A NEW round of funding is available to bring creative ideas to life as the stopwatch counts down to the British Cycling National Road Race Championships arriving in Stockton.
The prestigious event takes place in June and applications are being encouraged from any community groups to take advantage of grants to get involved and help the Championships to be as exciting as possible.
Funding is available for any creative projects that enhance the race atmosphere. This could be a street party in a space near to the race route, decorations to add a party feel or live event music to give the competitors energy on their gruelling ride.
Five grants have already been awarded to a value of over £4,000. Pupils from Kirklevington Primary School, under the guidance of specialist glass artist Judith Gill, will be creating a large freestanding sculpture made from glass and wrought iron.
The sculpture will come alive with coloured pieces of glass attached to the wheels to create a sparkling work of art.
Councillor Norma Wilburn, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Arts, Leisure and Culture, recently paid a visit to the school to drop in on a workshop session as work gets under way.
Councillor Wilburn said: “The grants available are a fantastic way for groups and schools in Stockton Borough to get involved creatively with the upcoming festival of cycling.
“It was inspirational to speak to the pupils from Kirklevington Primary School who have so many wonderfully creative ideas and clearly cannot wait to get under way with their project.
“I would encourage more schools and groups to get thinking about what artistic ideas they could offer and to apply for a grant to make the race route a living embodiment of the Borough’s passion for sport and the arts.”
Justine Moralee, Head Teacher at Kirklevington Primary School, said: “We share and take pride in our vibrant learning environment and this project is a great example of that.
“We will also be working with offenders from Kirklevington Grange’s metal workshop to create the iron structure which shows the school’s strong sense of community.”
Judith Gill, glass artist, said: “I’m thrilled to be part of such an exciting project as the children at Kirklevington Primary have some inspirational ideas for their designs.
“I am privileged to be able to help them bring their ideas to life with the help of the metal workshop at Kirklevington Grange.”
Hugh McGouran, Chief Executive of the Tees Valley Community Foundation, said: “We have been very pleased with the quality of the funding applications that have been received so far.
“I would encourage any group that feels they can add extra atmosphere to this wonderful event in the summer to submit an application.”
The grant scheme is being run by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council in partnership with the Tees Valley Community Foundation.
The deadline for applications is Monday 29 February.
For further information and to apply, visit www.teesvalleyfoundation.org or call 01642 260860.