We are delighted to announce that nine new heritage projects will be delivered thanks to funding from the first round of Torbay's Local Heritage Scheme. The grant scheme is made possible thanks to investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund which awarded us £250,000 to deliver the initiative.

The theme of the grants is ‘Writers, Artists & Musicians on the English Riviera’. It aims to celebrate Torbay’s rich literary, artistic and musical heritage and engage with local people about what makes Torbay special to them.

Local groups and organisations were asked to think creatively about how to engage with residents and celebrate Torbay’s connections with iconic writers, artists, and musicians. They could apply for grants between £500 and £7,000.

The awarded projects include Torbay Literary Festival, a youth-led video project and a theatre project exploring Torbay's connection with Charles Dickens, amongst others.

Cllr Jacqueline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Tourism, Culture and Events and Corporate Services at Torbay Council, said: “We’re delighted to support these nine projects through the first round of Torbay’s Local Heritage Scheme. From theatre and film to creative writing and community workshops, they will help bring Torbay’s rich heritage to life and inspire people to connect with the stories, creativity and culture that make the English Riviera so special.”

Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “As one of our Heritage Places, we see enormous potential for heritage to inspire and connect communities across Torbay. From uncovering untold stories to bringing people together, these projects demonstrate the powerful role local communities play in shaping and celebrating the heritage of the place they call home. Heritage Places is a long-term, strategic investment designed to boost pride in place and strengthen connections to heritage. These community grants are a fantastic way to bring that vision to life, supporting grassroots ideas that will have a lasting impact across Torbay.” 

The awarded projects and the amounts awarded:

• Unleashed Theatre Company - The Last Visit - Charles Dickens at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, awarded £7,000

To produce a creative project and record through dramatic form using AI, bringing facts to life about Charles Dickens' relationship to Torbay.  Specifically, his final visit when he appeared at the Royal Theatre, the oldest working theatre in Torbay and home to the Unleashed Theatre Company.

• Moor to Sea - Holding Musical Roots, £5,000

The Moor to Sea facilitation team support multi-generations, including young people living with autism and older people, some of whom live with dementia.  This project will research Torbay's musical heritage, building a palette of recordings, instruments, stories and songs. They will create conditions for quiet stories to be shared - lives lived in this place, memories of how music shaped it - and documenting what comes. 

• Sound Communities CIC - From the Bay to Beyond' Heritage Film, £7,000

This project will produce a heritage film called ‘From the Bay to Beyond – Torbay's Youth Music Heritage’. It will create a huge legacy for new generations of current young musicians. The film will be packed with recent lived experience - the local Torbay haunts for aspiring musicians, the places from which young musicians have sought inspiration and solace, and a never-before-seen insight into the cultural heritage of the Bay through young eyes.

• Sonder Art Collective CIC - A youth led Paignton Heritage Discovery Trail, £6,850

This project aims to support young people to overcome barriers to engagement via exploration of where they live, using creativity such as dioramas and artistic pieces that tell stories and bring local history to life in a way that feels engaging and accessible.

• Torbay Literary Festival, £7,000

This project will promote reading for people of all ages living in Torbay. The project will invite 15 local authors, as well as well-known established authors as part of the festival.  In addition, there will be free events, including creative writing workshops and a number of ‘open mic’ events where local people have the opportunity to perform their poetry to a live audience.

• The South Devon Players - Jack the Ripper, £1,000

This project will include performances that will engage with audiences via shows and video streams, as well as behind the scenes using interesting content on social media.  The aim is to make theatre and arts more accessible to all and will include offering free tickets to organisations helping people on low or no income.

• Paignton Monastery CIC - Paignton Heritage Through Art, Music and Story, £5,000

This project will help local people explore, interpret and celebrate the heritage of Paignton through art, writing, music and photography, via a programme of community workshops led by creative practitioners.  The workshops will be accessible to local people who may not have previously engaged with such activities. 

• Mark D Gane - Voices from the Dark Riviera, £7,000

A community-led heritage and creative writing project that will enable people in Torbay to actively engage with, interpret, and contribute to local heritage through storytelling.  This project will be delivered through local venues, libraries, and community organisations across Torbay, embedding activity within accessible, community-based settings.

• Torquay Museum Society - William Pengelly: Polymath, £4,800

Society members will conduct research on Pengelly to show the diversity of Pengelly’s interests and the advancements that he made in the study of cave deposits and archaeology. This will be shared by the creation of an exhibition, film, lecture and booklet about Pengelly. 

The second round of applications for the Torbay Local Heritage Grants Scheme will launch in mid September.

To find out more about the scheme visit: Local Heritage Grant Scheme - Torbay Council