loneliness, Creative Communities Grants have helped local people create and connect through the arts, and now the scheme is being expanded.

Maidstone Borough Council has set aside £30,000 to expand and relaunch the grants with the scheme expanded to support arts and cultural projects across the whole borough, rather than being focused on the town centre.

This year, funding will be split across two grant rounds of £15,000, with three rounds of £10,000 planned in 2027.

Previously funded through investment from Central Government via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the grants supported regeneration and community wellbeing following the impact of Covid.

Over the last four years, £120,000 was awarded to support more than 80 creative projects, reaching over 12,500 people across the borough. The organisations delivered dance, drama, music, visual arts and textile projects that many residents may not otherwise have had the opportunity to take part in.

Councillor Stephen Thompson, Maidstone Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Healthier Stronger Communities, said:



"Creative Communities Grants have already enhanced the difference that arts and culture can make to people's lives, from helping communities connect, to supporting wellbeing and building pride in where we live.

 "By expanding the scheme to cover the whole borough, we're making sure even more residents and communities can benefit from creative opportunities, wherever they are based. We're really looking forward to seeing the next round of ideas and encouraging artists and organisations to come forward with projects that bring people together."

 Previous successful applicants include Maidstone Improv Festival, which was supported with £3,000 across two years to launch and grow a multi‑venue comedy festival. The programme delivered workshops, family events and performances, attracting audiences of more than 200 and increasing direct participation in the arts.

 Letters, Leaves and Laughter used their £1,000 award on a community quilting project, bringing together local groups at a GP surgery, Maidstone Museum and the Old Boat Café. The project culminated in the creation and exhibition of three quilts and continues to bring people together through regular weekly sessions.

Maidstone Gurkha Veterans into Arts received £1,500 to support Gurkha veterans through creative drawing and painting sessions. The project helped reduce isolation while improving confidence, social connection and mental wellbeing among participants.

Funding priorities have also been refreshed to better reflect the Council's strategic objectives. Projects applying for a Creative Communities Grant must strongly address at least two of the following priorities:

Increasing pride in the borough and its communities

Increasing participation and engagement in arts and cultural activities

Supporting or improving individual or community health

Promoting environmental awareness and responsibility

 To be eligible, projects or events must take place within the Maidstone borough.

The first round of applications will open on Friday 1 May.

 Full details on eligibility, funding criteria and how to apply can be found online.

Ends

 Images show the improv festival in full swing  and the Ghurkha veterans arts session.